Meet WSA Alum, Brooke Parker

WSA Grad: Brooke Parker
WSET Intermediate Certificate Spring, 2011
Position: Tasting Room Associate, Dobbes Family Estate

While working full-time in the IT industry, Brooke was looking for a way to deepen her knowledge of wine. After testing the waters with a couple of WSA classes, Brooke signed up for the WSET Intermediate Certificate course in the Spring of 2011. The knowledge she gained there, along with the tremendous enthusiasm it fostered, helped her land a seasonal job in the tasting room at Dobbes Family Estate in Dundee. The preparation she received in the IC course allowed her to "hit the ground running." While Brooke is not quite ready to leave her IT job, she plans to use her new-found knowledge to "help change the wine world, one person at a time, and to focus on the fun, beauty, and deliciousness that is the real reason we pop the cork!"

Meet WSA Alum, Deb Stilwell

WSA Grad: Deborah Stilwell
WSET Intermediate Certificate, 2007 and Advanced Certificate, Summer 2008
Position: Weekend Lead and Wine Educator, DeLille Cellars Carriage House

It was a lack of basic information and training available at previous winery jobs that led Deb Stilwell to seek out the WSET program. Deb began her studies for the Intermediate Certificate program independently and exclaims, “It was the first time in my life I came across a subject where I realized how much there was to know and that I had SO much to learn. I didn't find this depressing but rather, exciting.” After sitting the IC exam with the WSA in Portland, she dove right into the Advanced Certificate program in a Seattle class. Deb now conducts wine education classes both in her position as the Weekend Lead and Wine Educator at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville, WA, and while conducting staff training for the new Wines of Washington tasting room in Snohomish, WA. She has also taught a Wine Basics class at the Seattle branch of Le Cordon Bleu and plans to continue teaching there. Deb is a real testament to the power of a WSET education!

Meet WSA Alum, David Rosenthal

This is the first post in a regular series profiling WSA alums. Allow us to introduce you to . . .

David Rosenthal
WSET Advanced Certificate, Spring 2008
Position: Assistant Winemaker, Chateau Ste. Michelle

David Rosenthal began his wine career as a laboratory technician. As his passion for wine grew, he realized he needed to develop his palate and broaden his understanding of the world of wine. That led him to the WSA and the WSET Advanced Certificate program. David says that the WSET program is “dynamic, thorough, and well respected,” and that the knowledge he gained has helped him define his approach to making wine. In his current position as Assistant Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, David uses what he learned through WSET to make decisions about fermentation, blending, and overall wine style. David adds, “I am grateful to the WSA for helping to advance my career and for making wine education fun and interesting.”