Summary: Wine and drinks writing is a highly coveted career choice, yet one of the most challenging to break into. It is also a particularly challenging one for both newcomers and seasoned professionals alike to maintain as a financially sustainable full-time profession. In this session, wine and drinks journalist Jacopo Mazzeo will highlight the skill sets required to kick start a writing career while explaining how to develop it into a financially viable

Summary: A Day in the Life of a Food & Beverage Director, Sommelier, and Wine Director. At the heart of hospitality lies three essential wine & spirits professionals: the food & beverage director, sommelier, and wine director. Although traditionally separate jobs, today’s economy often combines these roles into one position. We will take a deep dive into what a typical day looks like for each position and hear a few

Summary: A Day in the Life of a Wine & Spirits Sales Consultant. The wine & spirits sales consultant remains a very popular career choice for those new to the industry as well as the seasoned professionals within it. We will take you on a journey to discover the average day for a distributor sales consultant, retail sales consultant, and importer/brand manager sales consultant.  Discover the skill sets that are required for each role, the

Summary: A Day in the Life of a Wine Educator, Writer, and Blogger. Without these esteemed positions, we would not have the educational framework available today to train our new and existing wine & spirits hospitality professionals. We will look at the journey, passion, dedication, and hard work that guided educators, writers, and bloggers to their dream jobs. 1. Wine educator, writer, and blogger – is it in my

Summary: The wine and spirits industry offers some of the most amazing opportunities in the job market. In fact, it has often been said that this particular career path is also a lifestyle. Do you have the personality and skill set to find success within this field? Find out!   Join Pam Kindel Connors of Cuvée Consulting for a four-part series on choosing a path within this industry and the tools necessary to rise within its ranks. This

Pascaline Lepeltier is one of the world’s most respected and modern sommeliers and restaurateurs. Her list of accolades and professional achievements is endless. In 2018, she was the first woman ever to obtain the Meilleure Ouvrière de France in sommellerie (this is a very prestigious award that loosely translates to "best tradesperson of France") and the same year, she was named Best Sommelier of France. 2018 was action-packed for Pascaline as she also featured in popular wine-themed movie Somm 3. 

Summary:  You know better than most people that creating and building a business means nurturing and maintaining strong business relationships – with colleagues, clients, and business prospects. Building strong relationships with people means spending quality time with them. And that often means entertaining them to forge personal chemistry and establish trust. (Let’s face it, we all

“The couple at number 12 wants to see you,” my assistant told me, returning from what I immediately knew was going to reveal itself as a tricky table to please. At the time, I was managing the wine list of a charming modern-British restaurant with rooms in the New Forest, a fairytale-like national park about two hours’ drive southwest of London. The gentleman at number 12 couldn’t believe how a young waiter, wearing a bright pink shirt and a denim tie, could possibly offer him proper guidance on a wine list boasting over 400 entries.