Wine Women Further Your Wine Education

If you are aiming higher in your career and have at some point considered studying for a WSET, CSW or CWE certifications, obtaining a Wine Business Management qualifications or an MBA in Wine Business, becoming a Master Sommelier or a Master of Wine, this event is for you!

Our panelists - alumni of WSET, Sonoma State University, WISE Academy, Napa Valley College and Society of Wine Educators programs - have done it all! They are excited to share their honest opinions on IF and HOW completing these wine and wine business programs have helped them in their careers, and which takeaways proved to be most valuable. Since most panelists have done more than one program, they can even compare and contrast the offerings, and offer advice on which path to take.

Please join us for an insightful discussion on March 10 led by our distinguished moderator Deborah Parker Wong.
The event is hosted by NakedWines.com. The panel discussion and a Q & A session will follow a welcome wine reception.

Our panelists:

Deborah Parker Wong, moderator
Deborah researches, writes, teaches, and consults about wine. Her vast interests span the business of wine, wine production, quality assessment, product development, and wine education. A holder of the WSET Diploma, she teaches WSET Level 2 ad Level 3 certifications, and is an adjunct professor in the wine studies programs at Sonoma State, Santa Rosa JC and Cabrillo colleges.

Ask Deborah how to successfully master the WSET certificate, what it takes to become a wine journalist or a wine judge, and what are the pros and cons of a community college degree vs. a WSET certificate for your career.
 

Balkis Johnson
With her background in hospitality in the Caribbean, Balkis came to Napa Valley via New Jersey
with zero knowledge about the wine industry. First thing in Napa, she enrolled in the WISE Academy and landed a part-time job at Silverado Vineyards. Three months later, she got promoted to the full-time position. “It gave me credibility”, says Balkis of her training with WISE. She has since pursued her CSW certification, and is enrolled in the Advanced Viticulture and Wine-making program at Napa Valley College.
Ask Balkis about careers in hospitality and event planning, WISE vs Society of Wine Educators vs community college, her global ambitions, and above all, about untraditional paths in the wine industry.
 

Sylvie Tannhauser
As a Franco-American, Sylvie Tannhauser has wine in her blood. Wine and food were a big part of the job early in her career when Sylvie was promoting French destinations. Yet, becoming a certified sommelier, she says, opened a whole lot of new job opportunities. It ultimately led her to Napa Valley where she hosted events for Charles Krug, Peju and Domaine Carneros. Since then, Sylvie has studied wine business management at SSU and has advanced to a hospitality management position at Cakebread Cellars. She is currently preparing for her WSET Level 3 and Certified Wine Educator exams.
Ask Sylvie about how to choose a certification program among a multitude of different options, and how to prepare well for an exam.
 

Claire Hobday
Why would someone with a ‘Director of Finance and Accounting’ title decide to go back to school? Claire Hobday seemed to have everything going for her: an impressive 20+ year career that included some of the world’s biggest corporate names, such as PwC, Coca Cola, Treasury Wine Estates; senior finance roles in three countries – England, New Zealand and the US; and 9-figure budgets to manage. Yet, in 2017 she decided to enroll in Sonoma State’s Executive MBA in Wine Business.
Ask Claire about the ins and outs of an MBA and the opportunities it presents, and about anything career- and finance-related. Claire is a Registered Mentor and most recently completed her first stint as adjunct professor at Sonoma State University on their brand new Global Wine MBA.

Erin Kirschenmann
Growing up in a journalist family, journalism was the only professional path Erin Kirschenmann could think of. She started studying it as an 8-year-old, went on to earning a BA in communications with a journalism emphasis, and landed a reporter job after graduation. A year later, a Craigslist ad took her to the world of wine via a job with Wine Business Monthly, where she is now the managing editor. Erin’s passion for learning has led her to accomplish WSET Level 2 and Level 3, as well as public speaking courses at the WISE Academy, and online financial courses.
Ask Erin why she has chosen WSET over other certifications, how to gain confidence, and why, though she is currently studying for the WSET Diploma and genuinely loves wine, she thinks that “business is the way to go”.