Instagram has become a favorite platform for many sommeliers and looking to promote their wine lists (and wine-related projects) from a certain point of view. As students coming up in the world of wine, or as working professionals going through WSET or any other certification courses, you know all too well how much value there is in sharing your thoughts on wine with friends in places like Facebook, Twitter, Delectable, Vivino, etc. Sharing great content leads to a following and can also bring about real world opportunities.
If these five somms are not on your Insta-radar, they should be (and yes: Marissa A. Ross isn’t exactly a somm, but her videos are hilarious and provide a necessary respite from scrolling through labels and tasting notes). Out of the sea of somms and wine pros to follow, these five all possess a unique sense of humor and style in posting and it probably goes without saying, but, yes: you will find yourself drooling over most of the wines that appear in their feeds.
So, you’ve got our blessing to spend the rest of your Friday following these wine pros and catching up on some great posts you missed — after all, it’s all in the name of education, right? At least that’s what you should tell your boss.
1. Jeff Taylor, wine director at Betony in New York City (@vinojeff on Instagram).
2. Rajat Parr, partner/proprietor of Sandhi Wines, co-author of Secrets of the Sommeliers, wine director for Michael Mina restaurant group, host of IPOB (@RajatParr on Instagram).
3. Michael Madrigale, wine director for Bar Boulud & Boulud Sud, named Wine Enthusiast and Food & Wine “Sommelier Of The Year” in 2012, James Beard Award finalist in 2014 (@MikeMadrigale on Instagram).
4. Laura Maniec, MS, owner Corkbuzz Wine Studio in NYC (@LauraManiec on Instagram).
5. Marissa A. Ross, zero qualifications, not really a somm, but drinks wine all the time and will make you laugh (@Marissaaross on Instagram).
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Bonus: Napa Valley Wine Academy, DWS, FWS, AWE, IWP, MS, MW, we’re all under one umbrella, so come along and follow us at @NapaValleyWineAcademy on Instagram).