We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shayna Wells a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shayna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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.

Although I can cook, I’ve never really been a fan of it – I’ve always been a snacker. While studying for my Wine & Spirits Education Trust certifications, I was tasting A LOT of wine. I would sometimes have my friends over to help me with my homework (aka drink the bottles I’ve opened). I would try to find snacks that would pair with the wines we were tasting so it wouldn’t change our palate and to help avoid inebriation. I enjoyed finding easy snacks that paired well with the wines and explaining to them why it works, they enjoyed the education (and the wine) they were receiving in the process. One of them suggested I should put together a box with snacks and that is how Pour Pairings came to be. I wanted to show people that pairing wine and food doesn’t have to include a fancy gourmet meal, it can be as easy as grabbing a snack from your pantry.

Shayna, 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?

I am a systems engineer by day and a wine enthusiast 24/7. I’ve always enjoyed trying new wines, visiting wineries, etc. but during the pandemic I decided to learn more about wine through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) curriculum. I took their level 1 course and I was HOOKED and am now about to start my WSET Diploma studies. I love learning about the grapes, the winemaking processes and how it affects the way a wine tastes in the bottle, and about how wine and food intersect. That is how Pour Pairings came about – I want to make wine pairings and wine education easy, fun and accessible to everyone.

Often times, when we’re wanting to pair a wine with a meal or a meal with a wine, we go to Google to search and the pairing options are endless and it can be overwhelming for some. Or sometimes we want to try a new wine, we taste it and it’s too big, bold or bitter for our palates on its own – certain wines need food to go with it in order to experience it fully. Pour Pairings educates our customers on the basics of pairing wines with food and creates a space for palate exploration by offering some really unique and delicious snacks and wine accessories.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me has been in person vending events such as wine festivals, small business expos, etc. I think it is important for a lot of people to see and interact with the face behind the brand. I enjoy talking with people about their wine experiences, introducing them to my boxes and answering whatever questions they may have.

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

In starting Pour Pairings, I had to unlearn the need to be perfect. Trying to make sure that everything was perfect BEFORE I shared my business with the world would’ve had me still trying to perfect everything to this day. I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted people to feel about my products so I just kind of jumped in instead of waiting until everything was just right. My customers who have been with me from the beginning have seen the growth of my company and I am so thankful for them continuing to believe in, see the value in and enjoy what I have to offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pourpairings.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pour_pairings

Image Credits
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