The 2024 CIA Wine & Beverage Summit provides a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. This year's program is designed to empower wine professionals with the essential skills and knowledge they need to fuel their professional growth and industry connections, enhance their business acumen, and build successful wine businesses. Event Website

Turning the Tables on Carole McMenamy (aka Carole Mac)

By Carl Giavanti   Carole Mac is an executive producer, sommelier, author and speaker with more than 15 years of experience. According to USA TODAY, her series Somm School Insider, […]

A special thank you to Lee Anderson for contributing to our Guest Blog Series. In this post, Lee shares her experience as a sommelier in Chicago's fine dining scene. Read how Lee would create a memorable experience for her guests with wine-on-tap: I have a tattoo on my left lower arm. It is a sketch of an angel sitting on the moon with her red wings spread out behind her. It commemorates the bottle that began my love affair with wine. That bottle was not pricey or particularly fancy. It was Peter Jerman’s “Red Angel on the Moon”: a pinot noir. What was special was everything that came with it: the perfectly polished glassware, the date I had been crushing on for weeks, the excellent food pairing, and the stellar service. The night was beautiful, and the wine was perfect. As a sommelier and wine buyer who’s spent a majority of my career in fine dining, I would focus on recreating that moment for my guests. I wanted them to walk out of my restaurant feeling li