Local Wine Experts to Host Free Panel About the Wine Industry

A panel of wine experts from different parts of the wine industry will be speaking about the peaks and valleys of making and selling bottles of wine. This free event takes place on Thursday, January 18 from 9 – 10 a.m. and will be held at the FORGE at Roy Place, 44 N. Stone Ave.

The panel will be moderated by Arielle DeSoucey, wine director for Tap & Bottle, Tap & Bottle North, and Westbound. DeSoucey will lead a panel of three wine entrepreneurs who take part in making, selling, and buying local wines; Sarah Fox, Sally Kane, and Jeanne Snell. 

Read on for more details on the experienced panel. 

Arielle DeSoucey

For 15 years Arielle DeSoucey has been learning about wine. DeSoucey is a wine director, expert, and certified specialist of wine with the Society of Wine Educators. She also holds a level-three WSET certification. The certificate signifies that DeSoucey has in-depth knowledge of not only tasting wines but also the production process and even the grapes themselves.

DeSoucey often holds or takes part in events focused on wine education, tasting, and the local industry. 

Read our February 2023 article, “Yay Wine! Tap & Bottle Proudly Serves Red, White & Rosé.”

Sarah Fox

Fox is the head of operations for Sand-Reckoner Vineyards. Such a position does not come without extensive experience. Fox’s passion for wine and its depth began like many, with friends. A simple introduction to the topic turned into a deep dive surrounding the science and soul of wine.

Fox is not originally from Arizona, she began her wine journey in Colorado and has taken that experience with her into Arizona’s wine scene.

Fox began to learn the wine production process at Two Rivers Winery, and then she moved on to Etude Winery in the Carneros region of Napa, California, in addition to her work in Gigondas, France. These roles provided a breadth of information from differing perspectives within the process for Fox to walk away with. 

 All of this has led Fox to her current role where she works to provide experiences that connect people and places using wine as the link between them. 

Learn more about Sand-Reckoner Vineyards.

Sally Kane

Sally Kane is the owner of The Coronet Restaurant, Coronet Cafe, and Nightjar. A Tucsonan turned traveler, Kane’s journey with wine began at her family’s restaurant, The Tack Room at Rancho Del Rio. The Tack Room possessed Arizona’s first wine cellar and the region’s first Mobil Five-Star rating. 

Kane studied in California and sipped her way through the state. Tasting wines at well-established Bay Area restaurants such as La Farine and Chez Panisse. 

From Tucson to California and then the world. Kane has worked in restaurants across the globe in countries including Ireland, Mexico, and the U.S. She has experience in almost every aspect of the restaurant business. 

Her love of food, wine, and her hometown led Kane back to Tucson in 2014, where Kane opened The Coronet. Kane’s Coronet is not just a fine dining restaurant but also a cafe and a cocktail bar. 

Learn more about The Coronet.

Jeanne Snell

Jeanne Snell is co-owner of the Arizona Wine Collective, a group that has been showcasing and selling Arizona-grown and produced wines for over half a decade. The collective puts on tasting events, sells wine bottles, and operates a wine bar. 

Built by wine enthusiasts, for wine enthusiasts, the Arizona Wine Collective is locally based and even has a membership program where members receive three bottles of wine quarterly, in addition to discounts on in-store purchases, and other exclusive benefits. 

Jeanne’s prior experience in public relations, marketing, as well as local wine sales makes her perspective specifically unique to the panel. 

Learn more about Arizona Wine Collective.

Get Your Free Tickets

This monthly recurring series of heritage food events is sponsored by the University of Arizona’s FORGE program for entrepreneurs and hosted by the Tucson City of Gastronomy. These seminars use expert entrepreneurs and restaurateurs to illustrate how Tucson’s UNESCO Creative Cities Network designation can be used to help grow businesses in Southern Arizona. 

To get your free ticket and more information on the seminar visit the event’s webpage. FORGE at Roy Place is located at 44 N.Stone Ave.