Why I am taking this class

I grew up in Belgium as the granddaughter of a beer brewer who also had a passion for French wines. Much to his chagrin, neither my mother nor her brother shared his enthusiasm. So as I grew older it became his personal mission to ensure that this would at least be fixed in the second generation. Many of his lessons became fond memories. I remember how appalled he was when he saw me drink a Corona with lime, how he taught me to swirl, smell and taste different wines at our weekly dinners, how he opened a 15 year old bottle of Bordeaux to instill an appreciation for aged wines, and how adamant he was about the importance of using the correct shape of glass when tasting any well-crafted beverage.

As I grew older, I started to appreciate how wine can bring a certain elegance to situations. Any team or client dinner during my time in consulting wasn't complete without a long discussion about people's wine preferences, and, while I had acquired the tools to enjoy wine, I realized I was woefully unaware of how tastes and flavors differ across grapes and regions. As part of this class, I am hoping to gain this knowledge and learn how to better communicate about the wines I like.

Another important aspect of the class, is the ability to be able to see a holistic view of all parts of a business. Given my own entrepreneurial aspirations, it will be incredibly valuable to cover everything from the product, to regulations, to economics, to marketing etc. through the lens of a single industry. And if there was one industry to pick, wine would definitely make it to the top of my list.