Ep. 1894 Lindsay Johnson Cole  | Voices With Cynthia Chaplin

The Italian wine podcast is the community driven platform for Italian winegeeks around the world. Support the show by donating at italian wine podcast dot com. Donate five or more Euros, and we'll send you a copy of our latest book, my Italian Great Geek journal. Absolutely free. To get your free copy of my Italian GreatGeek journal, click support us at italian wine podcast dot com, or wherever you get your pots. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. I'm Cynthia Chaplin, and this is voices. Every Wednesday, I will be sharing conversations with international wine industry professionals discussing issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion through their personal experiences, working in the field of wine. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate our show wherever you get your pods. Hello. This is Cynthia Chaplin with Italian wine podcast live at Vineita International Academy, Italian wine Ambassador, certification course, verona twenty twenty four. And today was the last day of the course. So tension's running high. The exam is tomorrow. And I am very, very grateful to Lindsey Johnson Cole, who's here with me from the USA to tell us a little bit about her experience with BSO. Thanks for coming, Lindsey. I know you're tired. It's the end of the day. It's been a very, very long week. Really glad to have you. Well, it's a pleasure to be here, Cynthia. Thank you for inviting me on the podcast. So my experience with Avia has been phenomenal. I have never been to such an in-depth learning situation when it comes to wine, like, in general. But this it completely encompasses not just the Italian wine, but the culture, the history, the makers, the educators, everything, and it's just wonderful. I fill in my heart with joy. This is I love it when people get emotional and poetic about Via because it means the world to me. I've been involved for several years now and I I it's something that's near and dear in my heart, so I'm so happy that it's affected you that way. I will get emotional, but it's truly been life changing. I, you know, I hope that I pass tomorrow. But if not, I will keep trying until I do for sure. Again, it's just been an honor and a privilege to be here. Well, you've had a really interesting path coming to Via. So one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you is because you took the Maestro Path in, so I run the Maestro program from here. And you had one of our Italian wine ambassadors, Scott Thomas, who's a dear friend Mhmm. Who became certified to teach maestro in Colorado. Mhmm. And so that's our intro course that sort of feeds you into Via. So How did you find the Maestro course? First of all, Actually, I found it. I had started working in line, and then there was an opportunity that I actually saw on Instagram about this Italian Maestro course. And I was like, Italy? Oh my gosh. Of course. I wanna take this course, and he actually had offered a scholarship opportunity. And so I had applied to the scholarship. I actually applied twice the first time. I did not receive the scholarship. But Scott reached out to me and he was like, you know, please, like, keep trying. And I was like, oh, no problem. And so I had the opportunity to apply again, and I was accepted. And, I mean, I was literally dancing around my living room. It's so important that the, you know, wine education people who aren't in the wine world don't really understand wine education is freaking expensive. It is very expensive. So It's very important. I think if we want to be more inclusive and diversify our community in the wine sector, we have got to be offering scholarships this year, Weider Barlouge's winery, they very kindly became our educational partner last year. And they offered a scholarship this year, which a young gentleman, Nixon, from Nairobi one. So he's he's been with us this week, but scholarships and wine education are they're very powerful. They can lift people up in a way that nothing else in sort of wine training can do. So you're in Colorado. So what what have you been doing in the wine business? Tell me what you're doing. So I actually got started because I used to love to go into my little local wine shop and I would talk to the buyer. I was in healthcare management for my entire career before. So I just was like, oh, I just wanna talk to them. And then they were like, oh, we have an intern program. So that's what I did. And then I just kind of did a complete deep dive because In my opinion, wine is like art and history in a bottle, and it's even more than that now to me. But I was just like, I want to somehow be in this world. And so I, you know, I even still at the same shop that that I Let's give them a little plug. What's the shop? Proof wine and spirits in Denver. There we go. And so it was yeah. And it's just been absolutely amazing. And I've gotten a few scholarships, and that's how I got my w set to opportunity. And I just can't say enough about how, as you said, it's so important to offer these different opportunities to, like, a lot of marginalized communities as well. Absolutely. This is something that I talk about on my podcast voices, deI in the wine industry. In America, it's it's better than we are in Italy. This is not a diverse community in Italy as you've seen this week. Very few faces of color, not a lot of women. So this is my mission in life to kick these doors down, and I think scholarships is a very powerful way to do it. Because there are a lot of people, you know Are you enjoying this podcast? Don't forget to visit our YouTube channel, mama jumbo shrimp. For fascinating videos covering Stevie Kim and her travels across Italy and beyond, meeting winemakers, eating local foods, and taking in the scenery. Now, back to the show. Wine is not diverse because it's not because people don't want to be in it. It's because they can't get in. It's expensive to get in. Even if you're just wanting to taste different wines, you have to buy the darn wine. Mhmm. And the courses are expensive. So, I'm so happy that you've had a positive experience with scholarships. I'm glad to hear one of them was with Grappala wine school with Scott. That's wonderful news. Truly the greatest teacher. I I can't say enough amazing things about Scott Thomas. He is a brilliant educator. Just a wonderful human being. His passion is is just infectious. Yeah. Well, I agree with all of that. So, alright. Now, we're gonna we're gonna talk about this exam. I'm gonna wish you good luck right now because I know you're ready. I've seen you this week. You've been working. So you're ready. So tonight, go home and study, get some sleep. Yep. And we wanna wish you all the best of luck tomorrow. I truly appreciate you. But I have to ask you before you go. So tomorrow, when you're wearing your bright shiny new pin and you're a new Italian wine Ambassador. What's the next step for you? What do you wanna do next in your wine career? Well, ultimately, I would love love love to help kind of bridge a little bit of a gap within marginalized communities, but just also just within my market. Abroadening their view of Italian wine. I mean, of course, the I love Barbara. Don't get me wrong. But there's so many other beautiful options. We have Terral to go and We just have so many things. Verdicchio. And I just think that once the market really gets taste of it, they're going to absolutely go crazy. And then again, there's just the passion the wines are meant to just incite this, like, emotional feeling within you. At least they do for me. Reach down my throat and grab my heart and bring it right out. So I completely understand. Absolutely. And I love that you're singing the Via Song. Terrol de Ghos, our Via song. Oh my gosh. All these native grapes. So I love your enthusiasm and your passion. And before I let you go, I have to say none of you can see Lindsey sitting with me. But her fingernails have wine glasses painted on them. I'm so jealous. I do. It's awesome. So that's gotta bring you good luck. That's that's the goal. So I and again, I've had such wonderful support. I've have a wonderful husband and my family. My mom was actually the one that sponsored me for this for this opportunity. Shout out for moms. Right? For mom and, and my sister, again, is in my corner. So I just you know, you have to have that support system, and I'm just really grateful. Well, I love your passion. You've been bubbly full of life and participating and engaging all week, and that's what we love to see. So All my very best wishes from the heart for tomorrow. Thank you. And I will see you at the pinning ceremony. Absolutely. I again, thank you so much for this opportunity. It's a pleasure. Thank you for listening and remember to tune in next Wednesday when I'll be chatting with another fascinating guest. Italian wine podcast is among the leading wine podcast in the world and the only one with a daily show. Tune in every day and discover all our different shows. You can find us at italian wine podcast dot com, SoundCloud, Spotify, Himalaya, or wherever you get your pods.