ENTREPRENEUR PROVIDES EXPERIENTIAL WINE EDUCATION

Regine T. Rousseau, founder and CEO of Shall We Wine, has made it her goal to make wine more accessible by providing fun ways to learn about wine and spirits. Photo courtesy of Regine T. Rousseau
Regine T. Rousseau, founder and CEO of Shall We Wine, has made it her goal to make wine more accessible by providing fun ways to learn about wine and spirits. Photo courtesy of Regine T. Rousseau

 Entrepreneur provides experiential wine education

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     Regine T. Rousseau believes that wine is an art form. “If you can take a few minutes and taste the nuances, just like a poem or just like a painting, you’ll start to uncover all of these
things and really listen to the story that’s in the bottle,” Rousseau said.
     Rousseau started Shall We Wine in 1997. The experiential marketing and event planning company, helps clients grow their brand and helps members learn about wine and spirits.
     Rousseau received her Level II certification from the International Sommelier Guild, as well as an Executive Bourbon Steward from Stave and Thief Society.
      Rousseau said her goal was to teach beginner and intermediate students who are interested in wine and spirits.
It was part of her mission to make wine and spirits more accessible to people, something she does with Shall We Wine.
     Back in 1997-1998, Rousseau worked as a wine distributor and would share the wine she had with friends. “What I realized is how people got so turned on to the wines that I was
introducing them to. A part of me was like, I cannot believe how many people have not had access to wine. So, for me, to make wine accessible is to give people access to something that was denied,” she said. “I feel like I’m leveling things, equaling things out a little bit. Letting people into a world that was not open to them.”
     Rousseau said making wine less intimidating to people means making it less exclusive. Her goal is to educate people about wine, with some fun, so people can enjoy it. That way, it
becomes less stuffy. “I’m teaching about wine in a way that is authentic to me. I want to make it fun for everyone,” she said.
    Rousseau said that her travels have really informed how she chooses her wines. Rousseau said her favorite wine is Champagne. She said there’s nothing like trying a wine and travelling to the place where it was made. Rousseau travelled
to Reims, which is the capital of Champagne.
     “To be there, to walk through the caves, to taste Champagne in the area where it was made, changes everything. It makes you feel more connected to the product, you meet the people who are making the wines, so you feel
more connected to it,” she said. “So, that’s why I like to travel around wines. It’s about seeing beautiful places, but it’s really about understanding the entire process of winemaking and
why it tastes the way it does.”
     Rousseau said she went to Provence in the South of France and she understands the wines there more than she did before.
     “The wines taste like the place, they’re fresh, they’re open, they’re vibrant. And, you’re like, yeah, of course, this place produces these types of wines because this is how it feels,” she said.
     Not only does Rousseau teach people about wines, she also has a blog. There are two to three posts a month and cover topics from questions from followers, some are tips – how to drink wine and the best wines to find.
     Rousseau published a book, “Searching for Cloves and Lilies: The Wine Edition,” in 2018. It is a collection of poems, paired with wine. Poetry is something Rousseau is passionate about.
     “In doing that, I learned a new way of teaching people about wine and teaching people about poetry. Because my poetry is more storytelling,” she said. “Wine has a story, each bottle of wine has a story, each poem has a story. So, it was about combining the two stories, so that people can feel more connected to the wine and more connected to the poetry.”
     For the holidays, Rousseau said one of her favorite wines right now is Crement d’Alsace. Some of her favorite Black owned wineries include McBride Sisters’ Sparkling Rose`, Maison Noire’s Love Drunk Rose, and Maison Noire’s OPP.
     Rousseau pivoted to hosting events virtually because of COVID-19. She hosts events on her website, www.shallwewine.com. Her next event will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. It will feature Theodora Lee of Theopolis  Vineyards. Starting in January, there are classes
for beginners on the Shall We Wine website.

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