We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lindsay Pomeroy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lindsay below.

Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My business, The Wine Smarties, was founded from a unique combination of circumstances. I had recently finished working as an Admissions advisor to a technical college and found myself instead picking up more exciting and fun shifts at the then new wine bar (really the first real wine bar concept before “wine bars” were a thing). I quickly learned that serving, talking about and tasting wine was far more exciting and transitioned and worked my way to the manager role. I was here for a few years and during this time (this was like 2004-2006) I was purchasing wines for the store, recommending wines to customers, etc. I was in a position of authority of wine and I learned that my customers were as lost as I was. I felt like to become legitimate I needed some sort of a credential in wine, which I took and worked hard to achieve in 2005. In the next year I found myself teaching wine classes (if we rewind 5 years prior, I was an EFL teacher, so teaching was definitely in my wheel house. I just disliked teaching English grammar) to the staff at the wine bar/retail shop as well as our regulars. This is when Wine Smarties was born. It was from observing that many people in San Diego didn’t really know much about wine but loved it and wanted to learn more. My first class as Wine Smarties was taught at the shop I was still then managing. It was very exciting and I had a decent turnout but at that time no one was in the business of “wine education,” let alone in San Diego. So, I was definitely a niche, first-of-its-kind business. I loved it because wine is fun! People love tasting and talking about wine and so do I. It’s an interesting subject to teach because of the tactile aspect and shared experience…we are tasting the same wine at the same time and sharing our fun observations. Still to this day I love this aspect of teaching wine. We have so much fun in class!

Lindsay, 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 career background is in teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language). I lived in Italy and taught English and it was first job when I moved to San Diego (from New England). I still retain a passion for espresso although my Italian speaking skills have waned quite a bit. Currently I own Wine Smarties which is a wine education and consulting company. I teach internationally-recognized wine certifications (WSET, FWS, SWS) and also create my own courses/classes from my unique perspective as a Master of Wine. I teach online courses and also do private tutoring/consulting and events. What problems to do I solve? Well, the main problem is that people don’t really understand wine, so I help them demystify this complex beverage. Fun Fact: Wine is the second most complex liquid on the planet after blood. Wow! Wine is ever-changing, highly variable and there are so many variables that affect how it tastes. So, my job is to help people understand how to taste and appreciate wine-while having fun learning! I think what sets me apart is I am able to connect with all levels from my Master-level peers to people who literally know nothing about wine, and be able to speak to them in a way they can understand. I am most proud of becoming a Master of Wine and all it took to get there. My specialty is teaching how to taste wine at a high level. How to approach wine and also analyze it as you are breaking it down so you can make interesting conclusions about it like how it was made? What was the vintage or growing conditions like? What is the quality of the wine? How old is it? How do I think it will age, if at all? I like to help people find their own “wine voice” or get their own perspective on wine. That’s ultimately my goal when a new client comes to me.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience. noun 1. the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
“the often remarkable resilience of so many British institutions”
2. the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
“nylon is excellent in wearability and resilience”

There was a moment early on in my career when I had to have 3 jobs to support myself because my business hadn’t found it’s true path quite yet. The humility and true grit to work 90+ hours a week and essentially still be encouraged was difficult. However, it was during this time that during a lunch break at my wine retail sales job I was reading a trade article and saw my future: teaching wine certification courses. That was it. So, even though it was a grueling time period, I was able to find my true path. That has turned into the best decision I have made yet.

The other moment came during the Master of Wine marathon process. I had failed tasting the first time and had to decide if I wanted to continue and spend another grueling year working and studying or give up. Obviously I kept going but it was not easy. As a result of this 2nd year I won the Bollinger Medal of Tasting. So the extra year made me a better taster and I won a trip to Champagne-so it worked out to be worth it!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Oh boy, this is a personal one. The lesson that I have had to unlearn and truthfully and am still learning how is self-love vs self-sacrifice. My tendency has been to want to put my business, making money, becoming a Master of Wine and all the sacrifices that comes with before my true heart’s desires (playful times, being in nature, etc). I still catch myself saying/doing the “I’ll get this done then I’ll go have fun” approach. What I’ve learned is that is the opposite of that works for me. Things come when I am relaxed and happy, not when I am starving/stressed/over-worked. To me that is self-love. Love yourself. Be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself and things will come and you’ll be in a better position to handle and enjoy them. This process I feel is not intuitive to me and is also part of our culture. Work hard-yes! But, don’t hurt yourself doing so. This came up many times during my march towards becoming a Master of Wine. I tackled it with so much of my time, energy, etc at the end I was left completely empty. I recommend having a more balanced and loving approach with breaks and lots of play time.

Contact Info:

• Website: winesmarties.com
• Instagram: @winesmarties
• Facebook: The Wine Smarties
• Linkedin: Lindsay Pomeroy MW
• Twitter: winesmarties
• Youtube: winesmarties
• Yelp: winesmarties