Some conversations make you want to pour a glass and never stop listening. This is one of them.
Kimberly Noelle Charles is the founder of Charles Communications Associates, one of the most respected wine marketing communications firms in the country — and one of the most passionate storytellers I've ever had the pleasure of sitting down with. She started her career as a part-time sommelier at Georgetown, selling wine to lobbyists on commission while studying foreign service and rowing crew. She thought it would be a side hustle. Instead, it became the foundation for a career spanning more than four decades and taking her around the world.
She's 45 years deep in this industry. And she is still completely lit up by it.
We go well beyond wine in this one. This conversation is really about curiosity, connection, and why the best glass is always the one you share.
In This Episode:
How a college side hustle selling wine to D.C. lobbyists accidentally launched a 45-year career
What it took to become one of the first Americans to earn the WSET Diploma — and why she was convinced she'd failed
The move west to lead communications for the Gallo of Sonoma relaunch and what California taught her that New York never could
Three underappreciated California wine regions you're probably driving right past — the Petaluma Gap, the Sierra Foothills, and the Anderson Valley
Why Americans are actually some of the most informed wine drinkers in the world — and what Europe still does better
What the Toji sake masters of Japan's Niigata prefecture taught her about humility, craft, and leadership
The quote that stopped me in my tracks: "They are asking not to be taught about wine. They want to be invited to wine."
The Come Together campaign she's been building with Karen MacNeil and Gino Colangelo — and why it matters right now
Rapid fire: favorite SF restaurants, a hidden gem in Marin, a dream Paso Robles road trip with the Ladies Who Lunch, and the bottles she'd open to convert a wine skeptic
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