Congratulations to Karen Crippen for having passed the Champagne Master-Level exam with honors!
About Karen:
Karen is currently a sommelier for Coop Wine Spirits Beer.
''From the age of 19, I had an interest in wine, food and entertaining. I was not aware that my hobby could be a career. After 21 years in Fashion Retail, my passion for the wine industry led me to a part time job at boutique wine store, in Calgary, where my life in wine began. It took two years and a lot of education to make the full time career move. I now have the pleasure of educating customers in the Coop tasting rooms, writing wine articles and choosing wine for some fantastic customers monthly in our concierge service. This is an industry where I am constantly learning and enjoy every moment that I get to engage with people that share a passion for this industry.
I have successfully completed my level 1, 2 and diploma programs through the International Sommelier Guild. I have also completed my level 3 through the WSET and plan on moving forward with my level 4.
I am planning to enroll in the Rhone/Provence that begins in April 2016. I have found the courses offered through the Wine Scholar Guild to be valuable in the education that I provide to my retail customers and students in my tasting room; as well the courses are flexible and allow me to work full time and study in my spare time.
The Wine Scholar Guild provides more in depth information with relevant industry information from top leaders in the regions being covered and the curriculum expands on the basic information that has been provided through other levels of education that I have taken. The wine industry is one that is constantly changing and it is essential to continue my studies so I can keep current with the trends and industry changes.''
