Biography

Jacqueline Brisley, CSW is the founder of Vitis Vitae. She has studied extensively to attain world recognized qualifications.

It all started with a passion for wine, but no avenue to learn. Self taught tasting and a spirit of adventure soon lead to a desire to formalize her learning. The first step was the Certificate of Merit from the Wine Council of Ontario. That led to a Diploma in Italian Wine from the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and the Italian Trade Commission. Investigation into available other courses led to Wine and Spirit Education Trust Intermediate Certificate in Wines and Spirits with Distinction. The next step was the Introductory Sommelier Course from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Through a mammoth effort and feverish studying, she soon attained the qualification of Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, and Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators..

The Wine and Spirit Education Trust Certificate was attained by home study, the qualifications for the Court of Master Sommeliers are also obtained by studying the entire recommended syllabus, and having your results tested in exam format. The exam for Certified Sommelier consists of three parts – a written exam covering all the wines and spirits of the world, a blind tasting exam to correctly identify two wines according to grape variety, country of origin, and year of vintage, and a service exam in a live setting whereby the correct service, glassware, etiquette, food and wine pairing suggestions, and product knowledge are tested by a Master Sommelier.

After attaining this Qualification, she joined the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and the Society of Wine Educators.

Since her belief is that knowledge is not a static state, she continues to study and pursue further levels of expertise.