About
Meet alison.
Alison is a Certified Sommelier based in the Finger Lakes wine region of New York. She began her career in hospitality in 2018 and has worked for various wineries and hosted hundreds of wine tastings. As a sommelier, she views herself as an educator and matchmaker – helping clients discover new wines they love and the unique stories behind them. She launched Vine and Voyage in 2021 to share her passion for wine through curated experiences that are fun and approachable, regardless of wine knowledge or experience.
A native Virginian, Alison received her undergraduate degree in business from the University of Virginia, before embarking on a 16 year corporate career that moved her around the world. She quickly discovered that eating and drinking your way through a city is the best way to experience local culture. In 2018, a move to the Finger Lakes inspired a career shift. She pursued her wine education, earning a certificate in Viticulture and Enology from Cornell University’s agriculture school and completed her sommelier certification in 2021 with the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Today she works for an acclaimed natural wine shop where she has the unique opportunity to taste wine regularly with some of the best wine importers and distributors in the business. She’s always on the hunt for the best value wines from smaller-scale family and independent vineyards. Alison is most interested in low-intervention wines that resonate with a sense of place and tell a story about the land, the fruit and the winemaker. She runs a wine club and helps curate global wine selections for clients nationwide.
Driven by a passion for food, wine and culture, Alison has traveled and tasted in Spain, Italy, France, the U.K., California, Oregon, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Dubai, Japan and Southeast Asia. When she’s not tasting or talking about wine, you’ll find her daytripping around the Finger Lakes with her husband and kids, enjoying the perfect cup of coffee or a concert by the lake, and always daydreaming of the next great travel adventure.
“Alison turned us on to wines that will live in our hearts and the hearts of friends and family, forever.”
— Connor and Maddy B. ~ Skaneateles, NY