Our Faculty

At Wine and Drinks Academy, our instructors aren’t just experts—they’re people who genuinely love teaching and connecting with students. They know how to break things down in a way that makes sense, keep classes engaging, and they create a relaxed, welcoming space where everyone feels comfortable jumping in. It’s all about helping you build confidence, ask questions, and actually enjoy the learning along the way.

meet our Instructors

Mimi Martin
Director, Wine and Drinks Academy

  • “My passion is refining how classes are offered — finding engaging, creative ways to provide content so it resonates, sparks curiosity, and sticks.”

  • • DipWSET
    • Certified Wine Educator
    • Masters in Food Studies
    • French Wine Scholar
    • Italian Wine Scholar
    • Spanish Wine Scholar
    • 2019 Italian Wine Scholar Instructor of the Year

Kanchan Schindlauer
WSET Diploma Manager, Wine and Drinks Academy

  • "I love teaching because it allows me to share my passion with fellow wine lovers- both seasoned geeks and those just discovering the joy of wine."

  • • DipWSET with Merit
    • CMS Level 2 Certified
    • PhD in Physiology
    • Stage 2 Master of Wine Candidate

Samantha Cole-Johnson
Senior Editor, JancisRobinson.com

  • “What I love most about teaching is its ability to turn you into an eternal student. Questions that I receive from students send me down rabbit holes that I may never have explored on my own. My students make me a better wine professional and a better teacher.”

  • • DipWSET
    • WSET Certified Educator
    • CMS Certified

Reggie Daigneault
Wine Educator, ReggieWine

  • “I love teaching wine certifications and wine education in general because I learn every time that I teach, literally every time! And wine education can include and involve history, geography, culture, geology and religion, all brilliant subjects to study and explore.” 

  • • DipWSET
    • WSET Certified Educator
    • French Wine Scholar

Gaston Guibert
Trade Development Manager, Willamette Valley Wine Association

  • “As students of wine, we can be pulled into seemingly limitless adjacent areas of study: plant, soil and human biology, chemistry, agriculture, history, cultural anthropology, and cuisine, to name just a few. The fascinating diversity of wine study matches the delightful complexity we can find in a great glass of wine.”

  • • DipWSET
    • Stage 3 MW Candidate

Paul Clarke
Executive Editor, Imbibe Magazine

  • “Spirits can offer a very particular kind of insight into the world. At their best, distilled spirits demonstrate how technical ingenuity and human creativity can best preserve and celebrate the beauty found in fruits, grasses, grains, and other gifts from the natural world, in ways that are influenced by our culinary and cultural traditions.”

  • • WSET Level 3 Spirits Certified

Diana Schultz
Winemaker and owner, Augustina Cellars

  • “What I love most about teaching is creating an inviting atmosphere for students to explore all of their wine curiosities.”

  • • WSET Level 3 Wine Certified
    • Spanish Wine Scholar
    • Italian Wine Scholar

Jeremy Storton
Founder, Good Beer Matters

  • "I love exploring the world of beer and flavor... and sharing the journey along the way."

    • Advanced Cicerone

    • Co-founder , Sense of Beer Style

    • Writer, photographer, speaker, tour director

Taya Morning Star
Wine Educator, Cellar Muse

  • “Wine is about relationships: between people and nature over time. My approach to studying and teaching about wine is to build deep relationships rooted in an intimate understanding. What I love most about teaching is helping students connect the dots to understand a wine's identity and meaning.”

  • • Certified Wine Educator
    • French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar
    • 2018 French Wine Scholar Instructor of the Year
    • Official educator for the Comité Champagne
    • Official Ambassador of Bourgogne Wines
    • Italian Wine Ambassador

Emily Zegar
Pacific Northwest Regions Manager, Wilson Daniels

  • “What I love about wine is how it connects us to the world. Through a single bottle, you can explore culture, history, language, and place - it’s like traveling without leaving the table. Every bottle tells a story, and I love helping people learn how to read it.”

    • WSET Diploma with Merit

    • Masters in Wine Business, University of Adelaide

Kat Shapiro
Founder, Zen Wine

  • “What I love most about wine is that it is the universal language. It is a product that is laced with and parallel to the human experience and the history on earth. Wine can also be very, very delicious.” 

  • • DipWSET

    • Italian Wine Professional

    • CMS Intro Sommelier 

David Gregory
Owner, Ora et Labora

  • "In a world of technocracy and individualism, fermented grape juice draws us back into our humanity, and into meaning-making relationships. And wine education is a space wherein the intellectual and the hedonistic collide: in my mind, analyzing nose and palate pales in comparison to exploring everything else wine is capable of."

  • Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction

    M.A. Biblical Studies

    WSET Level 3, Distinction

    Italian Wine Scholar

    French Wine Scholar

    Certified Wine Specialist

    Intro CMS

Michelle Vaughters
Wine Club Manager, Patterson Cellars

  • “I find deep fulfillment in wine education, particularly in fostering the 'spark' of curiosity that drives a student’s progress. Navigating the multi-faceted world of wine alongside my students and celebrating their evolving expertise is the most rewarding aspect of my work.”

  • • WSET Level 3 in Wine Certified with Distinction

Alberto Martinez Interiano
Educator and Writer, Vino Interiano

  • “Have fun. The world of wine is amazing – you get to learn about history, chemistry, biology, geology, current affairs, etc.  Be curious. For those who are serious, getting a formal education does help, and pursuing an accreditation keeps you motivated and provides a clear path and a goal.”

    • DipWSET

    • WSET Certified Educator

    • Spanish Wine Scholar

    • French Wine Scholar

    • Italian Wine Scholar

    • Spanish Wine Master

    • Certified Sherry Educator

    • Certified Rioja Educator

Russell King
Writer, Educator, Deep Dive Sake

  • “What I love about sake is that it rewards curiosity. Every bottle is a conversation between rice, water, people, place, and time. Teaching gives me the chance to invite others into that conversation.”

    • WSET Level 3 in Sake

    • WSET Certified Educator in Sake

    • JSA Sake Diploma

    • SEC Advanced Sake Professional

    • Sake Scholar

Nicolas Quillé, MW
Chief Operations Officer, Crimson Wine Group

  • “What I love most about the wine industry is the passion and collaboration/competition. We all fight to produce and market a successful product, but in so many different ways.”

    • Master of Wine

    • MBA

    • Masters in Enology

    • Masters in Sparkling Winery Management

    • Spanish Wine Scholar

Lyra Penoyer
Beer Educator

  • “What I love most about working in beer is the community. They’re the most passionate, hard-working, collaborative, kind, and respectful people I’ve ever known. The beer is just a wonderful bonus!”

  • • Certified Cicerone
    • BJCP Certified Level Judge