What do you believe?
I believe that wine can add pleasure and enrich lives.
I believe that education should be effective and entertaining.
And I believe that wine education should empower and engage.
Hi! I’m Tracy Ellen Kamens, a Certified Wine Educator with a doctorate in education (yes I’m good at taking tests).
Some people might say I eat and drink for a living, but my real focus is on education. And, more specifically, wine education. I am the “Wine educator’s educator,” helping those in the field expand their wine knowledge as well improve their ability to deliver their message.
I believe that the greatest gift one can give is education.
Material possessions may come and go. Knowledge is forever.
And, while I confess that wine knowledge isn’t as important as reading, writing or arithmetic, I positively glow when I get to teach people about wine, helping them to enhance their lives or their careers as they increase their wine knowledge.
It’s soul-satisfying work.
I truly love watching my students light up when they learn.
Whether it is a consumer first learning that Chardonnay is a grape variety, a wine professional getting an update on the new regulations for a given wine region or an educator discovering a new way to share knowledge, I am proud to be the one guiding them on that journey.
After a successful 20+ year career in higher education, I jumped at the opportunity to combine my love of wine with my passion for teaching; a beautiful blend of my experience and expertise.
Today, I’ve established a highly-regarded reputation as a wine educator, marrying my academic background with my formal wine credentials. Thus, my work is always grounded in sound educational theory, coupled with solid wine knowledge. As a result, my events, seminars, articles and programs educate, innovate and entertain.
Admittedly, I’m hyper-organized and pay attention to the smallest detail, all of which translates into projects that run smoothly, finish on‐time (often early) and are of the highest quality. You will be impressed and delighted with my services and have fun in the process.
Be prepared to be wowed!
Want to know more about my story?
Although I changed my major in college many times, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Facilities Planning and Management, I actually attribute the birth of my current career to two things that happened my senior year (thank you, Cornell!).
The first was the wonderful opportunity to serve as a Teaching Assistant for a favorite professor. While it was a less-than-sexy class – Hospitality Operations and Renovations – I absolutely adored presenting new ideas in the classroom, conducting tutoring sessions during office hours and helping students grasp complicated concepts such as HVAC systems and heating degree days. The experience ignited an unknown passion for teaching for which I am forever grateful.
The second thing that happened was my discovery of wine. While I was unable to take the infamous class on wines due to schedule conflicts, many of my friends did and their newfound enthusiasm sparked a similar interest in me. I dubbed the summer after graduation as my “Summer of Wine.” Kicking off Senior Week with tasting visits to two local wineries, I bought my very first bottle of wine and was immediately hooked with swirling, sipping and savoring.
That was the summer that my mother switched from White Zinfandel to Pinot Grigio (I always say that White Zin is a gateway drug). And, when I hosted a wine tasting party in August, I felt like a kid in a candy store as I perused the aisles of my local wine store (tossing in various bottles that caught my fancy including a German Riesling or two).
After that summer, it was time to get a job and, although I didn’t pursue a career in teaching right away, this passion never diminished. Instead, I initially launched a career in development and alumni relations, raising money for my alma mater and building connections with alums. Consequently, I became an accomplished, stand-out event planner, but I wasn’t fully satisfied, plus I missed taking tests {smile}.
I returned to school to earn my doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and re-established my career in higher education, landing the position as Director of Professional Development & Special Projects at NYU’s College of Dentistry. In this role, I took on a range of responsibilities and activities including program management, grant writing, budgeting and publishing a newsletter.
However, the thing I loved the most was the special program I created for our faculty: training them to become more effective teachers.
By this time, it was clear to me that teaching was truly in my heart and soul.
As I continued to build my career, I continued to build my interest in wine, first on my own and then sharing this interest with my husband. We would attend wine tastings at retail shops, wine dinners at The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City and ultimately visit wineries throughout the world. When you find yourself visiting wineries in France, Italy or California, it is one thing; when you find yourself in tasting rooms in unlikely places as Newport, Rhode Island and Asheville, NC, it is truly another and you suddenly realize that wine has become more of an obsession than a mere hobby.
So, in 2005, my husband and I launched wine education business, Grand Cru Classes, which was a natural merger of my twin loves of teaching and wine.
We set up a home on the North Fork of Long Island, amidst the wineries of the region, established a formal tasting classroom, and planted a small educational vineyard in the backyard. Concurrent with these preparations, I pursued and earned significant credentials in wine through the Society of Wine Educators and the Wine & Education Spirit Trust to add to my academic background. I taught my first wine class in the summer of 2006 and, by July 2008, I bid goodbye to my old life and now truly live “a winederful life!”
Over time, I have expanded my focus from consumer classes to include professional training, exam preparation and educational writing.
But, as long as the project includes wine and education, count me in!
And, on the lighter side, here are my Top 10 fun facts:
- As an educator, I feel it is important to always improve my presentation skills, but instead of limiting myself to a typical presentation skills course, I’ve taken an acting class and trained in the art of stand-up comedy. And, I have the video to prove it.
- Food has been a passion since I was very little…my sister and I used to stand at the kitchen counter and narrate our creative concoctions as if we were on a television cooking show. Although PBS never called, we had a lot of fun making up recipes and I have been comfortable in the kitchen ever since.
- Swirling wine has become such a habit that I’ve even been caught swirling water.
- I am a big fan of Mad Men – the fashion, the glamour and the drinking at work!
- I am known for wearing 4” heels – even while walking through steep vineyards. I’m also not too proud to bring a pair of flats in my bag just in case.
- I am currently studying to speak Italian, but, having studied French in high school, I occasionally end up sounding more like Sergeant Deux Deux from the Pink Panther cartoons.
- I believe everything is better that sparkles – water, wine, personalities and diamonds, of course!
- My favorite quote is “Everything in moderation…including moderation!”
- I am immeasurably blessed to have married the love of my life and my best friend!
- When not hanging out at home with hubby and our adorable pup, I am always up for an adventure, preferably to some fabulous destination. Recent visits include Sicily, Puglia, Bordeaux and New Orleans.
For a more formal biography, introduction, head shots and list of my credentials, please check out my Media Kit.
