JC Select Wines

“Curated Wine Selections, Events & Concierge Services for the Modern Wine Enthusiast”.

"Once a Civil Engineer, Jennifer "stumbled" into the wine industry during her move from Canada to California. She started out on the broker/distributor side of the business over 10 years ago, co-founded a brokerage, always passionate about the lesser-known, fantastic wineries & their stories. In 2019, she launched her passion project Great Pour Decisions®, a lifestyle and wine accessories brand, all while working towards creating her ultimate dream business. Jenn successfully launched that dream and founded JC Select Wines to bring her favourite wines directly into the hands of those in search of the great gems out there. "

"JC Select Wines allows me to elevate my client's experience with wine by both sharing a wine's story and then providing direct access to the wines that I'm passionate about.”

"Like wanting to live better lives and eat better food, we also want to drink better wines. Wines made by people whose heart and soul are inside every bottle. I care about every bottle that I open and about every winery that my choice supports. JC Select Wines exists because I'm not alone in caring about the wines I support."

https://www.jcselectwines.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jcselectwines/

https://www.cava.wine/en/origin-cava/labelling/

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Eric Depradine is from Boston, Massachusetts. He is a 2006 and 2008 graduate of UL-Lafayette in history and chemistry. He's worked for various municipal governments in Louisiana and Missouri regulating federal and local wastewater laws. He is also a 2021 graduate of Highland Community College's enology certificate program. Finally, he is proud the owner of Zydeco Meadery, one of four minority-owned alcohol manufacturers in Kansas.

https://www.zydecomeadery.net/

https://www.vesta-usa.org/

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Lizz Rene (she/her) is a Black woman entrepreneur, innovator, and disruptor. The daughter of immigrants, Lizz is a proud first-generation college graduate and proud Black alumna of the University of Georgia. She has dedicated her work full-time to dismantling oppressive systems and amplifying Black stories. With retail partnerships with Busboys & Poets (DMV), Nubian Hueman (DC & Baltimore) and Happy Cork (Brooklyn, NY), Lizz presents PO’ UP! Card Game – an unapologetic drinking game that translates college experiences through nostalgia. Lizz has grown PO’ UP! Card Game’s social media presence by garnering more than 3 million views on TikTok alone. She is a founding member of The Gathering Spot (DC) and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

https://www.instagram.com/poupcards/

Coupon code SWIRLSUITE for 15% off our cards: https://poupcards.com/discount/SWIRLSUITE

Iman @imansakeena is a Wine Content Creator and former graduate from Kendall College Culinary Art school level one sommelier program, WSET 2 and currently a WSET 3 student at the American Wine School in Chicago, IL. She also is the founder of @blackvinesmatter where she highlights people of African descent in the wine industry. She is on a mission to add flavor to the wine industry and to shake up the norm! 

https://www.instagram.com/imansakeena/

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Ray Sholes is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He has a discerning

palate and is a passionate wine lover. He is known not only for his incredible tasting abilities and

vast knowledge but also for his friendly, relaxed and professional approach to wine education.

Growing up in Compton, California Ray admits, “I come from a world where an education in

fine wines, sake, craft brews, and spirits did not exist.” His fascination for wine took off after

graduation from Johnson & Wales University where he earned his Bachelor of Food Service

Management. His thirst for wine has taken him across the globe to vineyards where he learned

and improved his skills beyond textbooks. Ray is a beverage judge, speaker, and educator. He

has spent over 15 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry where he has wine list creation,

cocktail and spirit program development, dynamic staff training and restaurant management

under his belt. When he isn’t hosting tasting events, he works as the Sommelier for Michael’s

Genuine Food & Drink in the Design District, of Miami. Ray Sholes is also the Founder and

Content Creator for “The Black-Owned Wine Review” series on YouTube producing content

that promotes, amplifies, and perpetuates Black-Owned wine brands!

Follow Ray:

https://www.instagram.com/theroyalvines/

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Black Winestory Month

www.instagram.com/burgerandwines/

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A former 4-H kid, Royal oversees 575 acres, of which about 250 are planted to prime Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel grapes at the iconic Monte Rosso Vineyard. She studied crops and horticulture science at Cal State Chico and then worked as an intern at Gallo, where she was promoted to vineyard manager in 2015. Home to some of the oldest-producing grapevines in California, Monte Rosso has an almost mythical reputation among winemakers who love its brilliant acidity and distinct notes of spice. Royal patrols it all with her black Labrador, Violet Mae, and is an active advocate for improving involvement and advancement of Black people in agriculture and winemaking.

https://www.instagram.com/_cabrenae/

Wine Growing Glossary:

https://www.wine-grape-growing.com/wine_grape_growing/about_this_title/glossary/wine_grape_growing_a.htm

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Black Winestory Month

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With a decade of building intrapreneurship teams at Fortune 500 companies such as IBM and LinkedIn, Terrence is an analytical strategist with a focus on emerging trends and culture. Terrence oversees the execution of current and future visions of Michael Lavelle as he traverses between

worlds of strategy, creative and operations to execute each objective at the highest standard. Born and raised in Chicago, Terrence holds a BA in Economics from Howard University in Washington, DC. Passionately curious for connecting the dots, shifting culture is what led him into the spirits/wine business. He’s currently enrolled at Napa Valley Wine Academy for Sommelier certification.

