It’s been a big week. Okay fine — it’s been a big year. And I finally get to share what I've been working on today: an immersive, fun way to actually learn to speak wine.

You know the horror stories… You’re handed a wine list and everything looks like gibberish (cue: second-cheapest bottle). You’re nodding through a tasting while your eyes glaze over. You’re staring at a retail shelf and picking based on the label.

And I’m not ashamed to admit that that was me too.

I didn’t grow up around wine. I didn’t study it in school. I learned on the job —working in restaurants, asking questions, and piecing it all together from generous mentors.

But my knowledge was patchy… Spain at one job. California at the next. Italy? Germany? Argentina? Still total mysteries.

So I did what you were “supposed” to do and went the route of formal wine education. But I didn’t love it. The Court of Master Sommeliers was intimidating and exclusionary. WSET was more welcoming, but super academic and honestly… not that engaging.

And amid the textbooks and essay writing, I realized something problematic: all of this wine education is designed for industry professionals. Not for actual wine drinkers.

Which is wild — because winemakers aren’t making wine for sommeliers. They’re making it for you!

So a few years ago, as an answer to this problem, I built Seven Day Sommelier — a playful, approachable, beginner-friendly course that you can move through in your own time, that gives you a solid foundation in wine. But after watching students go through it these past two years, I realized something was still missing: Community. 

Because wine is just like any other language — you can’t learn it just by reading. You’ve got to speak it, preferably with others who are learning too. That means picking up the vocab, nailing the pronunciation, and yes, conjugating the verbs. Or in this case: learning the grapes and regions, practicing your tasting skills, and finding the words to describe what you’re actually experiencing — out loud.

So I’ve designed something new — a full-on wine immersion experience that combines my online course with a live, guided community where we’ll taste, talk, and learn together.

And starting today —  enrollment is officially open 🎉

​​How to Speak Wine

A two-month wine immersion that blends education, conversation, and connection — just in time for the holidays.

Here’s how it works:

• You’ll get the full Seven Day Sommelier course — one module a week, covering everything from tasting to pairing to winemaking to decoding confusing regions.
• Every Tuesday night, we’ll hop on a video call to taste together, ask questions, and actually use our wine vocab in real time.
• You’ll be part of a private online community — aka your wine-loving support group — where we swap recommendations, cheer each other on, and compete in friendly wine challenges.
• And yep — I’ll send you a specially-curated case of wine so you can taste along the way.

We’ll meet through November and December — the coziest, most celebratory months of the year — and I've designed this experience to be festive, supportive, and genuinely joyful.

Enrollment closes October 5, and spots are intentionally very limited to keep it small and personal.

If this speaks to you — or you just want to feel a little more confident next time you’re staring down a wine list —come join us.

Cheers and I can't wait to see you there!
Kelsey