Lori LoreLori Loré and her husband Anthony enrolled in the Business of Wine Certificate program because they want to open their own wine bar. They both completed the program, as well as the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) certificate and are active members in the San Diego Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS). Loré is also a member of the Women’s Wine Alliance.

This year, Loré and her husband launched WineSmileys, which “brings the wine bar tasting experience to the home or office.” She adds, “The SDSU Business of Wine Certificate program helped us prepare to train and educate as wine professionals who offer personable and memorable wine-tasting experiences.”

One of the classes Loré and her husband took was the Wine Making Behind the Scenes course. In her view, “The in-depth class helped me to earn the Certified Specialist of Wine. The certification is a self-study that includes the art and science of wine making. Learning about the entire wine-making process from vine to wine from a winemaker provided visual memory that I used to pass the exam.”

The classes as Loré says were important, “The Business of Wine program was invaluable in establishing relationships with the instructors and students. Their enthusiasm and passion for wine made the program enjoyable. The roster of credentialed instructors and experienced industry professionals – Lisa Redwine, Jesse Rodriguez, and John Alongé – brought a large degree of credibility to the program. Their personal experiences in their area of the wine industry coupled with their personal passion were inspiring and contagious.”