Wine Behind The Scenes

Judith Lewis is about as passionate as you can get about wine and food. (Listen to Part One if you want to hear how Judith's mom forced her to taste everything and why she's grateful for it.)

Judith loves wine AND chocolate, and she is an international judge of both products. She gives us some insight into how you can improve your taste and smell of, you guessed it! Chocolate and wine.

After listening to this interview, you might find yourself rushing out to buy that special bar of chocolate or that great bottle of wine. All we ask that you do is to savour it.

Get your taste buds ready, pop open your sense of humour, and let's listen to Part 2 of my interview with Judith Lewis.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Learn how to have an in-depth ability to judge the smell and taste of wine and chocolate.
• Find out how wine is interconnected with the chocolate world.
• Discover the world of artisanal chocolate and why it's worth your money.
• Know about an excellent principle to live by when getting involved with wine and chocolates.
• Hear about tips and techniques on starting your journey to becoming so well-versed in the taste and smell of wine and chocolates.

Judith Lewis is a renowned international speaker, writer, trainer, blogger, and digital media consultant specialising in applying strategic understanding of digital technologies to help businesses innovate and optimise their effectiveness within the new, networked communications environment. She has over 25 years of experience, predating Google in her entry into the market, and now runs her own consultancy. Judith also blogs about chocolate, has contributed to a book on web development and writes about best practices for Search Engine Optimization.. Deploying her skills across a number of sectors, Judith learned about winemaking quite late and how now joined an organization to assist in the digitisation of the wine sector. Furthering the use of various emerging and established technologies within vineyards, Judith is also working with everything from blockchain to Raspberry Pi to digitise the wine sector, including utilising big data and algorithms. Judith works with companies large and small and is passionate about enabling businesses to take control of their digital elements by understanding them better.

And best of all, Judith continues to grow her knowledge and experience in wine by following her nose (thanks, Mom!) and by tasting wine around the world.

Get in touch with Judith Lewis:

• Website: http://mostlyaboutchocolate.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/judithlewis
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyaboutchoc/
• Email add: [email protected]

Topics Covered:

00:43 - How passion drives everything you do in life

03:54 - What it takes to be a judge in competitions for wine and chocolate [a super taster and smeller]

06:45 - Being a part of the grand jury of the Academy of Chocolates that is committed to advancing the cause of artisanal chocolates

10:41 - Why we need to always smell things before putting them into our mouth

12:42 - Here's what you can do when you want to really get involved with wine and chocolate tasting

15:02 - What she would have done differently and told herself 20 years ago

Quotes from Judith Lewis:

"You can make some fantastic pairings of wine and chocolate."

"When you start eating things, eat a little bit thoughtfully; it's very taxing at first, but eat thoughtfully."

"I pay attention to smell and taste because I was forced to eat so many things as a child. I'm not down on my mom. I think it was a fantastic thing that she did to me."

"Chocolate opened up a large world for me and gave me some of the techniques that I needed in order to become a better taster and a better judge and exposed me to the judging process."

"Don't just swallow food without chewing or swallow your wine without giving it a chance just to coat your mouth and let yourself experience it."

Nadia Dubeau is going places. She's worked in the wine industry in one way or another for over 15 years and is determined that nothing will stop her.

Nadia has travelled the world. She has studied winery and viticulture practices at college in Niagara, Ontario, and has successfully completed Master's level viticulture courses in ITALIAN in Italy.

Nadia dreams big, and she's found a great job where she reps for Oyster Bay winery out of New Zealand. That gives her the freedom to do what she wants when she wants - as long as she gets the job done. How many people do you know would want to do that?

Find out what Nadia's journey has been and where she's headed here at Wine Behind the Scenes.

What you will learn from this episode:

• Learn about the tips for getting started as a wine rep and know your way around the wine industry.
• Find ways to become the best wine rep you can be and the perks of working as one.
• Hear about valuable thoughts on getting WSET certification.
• Know and understand LCBO's role as a wine regulatory body [one of the strictest in the world].
• Hear about what other interests and exciting possibilities await you beyond the wine industry but that would still tie you back into it.
• Get familiar with the rules of each region where grapes are grown, and wines are made.

