About Me

For 25 years, I built my career in healthcare compliance. A field that requires integrity, honesty, and accountability. My work demands trust and the ability to explain complex information in a way that people understand. I have to be relatable and knowledgeable. What I did not realize was that those skills would shape how I show up in the wine industry.

My very first sip of wine in a professional setting was during a conference dinner with people much more knowledgeable about wine than I. They tossed around terms with one another like flabby, forest floor, and petrol. I sat there quiet, confused and feeling completely out of place wondering what a forest floor actually smelled like and why on earth would you drink wine that smelled like gas!

Over the last 17 years as my curiosity turned into passion, my wine education and courage to ask different types of questions increased as well. I fell in love not just with tasting wine but understanding why wine tastes the way it does. The idea that place, climate, soil, and human artistry could make its way to a glass in liquid form, mind blowing! 

However, the more I learned, the more I realized there was still something missing - diverse voices, safe and welcoming spaces that allowed people to feel comfortable admitting what they did not know. A place to ask questions, learn and connect without judgement or intimidation.

That is why I created Graft & Vine; to have more tasting and educational experiences that allow us to be curious and learn without restriction. Because wine belongs to us all.

~Stephanie

WSET 2 w/Merit