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- SommWine's Ultimate Guide to WSET Level 1 is only $25
MEET JOANNE
Wine makes more sense when you understand the why.
Hi, I'm Joanne DiGeso, the educator behind SommWine. I teach wine and beer in a way that connects what you learn with what you actually notice in your glass.
Based in Whistler, British Columbia, I work with curious beginners, WSET students and hospitality professionals — online and in person.
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HOW I GOT HERE
From the dining room to the classroom.
My work in hospitality has taken me from Four Seasons Resort Whistler to the wine director role at Bearfoot Bistro and sommelier work at Hawksworth Restaurant. Later, as Food & Beverage Director at Sooke Harbour House, I helped with its operational relaunch.
Working with guests and teams puts wine knowledge into perspective: it becomes useful when you can explain it clearly. That connection between understanding and communicating is central to the way I teach.
I completed the WSET Diploma in 2017 and the WSET Wine Educator programme in 2018. I've taught WSET in Whistler since 2018, and completed WSET's Beer Educator programme in 2024.
KNOWLEDGE BACKED BY EXPERIENCE
The experience behind the teaching.
WSET Diploma graduate
Advanced wine study, completed in 2017.
Certified WSET wine educator
Wine educator training completed in 2018.
Certified WSET beer educator
Beer educator training completed in 2024.
Sommelier and hospitality professional
More than 15 years' experience in wine and hospitality, with WSET teaching in Whistler since 2018.
HOW I TEACH
Don't just memorize. Understand why.
A grape name or a wine region is easier to remember when you understand the connections. Why does a wine have that acidity? What changed during winemaking? What can the label tell you?
We taste, compare, ask questions and connect the theory with real examples. You don't have to arrive with the vocabulary — we'll build it from what you notice.
The goal is useful knowledge: describing wine naturally, choosing with more confidence and explaining it to someone else.
SOMMWINE · WINE & BEER EDUCATION
Two drinks. The same curiosity.
Learn wine
Connect grapes, regions, climate and winemaking with wine styles and tasting. Choose online WSET study or an in-person Whistler course.
Learn beer
Explore ingredients, brewing, styles and tasting with a certified WSET beer educator. Start with SommWine's current beer education offering.
MORE WAYS TO LEARN
Learning that fits your life — and your work.
Study support
SommWine Ultimate Guides help students review, practise recall and prepare alongside their official WSET materials.
Private tastings
Personal, guided wine experiences for your group, based in Whistler and available elsewhere in BC.
Corporate experiences
Professionally hosted wine experiences for teams, clients and events.
Hospitality training
Practical wine knowledge for clearer guest conversations, recommendations and service.
Let's put your curiosity to work.
Choose a course, explore beer or bring a guided wine tasting to your table.
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