Nadia's wine background stems from an entrepreneurial spirit - her first taste of the wine industry was running her own tiny wine agency, focusing on selling Prince Edward County wines to the Toronto and Muskoka markets. She wanted to develop her knowledge and dove right into her WSET studies, followed by a few years in Niagara College's Wine & Vit program. This was interrupted by a year studying viticulture in Italy, where she attended a university in Piacenza, working on Masters-level viticulture courses. Since then, she has worked both in the production side of the wine industry in Niagara and Prince Edward County, in sales, and as a sommelier at some of the best restaurants in Toronto, Niagara, and Muskoka. Her interests include wine, of course, personal finance, mycology, cooking, real estate, and she loves hanging out on the dock with her cat, Giorgio.

Get in touch with Nadia Dubeau:

• Email: [email protected].

Topics Covered:

01:12 - The perfect place she's in right now

01:43 - A backtrack as to how she got started in the world of wine

04:46 - Looking forward to the possibility of traveling to New Zealand and Australia

04:22 - How is it like working as a wine rep in a company at the same time in LCBO, one of the strictest wine regulatory bodies in the world

06:32 - What her specific assignment in LCBO is and the territory she covers

08:27 - Basic things you can do to get started as a wine rep and what you can do more to be the best wine rep you can be

10:00 - Sharing her thoughts on getting a WSET

11:31 - The most difficult region to learn when it comes to Appalachians, terms, and language

13:08 - Relating her learning and travel experience in Italy

14:17 - The rules you've got to learn in every region

15:39 - Nadia's interests outside of wine that's worthwhile and which still connect to the world of wine

17:06 - The best things about being a wine rep and the exciting possibilities that await with the kind of work she does and all the other interests she has

19:17 - One crazy thing she did in her twenties and what she would advise herself back then for that decision she made

Quotes from Nadia Dubeau:

"I wanted to start my own business... so I started a small wine agency, and I started selling products from a few small wineries out of Prince Edward County."

"I did a minor in Italian when I was in university doing my bachelor's, but I hadn't spoken Italian for a while. When I got to Italy, I discovered that half of my courses were Master's level Italian language science-based viticulture courses."

"Actually, the LCBO is one of these strictest, if not these strictest, regulatory bodies in the world."

"So many people are willing to help. If you find somebody that's a winery rep, say, "Hey, I'm really interested in getting to this field. Could you give me some advice, or I'd love to come out on the road with you one day. What do you feel about that?" They probably would be willing to take you with them."

It's hard to believe that when Jenn Wilhelm started her journey in the wine industry that she was a terrified young woman who couldn't pronounce the names of grapes, let alone the places where the grapes were grown and the wine was made.

Yet here she is now, enjoying an unbelievably rich life. Jenn was a member of the first graduating class of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers - and at a time when very few women were in the field. She managed restaurants and learned every aspect of the food service industry. She became a full-time instructor and managed wine and hospitality programs at Niagara College.

She was mentored by passionately committed people, including pioneering women in the Niagara wine industry, without whom, as Jenn says, "The industry would not exist as we know it today." And to give back and commemorate those women, she's now writing a book about them. Can't wait to read it, Jenn!!!

Listen to the joy and passion in Jenn's voice - she's doing what she loves to do in a part of a world she's in love with. And she's sharing that joy and passion here at Wine Behind the Scenes.

What you will learn from this episode:

• Find out the most important thing about the wine industry that you have to work on, first and foremost.
• Hear of one fundamental connection to the wine that makes the whole idea of winemaking and buying wine an enjoyable experience.
• Know about the book that recounts stories of women who made a very significant contribution to the flourishing industry that wine is now.
• Learn how relationship-building is key to one's success in the wine business
• Find out the core characteristics you must carry with you to make it in the wine industry and in all others that you want to excel in.
• Hear stories of struggles and triumphs, as well as passion, love, and dedication that will help you navigate the world of wine and the people who are passionately involved in it.

Jennifer Wilhelm has worked in hospitality and event management for 30 years. She is a certified Sommelier by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). She holds credentials from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in both wine and spirits, credentials from Prud'homme Beer, and a diploma in Hospitality Management. She joined Niagara College in 2006 as an instructor, was Wine Program Coordinator from 2009 to 2014, developed and taught classes in the wine, beer, spirits, culinary, and hospitality programs. She is a past board member and instructor for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, international wine judge, and VQA panelist.

Jenn has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Ontario Wine Educator of the Year through the VQA Promoters Awards, 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award, and in 2014 was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award for her contributions to the Ontario wine industry. She is currently completing a book about the women who shaped the foundation of the Ontario wine industry, a compilation of memoires, tributes, and yet untold behind-the-scenes stories of these influential women and their contributions. She believes it crucial that the significant impact these extraordinary women have had on the industry itself and as mentors to generations of those of us working in the industry today is documented and appreciated.

