Hi! I’m Brielle.
I work full time in sports media and founded Viva la Vino in 2017 after teaching courses in wine shops like Chelsea Wine Vault & New York Vintners for about year. VLV has become my side hustle and passion project, and I’m so proud of what I’ve built and the amazing clients I’ve been able to work with.
I started an Instagram account, @vivalavino_NYC to help market my business, and have since developed two profitable social franchises, #CannedWineWednesday and Great Minds Drink Alike. I also cohost a podcast called The Wine Pro & The Wino with my pal Michelle Matos.
Wine is a magical combination of history, language, agriculture, terroir, politics, religion, and so many cultures. I love that there is always more to learn, and I’m here to help you do just that.
Read on to learn a little bit more of the VLV story.
How Viva la Vino got its start
In 2015, I had just landed my dream job at the NBA League Office in New York City. I attended a networking event with team executives at a restaurant far beyond my price range, and a sommelier asked, “What kind of wine would you like?”
“White, please.”
“What kind of white wine do you like?”
…and then, the response that fueled my pursuit of wine education: “Um…cold?
The embarrassment of not knowing how to describe the wine I wanted or preferred was enough to send me searching for a Wine 101 course to help me never feel that uneducated around my colleagues again. What started as an innocent attempt to hold my own at corporate events quickly became a fascination I haven’t been able to shake with the world of wine: its history, prevalence throughout the world, and wide-ranging appeal.
I founded Viva la Vino to bring a new approach to understanding the wide world of wine. I create fun, memorable events where guests learn about wine in a low-stakes, engaging environment.
Viva la Vino operates on the idea that wine is only good if you like it, and I do my best to simplify the main attributes of a wine's overall style and quality to help you recognize why you prefer some wines to others, and suggest routes to open and expand your palate.
For private events and content collaborations, I customize the approach to each client or project to determine clear objectives, identify measures of success, and formulate an agreed-upon, collaborative event or showcase.
Sign up for an upcoming class, request a private event to teach your group about the foundations of wine, or inquire about how Viva la Vino can lend fun, informative wine consulting services to your business. I can’t wait to work with you!