Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cristie Norman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cristie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I started in the wine industry already going against the status quo. Before I even reached the legal drinking age, I knew I wanted to be a sommelier. But in my journey toward becoming one, I quickly realized how inaccessible and closed off this world was – unless you had the right connections. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to be working with a sommelier, Shaun Prevatt, who agreed to be my mentor with the goal of helping me pass the final exam and become a certified sommelier by the time I was 21.

After making it through that process and landing my dream job as a sommelier at Spago Beverly Hills, I knew I wanted to design a way to help others gain easier access to a quality wine education – and so the Online Wine Course was born! I describe it as a sort of driver’s ed course, but for wine. It’s beginner friendly; there are videos, quizzes, tests, and once you complete the course, you get a certificate.

The course is made to be accessible, which, to me, also means affordable. There are other wine courses for consumers out there, but they range in price up to hundreds of dollars. My course is only $150, and while it isn’t a standard certification, it can serve as a bridge to a professional certification in the future. I’ve had so many students tell us they’ve landed jobs in the wine industry because of the knowledge they gained through this course!

Cristie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My interest in wine was initially sparked by another beverage – tea. When I was young, I became infatuated with this local tea house. I would go there almost every day, and I learned so much about different tea varieties and how the origins of a tea could affect its qualities and flavors – much like wine.

Then at 19, I got a job as a barback, and I used that opportunity to feed my wine curiosity and start developing my skills as a server. Everything happened pretty quickly after that. I passed the Court of Master level 1 exam a few days after my 21st birthday, followed by the second level Sommelier exam in the same year, thanks again in large part to the mentorship of Shaun Prevatt and Paul Sherman, who helped me gain all the tools I need to be successful.

I started a tasting group I call the “LA Somm Community” for professionals that has grown to over 350 sommeliers in SoCal that attend various events/professional development meetings. We have hosted hundreds of events in which I bring a rotation of different mentors for coaching for those who may not have access to those professionals otherwise. During the pandemic, we shifted the education virtually, and my captain team supports me facilitating operations since I moved to Las Vegas in 2021.

Today, I’m the Lead Sommelier at Delilah – a modern-day supper club at the Wynn Las Vegas. As lead sommelier, I’m in charge of running the program and deciding what we do and don’t carry. It’s a position that’s as challenging as it is rewarding and though I’m proud of how much I’ve accomplished so young, I’m even more proud of how many others I’ve been able to support along the way.

As I mentioned earlier, I designed the Online Wine Course specifically to make wine education more accessible to everyone, not just those with the right connections. Since the course launched in 2019, I’ve helped thousands of people deepen their wine knowledge and enter the world of wine with confidence. I hope to see that number continue to grow, and who knows, maybe even reach the millions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I also helped co-found the United Sommeliers Foundation – a not-for-profit charitable organization with the goal of supporting sommeliers in need. So far, we’ve paid out over one million dollars and funded thousands of sommeliers in the form of grants. We’ve helped sommeliers who were affected not just by COVID-19, but by natural disasters like forest fires, medical emergencies, and hurricanes as well. I love the work I get to do with the United Sommeliers Foundation, helping others and making a difference while also supporting and strengthening the sommelier community.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The hardest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that I can’t please everyone. When I first entered the industry, I was scared to speak up, scared to voice my opinion, and scared to hurt anyone’s feelings. But as I gained experience, I started to gain confidence and find my voice. It’s a hard pill to swallow, teaching yourself not to be a people-pleaser and to stand up for your ideas. But once you understand that you can’t make everyone happy (and that it was never your job to do so anyway) it becomes so much easier to dedicate yourself and go all-in on your work. Once you start to see the benefits of that dedication, I think it becomes easier to see why pleasing others isn’t as important as supporting yourself.

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What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I really enjoy fostering a solid support system for my community. I’m lucky to be in a position where I have access to information and knowledge that not everyone can get. So it means a lot to me to know that I can share that knowledge with others and help open doors for them. I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to make changes in this industry for the better, while expanding and strengthening the community that is already here. And I’m even more fortunate to feel so fulfilled in doing so. As I keep moving through this journey in wine, I hope I can continue to use my talents to support and help others join this community without fear or intimidation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theonlinewinecourse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristienorman_somm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristienormansomm/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristie-norman-30a821b5/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CristieNorman/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ6_PRW5z-oURjdnHhvURZQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/delilah-las-vegas

Image Credits
Hector Sandoval (Sandoval Media) – BOND CLASS photos (there are two)