I’m Miranda, and I am a sommelier who loves to talk about wine, the environment, and ethics. I am allergic to cats, but I always choose to suffer the consequences for the cuddles. I am an observe first, speak second kind of person. I do not believe in “fake it till you make it”, but I believe in enduring a healthy level of stress to push yourself beyond your self-imposed limits. This belief led to one of my favorite teaching approaches: asking and answering the “why?”.

I always appreciate people who do their research and while plenty of wine professionals do this, there are many who learn the bare minimum. They learn the chemical processes and tasting notes. They memorize the details of wine laws and history. But they lack the knowledge to answer the question “why?”. This is why I consult chemists, geologists, climate scientists, etc., so we can continually ask “why?” until we have a full picture. Why? is my favourite question in education, and I challenge you to take advantage of asking “why?” throughout your wine education. You are doing yourself a huge service when you put your studies into context rather than simply memorizing the facts.

Many "why?"s answered, hours a day of studying, exams, certifications, and plenty of Grüner Veltliner later, here I am. As I strive to continually better my education and work, I am eternally grateful for the opportunities I had to work alongside some of the most talented people in the industry here in Chicago. I cannot thank them all enough for the amount of time and energy they took to help me reach my goals, and I would love nothing but to continue giving that same effort to help others grow in their careers within the beverage industry.

In my free time you may see me biking down winding, forested roads; or gardening, or painting.