| |
2007 Finalists
BEN DOR Gilat, American
June 2008
The Wine Women Awards has had a profound influence on me, both personally and professionally. When I was selected as the only American finalist, I was just beginning to study Sommelerie - passionate about wine, but still aspiring to enter the wine industry. The Wine Women Awards turned my aspirations into reality through an intensive experience of pushing me to grow, meeting talented and wonderful women, and realizing that if we set our minds to a goal, we can achieve it !
My goal was to eventually form my own wine education business. The Wine Women Awards experience gave me the determination to speed up this process. I returned to the U.S. and spent the summer in New York City and Boston, obtaining Sommelier training through the Court of Master Sommeliers, earning my CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) designation through the Society of Wine Educators, and becoming a certified Bordeaux wine educator through French agency Sopexa.
I then returned to my home state of Arizona, and decided - why wait ? I formed my own company called the Renaissance Wine Academy, offering wine education events and classes to private and corporate clients. www.RenaissanceWineAcademy.com But most recently, another miracle occurred : I participated in a wine education competition called AusWISE, through Wine Australia (the Australian wine bureau). Out of about 100 wine professionals across the U.S., only 5 of us were chosen as winners - and we are being flown to Australia for a 2-week wine tour in September !
I am very excited to see what my new career holds, and owe much gratitude to the Wine Women Awards, which showed me that anything is possible in life and in wine !
June 2007
Having lived in Italy, Japan, Israel and the U.S. I have had the opportunity to explore the food, wine, culture and languages of each area. However, after completing an MBA in Global Management and a subsequent career in both teaching and Human Resources, I found that I was neglecting my passion for wine and food too much, and have recently made a dramatic move.
I have resigned from my Human Resources position and I am now pursuing coursework to become a certified Sommelier (ou Sommeliere, non ?) through the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), as well as a Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators. Upon learning about the Wine Women Awards, I was very excited. It would be a very meaningful and memorable experience to be able to attend and earnestly contribute to this important event. Thank you very much. Merci beaucoup !
|
Professionnal Wine Women 2007 - Véronique RIVEST 