about jen
i’m a wine lover (that loves to teach!) based in minneapolis, minnesota.
i was introduced to good oregon pinot noir at a company holiday party in my twenties, and that became my default red. a few years later, i grabbed a grüner veltliner solely because it had a well-designed label (it was loimer lois) and that became my default wine for summer months. the pinot and grüner were my regulars for about 15 years, with occasional (aka cheap) deviations.
i moved from st paul to boston in 2017 and during my time there i expanded my palate, thanks to wine bars rebel rebel, nathálie, + haley.henry and wine shops streetcar wine & beer, brix, + urban grape. while i was in beantown i decided to formalize my interest and learn from others. i received my WSET level 1 award in 2019. it was also that year i learned through my day job that i am good at teaching, which was a fun surprise.
i moved back to minnesota in 2020 with 12 cases of wine — i had been away from minnesota for 3 years and i wasn’t sure that the wines from small/natural/biodynamic producers i'd grown to love on the east coast would be available in my home state. once the pandemic eased a little i was happy to find that there are numerous wine shops that carry vitners that i loved (and new ones to try!). that first summer of the pandemic one of my only social activities was leading a small group of friends on themed wine tastings—socially distanced—outdoors. those were my first instructional tastings.
in 2021 i started working part time at the little wine shoppe in saint anthony park, which has been educational and most importantly, very fun. at the end 2021, i received my WEST level 2 award. the following year i joined the team at violet wine in nordeast, where you'll find me most saturdays.
in 2022 a friend asked me to lead a tasting for an intimate group, and i loved it all: creating the theme, doing research to speak confidently about what we'd taste (and what makes it so amazing!), and most importantly, making sure i was creating a safe and fun environment for everyone. do i consider myself a sommelier? no, and i don't want to be one. but i do know enough to introduce you to new favorites, plus give you little tidbits that will impress your friends/family/colleagues while you're pouring wine, so we let’s set up a tasting!
my favorite places to buy wine in the twin cities:
