WSET Level 1
Award in Wines

Ali Martin is a wine educator and professional sommelier that has run wine programs for several of Chicago's Michelin-starred restaurants over the years. She currently is the beverage director of Atelier Restaurant, doing the same for Elizabeth prior, and getting her start at the legendary Blackbird. Outside of Fine Vintage, Ali is an instructor for Vino Vinyasa, yoga classes with wine education built in. She also provides wine instruction for restaurants throughout Chicago and is an ambassador for various wine regions, such as Graves in Bordeaux & Vinho Verde in Portugal. Ali holds a WSET Level 3 as well as a level 2 certification with the CMS-A.
Ali has traveled Italy more than once, learning to understand and appreciate all the complex wines within. In California she has visited some of the most renowned vineyards, even lending a hand for harvest. Ali's passion for travel introduced her to wine and this passion comes through in her teaching. Her philosophy is wine should be accessible, not intimidating, which Ali applies to her instruction and everywhere else in her career.

Cedar Stoltenow is a wine educator and sales professional based in Chicago, currently working in business development for wine and spirits producers. Her experience spans nearly every facet of the wine industry, including retail, service, auction house, and private client sales, as well as production in both New Zealand and Napa Valley. Cedar holds the WSET Diploma.

Cedar is the Midwest Business Development Manager for Business France (the French Trade Commission), focused on Wine and Spirits. In addition to her day job, Cedar also runs her own wine education and consulting business in the Chicago area. Working in wine offers Cedar a chance to share her love of wine, food, and travel with others, creating sensory experiences that make lasting memories. “My goal is to make wine more accessible, understandable, and above all, fun, for others. My passion is creating an experience around wine that brings people together, making the wine world more inclusive and approachable.”

Lyn Farmer is a James Beard Award-winning wine and food writer and educator who has been sharing his passion for wine around the world for more than 35 vintages. Lyn holds the WSET Diploma and has been teaching for Fine Vintage for 10 years, sharing not only his keen sense of wine and culture, but an entertaining raconteur sharing stories about wine and wine people around the world.
Lyn is among the most widely traveled and well-regarded wine experts in the United States and, addition to teaching courses in several US cities for Fine Vintage, Ltd, he frequently leads seminars and masterclasses for VinItaly, the Italian Trade Commission, SOPEXA, Comité Champagne and many other wine industry groups. In addition to his WSET Diploma, Lyn is also certified by the Society of Wine Educators and the Sake Education Council and has been an ambassador for both the Champagne region and the Port Wine Institute. He is a member of several honorary trade groups, including the Confraria do Vinho do Porto and l'Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. Formerly wine and spirits ambassador for Silversea Cruises, he is a widely published writer who served as restaurant critic for two major newspapers and was senior editor of The Wine News magazine for 20 years.
Lyn is also the director of VeritageMiami, a popular wine festival in Miami, Florida that benefits United Way and attracts thousands of wine lovers each year.