With a firm understanding that ideas are only as good as their execution, Brandon brings his knowledge of operational systems to ensure Michael Lavelle is logistically sound. Over the past decade, Brandon has achieved operational excellence for the nation's leading brands, including Grubhub, Toast, and the Washington Nationals. Born and raised in Chicago, Brandon holds a BS in Leisure Studies from Howard University in

Washington, DC and is currently enrolled at Napa Valley Wine Academy for Sommelier certification. Through his entrepreneurial experience in the DC hospitality scene it became clear that spirits are pivotal in building relationships and connecting communities.

Follow Micahel Lavelle:

https://www.instagram.com/sipmichaellavelle/

https://sipmichaellavelle.com/

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Black Winestory Month

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SOMM TV brings together five of the top wine connoisseurs, along with other culinary professionals, in SPARKLERS, a high-stakes, high-pressure competition show based on cooking and pairing great sparkling wine from around the world. The 13-episode food & wine competition show premiered Tuesday, November 23rd and continues until a champion is crowned on Tuesday, February 8th.

SPARKLERS features a diverse cast of food and wine professionals who are changing the culinary world. While the show has guest judges, the main challenges are decided by the five contestants themselves, pitting friends against each other as they make tough decisions to create one of the most unique food shows you’ve ever seen and the first ever cooking and wine pairing competition show.

The shows talented cast of food and wine professionals include Maryam Ahmed, hospitality entrepreneur at Maryam & Company in Napa, Claire Coppi, Wine Director at Sushi Note restaurant in Los Angeles, Matthew Kaner, renown sommelier and restaurateur in Los Angeles, George Walker III, National Brand Ambassador/Winery Operations at Wade Cellars in Napa, and Meghan Zobeck, Winemaker at Burgess Cellars in Napa.

https://watch.sommtv.com/sparklers

Watch this episode live on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5DWXGYADJg

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Black Winestory Month

www.instagram.com/burgerandwines/

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A winemaker with a wide and diverse background, Cadamatre started in wine on the East Coast as a

winemaking apprentice with Stargazers Vineyard in 2003. After graduating from Cornell University in 2006

with a Bachelor’s in Viticulture, Nova moved to California. During her time in California, she worked with

fruit from all over the state eventually settling in Napa and focusing on Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties

from some of the top vineyards in the area including To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, MacDonald, Detert, and

Hyde Vineyard. In 2015, she started her brand Trestle Thirty One in the Finger Lakes of NY. In 2020 added

Snowshell Vineyards for Naked Wines and in 2022 will be launching Fiadh Ruadh, a 100% Cabernet

Sauvignon from Stags Leap AVA in Napa. She currently goes back and forth between Napa and the Finger

Lakes to manage both her CA projects and her projects in NY.

In 2017, Nova was the first female winemaker in the US to achieve the title of Master of Wine. She has been

named to Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 under 40 list and has numerous 90+ scoring wines to her credit from

both coasts.

Follow Nova:

https://www.instagram.com/nova_cadamatre_mw/

https://www.instagram.com/trestle_31/

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Black Winestory Month

https://www.instagram.com/burgerandwines/

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Growing up on the Space Coast of Florida, Alicia Ortiz began her career at Kennedy Space Center as a Public Affairs intern and quickly developed her skillset in brand strategy, media relations, and social responsibility.

Ultimately taking her first full-time job out of college with MORI Associates, another NASA contractor based in Maryland, she connected with Blake Hershey in 2019, who told her about his idea for Sippd. Resonating with Sippd’s mission to create a more inclusive wine experience for younger, less-experienced wine drinkers while using the platform to support social causes in a digital format - she knew she had to be a part of the project.

Today, Alicia is the Head of Marketing at Sippd - the personal wine recommender and online marketplace that combines artificial intelligence and wine to help consumers find and order wines that match their unique taste profile.

Follow Alicia and Sippd:

https://www.instagram.com/aliciasips/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/drinksippd/?hl=en

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Alex Jankowski has been the Marketing Manager for Wagner Vineyards, located in New York's Finger Lakes wine region, since December 2019 and also serves as the Marketing Chair for the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Prior to this, he was an editor and journalist for publications in Massachusetts, California, Alaska, Connecticut, and New Jersey. He is a native of Buffalo, NY, and glad to be back closer to home, telling the stories of the hard work and ingenuity needed to craft world-class wines in upstate New York. He recently was awarded the 2021 Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Outstanding Customer Service Award for these efforts.

Follow Alex and Wagner:

https://www.instagram.com/alexjankflx/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/wagnervineyards/?hl=en

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