ABOUT US

The Wine Academy was founded as a whole immersive wine education experience aimed at professional and wine aficionados alike. We believe in wine education being accessible to everyone while offering visibility to women in wine and minorities in the industry.

MEET MARY

Yellymary ‘Mary’ Montalvo is the founder of The Wine Academy. She currently holds the title of WSET Level 3 in Wines Certified Specialist and is currently a Diploma of Wine student. She is also a WSET Certified Educator and WSET Level 2 in Spirits. Additionally, she has recently earned both a Spanish Scholar Wine Guild Diploma with Honors and a Certified Beer Server with the Cicerone Program. She is also currently in her Rioja Wine Educator Certification. She boasts ocer 15 years of experience in the wine industry which compliments her formal education background in law and marketing.

Formerly, Mary owned Luisa’s Cellar for 10 years in Sanford, Florida where she proudly curated the extensive wine selection. She also owned and operated Vineyards of the World in Clermont, Florida, which was in business for 5 years until the location moved to Sanford.

She started visiting North Carolina more than 10 years ago and fell in love with the people, wineries in the area, and the beautiful scenery. Once she got settled in, Thw Wine Academy was born. Created from her passion to educate, Mary takes great pride in running the education programs along with creating fun and interactive course for her students.

"Life is too short not to enjoy wine, or to make it all snobbery and pomp," Mary says. Making wine easy, fun, and educational for everyone certainly sparks joy for her. Hosting private parties with you and your friends is icing on the cake. She loves making *you* the star of the party.

She is a proud geek, a Doctor Who fan, and loves superheroes. She is proficient in Spanish, English and German.

Meet with Mary

FEATURED IN

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

WSET Level 3 in Wines /

Diploma Student

WSET Certified Educator

Spanish Wine Scholar Guild Certified

Court of Master Sommeliers

Certified Beer Server

Rioja Certified Educator

OUR TEAM

BRIANNA BURNS

DIPWSET, FWS

Brianna is a certified wine educator for the WSET and French Wine Scholar. She thoroughly enjoys watching and encouraging wine lovers as they move from hobby to passion to career as she has done. She completed her Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits in 2019 and is currently working to complete the Italian Wine Scholar. She received the French Wine Scholar with Highest Honors and completed the Master-Champagne Level with Honors. She can’t wait to start your wine journey with you!

CARA DE LAVALLADE

ADVANCED SOMMELIER, WSET L3 IN WINES, FWS, CSS

An Advanced Sommelier with over a decade of experience in the wine industry, Cara is happiest traveling the world, roaming through vineyards and sipping Champagne whenever possible. While living in Mendoza, Argentina, she was fortunate to work alongside Chef Pablo Renea as Sommelier for Restaurante Azafran. As part of the sommelier team for Silversea Cruises, Cara worked with top wines from around the world while sailing the Mediterranean. In Seattle, she worked with James Beard Award winning chef, Tamara Murphy, managing the wine list for Terra Plata and then spent four years as Wine Director for Willows Lodge in Woodinville. Most recently, she’s managed the beverage program for the remarkable destination, Enchantment Resort, in Sedona, Arizona. Currently studying for the Master Sommelier Theory exam, Cara also holds a Level 3 certification from WSET, a French Wine Scholar Certificate, and is a Certified Sherry Specialist through Lustau.

LOURDES GUITIERREZ

Lourdes is joining NCWA to assist with social media management and daily academy logistics. She has a Marketing degree with a concentration in Public Relations from Columbia College. She has been in the e-commerce arena for 25 years operating an online store. She handles inventory selection, pricing, customer transactions and does all of the advertising, marketing & social media for the store. She also works as a Recreation Assistant and handles the social media, digital communications & administrative work for the Parks & Recreation department. She loves living in Tryon surrounded by the beautiful mountains.