Brenda brings over 20 years of wine experience to the wine education arena ranging from retail experience as the corporate wine manager and education director for a large retail chain to managing distribution channels and building brands for small boutique wineries.

I was taking a Wine Appreciation Class in Oregon and after visiting the wineries and talking with the winemakers I realized that’s what I want to do. It then took six years before I started working my dream job in wine.

I enjoy traveling anywhere, but especially in wine regions around the world. I have had the pleasure of traveling to the wine regions of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Australia as well as most of the major wine producing areas in the United States. I also enjoy hiking, biking, cooking and reading.

WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits (DipWSET), Certified Wine Educator (CWE), Certified Specialist in Wine (CSW), International Sommelier Guild -Sommelier Diploma (SGD), Italian Wine Professional (IWP)

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines

As a lifelong East Coaster, wine was only present at celebrations - reserved for holidays, milestones, and special toasts. But it wasn’t until I moved to the Pacific Northwest that wine became more than just a beverage - it became a true passion.

The Pacific Northwest has a unique way of drawing you into its wine culture. From the first visit to a Willamette Valley tasting room, I was captivated - not only by the quality and diversity of the wines, but by the deep connection between land, climate, and craft. The region’s approach to winemaking is thoughtful, expressive, and rooted in a sense of place, and that resonated with me immediately.

The how of my wine journey has been shaped by hands-on exploration - tasting, learning, and engaging with fellow wine lovers. The why is simpler: wine, to me, represents connection. It connects people to place, producers to their craft, and stories to the glass. That’s what inspired my journey - and what continues to drive it today.

My “aha” moment with wine came on my very first night in Seattle. After a cross-country move from the East Coast - a place I was reluctant to leave - we found ourselves in a cozy downtown restaurant, surrounded by unfamiliar city lights and the quiet hum of new beginnings.

That night, my husband ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. it was the first time we’d ever ordered a full bottle of wine at a restaurant, and something about the experience felt significant - intentional. When the wine arrived and I took my first sip, I was struck by how much I loved it. Bright, vibrant, and refreshing., it was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

In that moment, as the wine opened up and the city outside felt a little less foreign, something shifted. I knew - on some intuitive level - that the move was going to be okay.

That bottle marked the beginning of a deeper connection to wine, not just as a drink, but as an experience - one that could hold meaning, memory, and a sense of place.

I enjoy spending time with my husband and son to relax. I love a good coffee shop. A puzzle, taking the dog for a walk, reading a book by the fireplace. Simple, quiet, glorious

Wine and Spirit Education Trust WSET Diploma (DipWSET)

I have traveled extensively throughout the world and enjoyed the wine, spirits and beer which is made locally in each country. Although, no image is more universal than a good beer at the end of a day or week. Whether it is at the Hofbräuhaus München in Münich, Germany, the Minoh Beer Warehouse in Osaka, Japan or The Bavarian York St. Bar in Sydney, Australia; a good beer helps people relax and unwind.

It is hard to say when was the aha moment for me with beer; I think is was after I moved to Seattle and was introduced to my first craft brewery; Redhook Brewery in the Fremont/Ballard neighborhoods of Seattle. From that first taste of their ESB, I decided to exclusively drink beer produced by craft breweries. It took awhile to achieve although I have not had a US mass-produced beer in over 25 years.

Unfortunately, Redhook Brewery, as I knew it, is no longer.

I enjoy traveling, hiking, backpacking and riding my bike. I enjoy drinking beer, wine and spirits.

Bachelor of Science; Biology, Master of Business Administration; International Business, Certified Beer Server Candidate, Certified Cicerone Candidate, WSET Beer Educator Candidate

I've been in and around the Washington craft beer community for almost 25 years now. My journey started in an Everett brewery called The Flying Pig and, even though it no longer exists as a brewery, it still has some influence if you know where to look. While working for North Sound Brewing in Mount Vernon in 2013, I became certified through the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) and passed the Certified Cicerone® exam. Recently, I owned a bar/bottle shop in Enumclaw called Plateau Wine and Beer. Now, I live in Tacoma and am incredibly impressed with their community's passion for beer. You'll usually find me watching my friends record the weekly Grit and Grain podcast, coordinating Tacoma Beer Week events alongside the rest of that committee, at my bi-monthly Brown's Point homebrew club meeting, and/or bellied up to some geeky beer bar SOMEWHERE in Washington.

I had a pint of the Flying Pig's brown ale shortly after I turned 21. That beer, and Newcastle, were the ones to catapult me into "good beer". I drink every kind of beer now, but browns are where I started.

I really love building websites for people and small businesses using Squarespace. I'm also a knitter, and a good, long walk on a nice day makes my soul happy.

Certified Cicerone® , Certified level BJCP judge

I have 19 years of experience in sake sales in the U.S. I was the first sake specialist for the major alcohol distributor with a national footprint. I became the WSET sake educator in January 2017 and have been teaching since then. I served as the U.S. Liason for Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) in 2023 and 2024.

Currently, I am the Asian portfolio manager at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of WA and overseeing the sake and shochu categories for Washington and Oregon. I host many consumer events to actively promote the art and heritage of Japanese sake and shochu.

I enjoy traveling and spending time with my two sons.

• Shochu Kikisake-shi - the Japanese Sake Service Institute of Kikisake-shi Guild, Japan 2019

• Certified WSET Level 3 Sake Educator - WSET 2017

• WSET Level 3 Award in Sake with Distinction - WSET 2015

• Kikisake-shi - the Japanese Sake Service Institute of Kikisake-shi Guild, Japan 2008

• Certified Sake Specialist - the Sake Education Council, Japan 2008

• Completed two-week extensive sake training at Momokawa Brewery, Japan 2007