When she doesn't have her nose in a glass of wine or a book, Jenn's happy place is the garden. Her early restaurant experience introduced her to Ontario's passionate and dedicated farmers. Understanding how and where both grapes and food are grown has always been important to Jenn. If she isn't growing it herself, you will hear her enthusiastically promoting local organic farmers. Most recently, she took that love of growing to another level and traded her traditional classroom for a unique farm and field experience at Mingle Hill Organic Farm. In her newly created role as Experience Facilitator, she creates and leads one-of-a-kind interactive workshops, and corporate retreats for folks looking to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

Get in touch with Jennifer Wilhelm:

• Website: www.minglehill.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iso_jenniejoy/
• Email add: [email protected]

Topics Covered:

01:49 - Taking it all back to Niagara College, where everything started for Jenn and where she and Laurel met

04:31 - How building solid relationships with people creates a domino effect

07:06 - Becoming one among the first graduating class of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers [ after that terrifying and intimidating experience ]

09:38 - Her strength and the critical factor in building her reputation and credibility in the industry

12:32 - Not just about the wine; it's about the people and the connections you make

14:14 - Finding the time to get connected with past students and colleagues

15:04 - A book she authored that speaks of appreciation and gratitude towards the women who started it all and made wine a flourishing industry that it is now

21:02 - More reasons to look forward to Jenn's book

22:40 - Talking to the Jenn of 30 years ago [ advice she would give herself then]

24:03 - Would she have thought then to end up where she is now?

26:47 - Focusing not just on a bottle of wine; but also on the passion, love, and dedication that goes into winemaking

Quotes from Jennifer Wilhelm:

"I was quite intimidated by the fact that I hadn't traveled. I didn't have money, so I didn't have a wine cellar."

"The truth is that in my early twenties, wine terrified me. It absolutely terrified me."

"We said we'll work for wine. And we did."

"The more we worked together and the more we tasted, the more we learned and the more passionate we became."

"We now in the industry have so much experience, but back then, in the seventies, and early eighties, selling Ontario wine and even using the words premium Ontario wine in the same sentence was unheard of."

"We are all more than our career and our profession that people see."

"There's so much passion and love and dedication in each wine bottle."

Judith Lewis is about as passionate as you can get about wine and food.

Doesn't smell right? Don't eat it or drink it (thanks, Mom).

Digitize the world of wine? Judith's passionate about it. Helping wineries handle climate change? – Judith's working on it.

Looking to taste wines in Majorca, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Greece, and other European countries? – you might bump into her in those wineries.

Going to conferences on communication, SEO, wine, and travel? – Judith's there.

Plus… she's an international judge for wine AND chocolate. Get your taste buds ready, pop open your sense of humour, and let's listen to Part 1 of my interview with Judith Lewis.

Get in touch with Judith Lewis:

• Website: https://www.decabbit.com/
• Website: http://mostlyaboutchocolate.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/judithlewis
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyaboutchoc/
• Email add: [email protected]

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Discover one secret to earning a fortune in winemaking.
• Find out the one thing that gets you fulfilled and keeps you going in life and with what you do.
• Learn how to genuinely connect and build lasting relationships with people you share the same passion for.
• Hear about the challenges in producing wine -- from farming to growing the grapes and making it available to people, and managing expectations.
• Learn how to have a really good sense and memory of taste and smell

Judith Lewis is a renowned international speaker, writer, trainer, blogger, and digital media consultant specialising in applying strategic understanding of digital technologies to help businesses innovate and optimise their effectiveness within the new, networked communications environment. She has over 25 years of experience, predating Google in her entry into the market, and now runs her own consultancy. Judith also blogs about chocolate, has contributed to a book on web development and writes about best practices for Search Engine Optimization..

Deploying her skills across a number of sectors, Judith learned about winemaking quite late and how now joined an organization to assist in the digitisation of the wine sector. Furthering the use of various emerging and established technologies within vineyards, Judith is also working with everything from blockchain to Raspberry Pi to digitise the wine sector, including utilising big data and algorithms.

Judith works with companies large and small and is passionate about enabling businesses to take control of their digital elements by understanding them better.

And best of all, Judith continues to grow her knowledge and experience in wine by following her nose (thanks, Mom!) and by tasting wine around the world.

Topics covered:

01:31 - Which exciting part of the world she's in right now

01:54 - A passion-filled life that led her to many places, the love of her life, and the interesting world of wine and chocolates

06:48 - Integrating her tech expertise into her passion for taste, smell, and senses

08:56 - Talking about the challenges involving wine -- farming grapes that produce wine

10:12 - Growing your network and building connections over a shared passion for wine

12:21 - Where genuine connections happen

15:15 - Making a huge difference in people's lives by sharing something you're passionate about

16:39 - What stood out for her in all the fantastic stories that brought out a different kind of experience

21:50 - The connection between passion and wine

Quotes from Judith Lewis:

"Our mission is to digitize the world of wine."

"I'm passionate about taste and smell and sense."

"Share your passion with people and then stay in touch about your shared passion."

"Ask smart questions that show a desire to understand and know more about what you're drinking or eating. "

Do you love wine, food, travel and fascinating stories? Then you're in the right place.

Welcome to the Wine Behind The Scenes Podcast where you can escape into stories about wine, and the passion and people behind it.

Join me Laurel Simmons!

Do you love wine? Are you curious about what's behind a particular wine, or the people involved in getting that wine to you? I have been passionate about wine all my adult life. I love wine. And I love the life I'm creating for myself. That's why I'm launching this podcast called Wine Behind The Scenes.

This is a place where we can escape into stories about wine, passionate people - a place where we'll have fun, where we'll learn, and where we can share our joy about wine and the journeys attached to it.

I'll be talking with people who are fascinated by wine, and who have made a conscious decision to focus their lives around the world of wine. I'll be weaving in stories about the magnificent places where wine is made. The business of wine, the history of wine, the art and science of wine, the grapes, the vineyards, the people who make the wine, and of course, the people who drink the wine.

Then there's everything else that can go with wine, especially the food. You can spend hours figuring out what food goes with what wine, or you can cross your fingers and hope that what you've thrown together works. And either way, it can be wonderful. You could end up with a classic pairing, or an OMG moment that takes you by surprise, and that you want to repeat over and over.

There are great stories everywhere when it comes to food and wine. And people can be absolutely obsessed with strange and wonderful pairings. Food and Wine don't just exist by themselves. If you're like me and so many other people, wine is part of the celebrations of our lives. We eat and drink during special times and during ordinary times. We have fun, we laugh, and we enjoy life with friends and family.

As we do that, we create memories and stories that we love to share and be remembered for many, many years. This podcast will uncover many of those stories. The people in this podcast are people who build their lives with intent. They don't sit on the sidelines and watch life go by. These people are passionate about what they're doing and why they're doing it. Just like I am. Because after many years of working in high tech, I decided that enough was enough. And I was going to explore my own passion with enthusiasm and with intention.

So what did I do? I applied and was accepted to a full time college program where I studied all the intricacies of winemaking. I spent countless hours in the winery, making wine, studying soil, pruning vines and working at tasting bars. It was a life- changing experience and above all immense fun that I topped it off by spending time in Florence, Italy, where I learned how to really taste and evaluate wine at a professional level. Adding to the fun is all the travel I do to places far away and near where wine is made and wineries can be explored.

Listen in as I get to talk to wonderful winemakers and drink fabulous wines. Join us in our fun conversations with chefs and sommeliers as we dive into what you can do with food and wine. Come with us as we hold those conversations in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, Chile, and many other countries where I have spent countless hours gazing at vineyards, chateaus, oceans, mountains, and farms. Sometimes, we will be in my own backyard here in Niagara, Ontario, Canada.

So these are some of the conversations you'll be listening to. And all of them will be filled with passion and joy, stories from people who are directly in the wine industry, such as winemakers, farmers, and sommeliers. There will be other stories from people who interact with one in their business lives all the time. From those who make corks, to those who create the labels for wine bottles, stories from professional chefs, and those not-so-professional chefs who absolutely love to pair dishes with wine.

There will be stories that will make you laugh, stories that will do nothing but entertain you, and stories that will make you think. And perhaps even stories that will inspire you and help you make decisions about something you could do in your life. After all, who wouldn't love to wake up every day, knowing that they're doing what they absolutely love to do and knowing that they would do nothing else.

That's what many of my guests are about the passion, the pride, and the continuing joy of being in the world that they choose to be in. Through this podcast, I hope you'll hear and feel that passion and joy, too. So, please join me as we escape into and explore stories about wine, the world around it, and the people who enjoy it.

Learn with me, laugh with me, taste with me and travel with me as we explore Wine Behind The Scenes.

Connect with Laurel Simmons:

• Website: winebehindthescenes.com