As a perennial student of wine, Kelcie holds the WSET Diploma, 3IC Italian wine certificate, CMS certification, and is a Stage 2 student with the Institute of Masters of Wine. She is Wine Director for the Michelin-Starred Burdock & Co, where she writes a small list and curates tasting menu pairings for delicate and elegant farm-to-table cuisine. In her role at TIWS, she teaches WSET courses from Levels 1-3 and handles curriculum and teaching for our Alternative Classes. She leads BC Wine Ambassador courses locally for WGBC and masterclasses for the wine trade regularly. Prior to Burdock, Kelcie was Wine Director for Chambar Restaurant and then at Elephant on Powell as GM and Wine Director, which was featured in the Michelin guide and En Route Magazine in its first year.
In 2023, Kelcie was awarded BC's Best Sommelier by CAPS BC, and Michelin Guide Vancouver 2023 Sommelier of the Year. Outside of wine, Kelcie holds a Bachelor and Master's in English Literature from the University of Toronto.
As one of the co-founders of This is Wine School, Kelcie teaches WSET Level 1, 2, and 3 wine courses in Vancouver.

Jenna has a diverse background in the wine industry, spanning hospitality and business consulting. She earned her WSET Diploma in 2018 and now teaches the programme in Vancouver. She also completed the WSET Educator Training Programme in 2019. Jenna is the Project Director for Top Drop Canada, a terroir-focused wine festival, and serves as an international wine judge. A student in the Master of Wine programme, she became a VinItaly Italian Wine Ambassador in 2018.
Her sommelier experience includes work at Vancouver’s Hawksworth and Elisa, as well as London’s Medlar and Lorne. For over 10 years she was the General Manager of Café Medina in Vancouver. In 2016, Vancouver Magazine named her a top front-of-house 'All-Star’ for her work there.
As one of the co-founders of This is Wine School, Jenna teaches WSET Level 1, 2, and 3 wine courses in Vancouver.

Born and raised in East Vancouver, Michael has been working as a Sommelier in Vancouver for the past 8 years. Beginning as a sommelier at Nightingale, moving on to run the wine programs for CinCin, then Published on Main, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge to the classroom. On the classroom side of things, Michael holds his WSET Level 4 Diploma, and is both an Italian and French wine scholar through the Wine Scholar Guild. In 2025, Michael came 2nd in the Best Sommelier of BC Competition and was crowned ‘Best Taster,’ so you could his palate is pretty advanced. Beyond the world of wine, he has a special interest in leisure sports such as table tennis and bocce ball, as well as spending time in the kitchen or tending the grill whenever possible. Michael is currently an instructor for WSET level 1 and Alternative classes.
Michael’s passion for wine is contagious! He is our main teacher for WSET Level 1 wine course in Vancouver.

Mariko is a food and beverage professional (alongside, a professional eater and drinker), always thinking about what to drink and eat next. Can often be found slurping sake, wine, coffee and water while dreaming up imaginary potato chip flavour combinations.
She has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, working intimately with sommeliers, buyers and f&b professionals across Canada and beyond.
Mariko is the creator and of Hakko Gakko, school of fermentation, a bottle shop (coming soon!) and a WSET sake educator.
Mariko spearheads all things Sake education both in Toronto and Vancouver. You can currently take WSET Level 1 and 2 sake courses with Mariko.

Born and raised in Québec, Maude spent most of her career in Vancouver as a sommelier at iconic restaurants such as Nightingale and Chambar. After dipping her toes into an importing role with Lifford Wine & Spirits, she founded APÉROmode in 2019, hosting beloved events and curating a widely distributed wine club. She frequently acts as a consultant and contributes to wine initiatives such as the global Tasting Climate Change conference, and as a board member of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.
Maude holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma, and continues to lend her expertise by moderating and presenting seminars for organizations such as the Cornucopia Whistler Wine Festival and on behalf of Wine Growers BC. Her deep knowledge of the local hospitality scene has also earned her a role as a key judge for the Wine List Awards at the Vancouver International Wine Festival and the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.
Having placed in the top 3 in Canada in the prestigious global South Africa Sommelier Cup competition, and with experience hosting wine trade groups overseas, Maude now represents Wines of South Africa as an ambassador on the West Coast.
One of the co-founders of This is Wine School, Maude typically teaches WSET Level 1 and 2 in Vancouver.

Lisa has been working in the wine industry since 2008. She has worked in vineyards and wineries in the Okanagan, New Zealand and France and enjoys travelling to new regions. In 2015 she earned her WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines & Spirits, became a Certified WSET Educator in 2019 and has been teaching the curriculum in Wines and Spirits since then. For the past 11 years she has been working in wine retail for Everything Wine in numerous roles including Tasting Bar and Events Coordinator, Operations Supervisor, Assistant Buyer, BC Category Manager and most recently, Manager of Education. As an active member in her local wine community, she is a seminar Sommelier at Vancouver International Wine Festival and seminar moderator at Top Drop. She is pursuing the Master of Wine designation, which has taken her to wine regions in South Australia, California and Germany. She firmly believes that life is better with butter and Champagne.
Lisa is one of the very knowledgeable teachers for some WSET Level 3 wine classes in Vancouver.

Christina Hartigan is the Wine Director with the Stable House Group in Vancouver, Canada. Working in the vineyard during harvest in Burgundy, Christina fell in love with all aspects of wine from vine to glass. This experience led to her to begin her studies in wine and pursue a career in hospitality and wine. A CMS Advanced Sommelier, Christina has also completed the WSET Diploma and French Wine Scholar. She is a facilitator for the BC Wine Ambassador program and was named Vancouver Magazine’s Sommelier of the Year 2022.
Christina is one of the very knowledgeable teachers for some WSET Level 2 wine classes in Vancouver.

Meet your instructors