Jess Helfand

Jess is an economist by training who has always had a love of wine and spirits. She completed the WSET Diploma in 2016 and has been teaching for the academy since 2017. Her primary goal as an educator is to make wine accessible at any level, from the beginner to the advanced student.

Jess is a WSET Certified Educator and holds the titles of Italian Wine Professional (IWP), Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS), Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), and is an Italian Wine Ambassador and an Official Ambassador of Orvieto Wines. Her area of focus is sparkling wine, and she is the academy’s lead Champagne Educator, as well as a Certified Cava Educator. Additionally, she holds an MA in Policy Economics from Tulane University and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

Jess lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and four cats. When not teaching, Jess works in a wine and spirits boutique in Nashville.