Pinch me—I’m on Cherry Bombe this week!!! 🍒

Has your week been as much of a whirlwind as mine? If so, I hope your wine glass stayed half full, rather than half empty. The Cherry Bombe podcast interview I did just dropped (!), I released my Willamette Valley Wine Guide (yes, I sent the typo-riddled draft first 🤦‍♀️—corrected version: Here), and I spent four days at a business conference surrounded by inspiring entrepreneurs. So when my DMs started blowing up and my follower count spiked, I wasn’t even home to see it happen.

So first things first: welcome. You’re in the right place. I’m here to show you that wine doesn’t have to be snobby or inaccessible. Life is stressful enough as it is—let’s allow wine be the fun part; the part that uncorks the good life (whatever that looks like for you).

So if you’re wondering, “Who is this perky chick sliding into my inbox to chirp about wine?” today’s for you. I'd love to introduce myself to the new faces. And for those of you who have been here for a while: thank you. I see you, I appreciate you, and I can’t wait to pour you something delicious at Arden soon.

The Perky Wine Chick

A confession: I wasn’t born speaking wine. Oh, I may be able to drop phrases like “saccharomyces cerevisiae” and “vitas vinifera” into casual conversation now, but I definitely didn’t learn them with my ABC’s. And honestly, most “wine people” in America didn’t either. Sure, we imagine elegant châteaux where families have handed the lauded craft down for generations—but the truth is, here in the U.S. most winemakers are first-generation. Maybe second. Very rarely third. Which means that while wine can feel intimidating, most of us in the industry haven’t been at it that much longer than you.

But Kelsey, didn’t you grow up in the fancy-schmancy Willamette Valley? Yes… but “fancy-schmancy” is not how anyone would’ve described it in the early 90s. I wasn’t exactly bragging to my sophisticated Portland friends that I was from Sherwood. And “wine country”? That phrase wasn’t on anyone’s radar yet. I still remember when The Allison announced its big, shiny resort in Newberg—a town literally no one pictured as a luxury destination. Never in a million years did we think it would thrive there… but look at us twenty years later, eating crow pie. (Washed down with Pinot Noir, duh).

The ‘glamorous’ lifestyle of 1991 Willamette Valley

Wine didn’t really enter my world until my early 20s, working in restaurants. You’ll hear the whole story on the podcast, but suffice it to say: I was not born a wine person. And even once I did get into the industry, I felt frustrated, intimidated, and outclassed. The industry was (and still is) male-dominated, and can—not always, but at times—seem built on intimidation, prestige, and general douchebaggery (especially in big cities).

But I also met enough amazing people to make me fall in love with it. Namely, my partner at the time, who pulled back the curtain and introduced me to the farmers, the vignerons, the one-man (and woman) -shows. The industry folks who aren’t here to intimidate you, but who are genuinely excited about this incredible beverage humanity has loved for millennia—and who want to share that knowledge without pretense.

That’s the spirit that led me to create Raise a Glass two years ago. And I’m so very humbled by how far we have come. Being featured on Cherry Bombe feels like one of the highest honors a woman in food and beverage could hope for; it’s a platform that elevates women who hustle for all the right reasons.

So if you’re new here—welcome. And if you’ve been here a while—thank you. This labor of love wouldn’t exist without you. I can’t wait to keep telling stories and going on adventures, as long as you’ll let me take you. 

Wishing you good food, great company, and excellent wine,

Kelsey