Wine Courses in New York City

Charles Curtis MW is the founder of WineAlpha, a fine wine consultancy. He is the former Head of Wine for Christie’s auction house in Asia and the Americas. He joined Christie’s in 2008 from LVMH, where he was Director of Wine and Spirit Education for Moet Hennessy USA.

His career began as a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who worked in restaurants around the world, and in the past 25 years, he has worked in all sectors of the wine trade. His first book, The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy, was released in 2014, and his second book is titled Vintage Champagne.

Charles is unquestionably one of the most knowledgable and accomplished wine experts in North America yet has a warm and friendly teaching style. He loves introducing students to the exciting world of wine and sharing his passion.

Trish acquired a passion for wine while living and working in London where her desire to better navigate a European wine list led her to the WSET. Her interest in wine only continued to grow. Upon completion of the Diploma of Wines and Spirits, Trish decided to blend her wine knowledge and passion with her professional experience to pursue a career in the wine and spirits industry.

As Managing Director of Gregory + Vine in New York City, Trish oversees communications campaigns for European wine regions and brands from Chile to Israel. In addition to numerous trips to wine regions for business, Trish often spends her vacation time traveling to the wine areas that remain on her bucket list.

She holds a Masters degree in International Management from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.
and is thrilled to share her passion, knowledge and experience with Fine Vintage students.

Neil Kaplan is the founder of Cork Counsel, which offers an array of services to wine and spirits collectors and the professionals who work with them. Neil is a certified personal property appraiser and specializes in insurance inspections and damage assessments. He also provides private client consultancy, assisting collectors with building and sale of collections.

Neil is an attorney with over 30 years’ experience in virtually all aspects of the wine business. He earned the Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits with Merit from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and is a Stage Two Candidate for the Master of Wine. Neil has immense knowledge of wine and a real passion for it. The best part is that he can impart it with natural ease to beginners as well as experts.

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.