Meet the Instructors

Allison has been passionate about food her entire life. After graduate school, her love for food grew to encompass wine as well, and the rest, as they say, is history. Allison regularly writes freelance articles and teaches WSET and Wine Scholar Guild classes. And when not studying for her next wine certification, Allison enjoys travel, cooking, jigsaw puzzles, reading, kayaking, and hiking with her lab mix, Cabbie.

Dewey is our Head Butcher here at France 44. He has nearly 20 years of industry experience and is constantly excited to share that knowledge with others who are eager to learn.

Anna is the Marketing Coordinator here at France 44, and comes from a background in baking and pastry. She has loved getting to learn more about cheese & wine at France 44 and when she's not at work, you can find Anna gardening, seeing live music, and tending to her sourdough starter, Massimo.

Austin is the DTC Foods Classes Coordinator for France 44 Events, a Cheese Buyer at the France 44 Cheese Shop, and our resident cheese maker. When he’s not behind the cheese counter or leading classes in the Events Space, he can be found reading, gardening, or in the kitchen coming up with new class ideas to share with out customers and staff.

Azeria is the Kitchen Manager at France 44. She has been cooking professionally for 15 years and has been really good at it for 5. She studied Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and has been lucky enough to work for and with multiple alumni in the Twin Cities area. Azeria is the mother to two rambunctious children ages two and six that keep her very busy outside of the kitchen and she enjoys video games and writing in her free time. 

Brent is an Assistant Manager and Cheese Buyer at the France 44 Cheese Shop. When he's not running around the Cheese Shop, Brent loves to spend his time studying (and, of course, drinking) wine, reading, playing golf, and trying as many restaurants as he can around the Twin Cities. 

Emily started working on the wine team at France 44 in 2022 following many years working in Twin Cities restaurants, and she has her WSET Level 3 in wine. Her favorite styles of wine are always changing, as is the dynamic world of wine! Her fridge and bar are consistently stocked with cheap bubbles, way too many jars of pickles, and Fernet Branca.

Hailey is the Events & Hospitality Director at France 44. She fell in love with wine after nearly a decade of working in wine-focused restaurants in the Twin Cities, and has her WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. She'll forever be on a deep-dive into the many,  many styles of Italian wines, and those of the 'Ancient' world. Hailey believes firmly that wine education is for everyone and should be fun & unpretentious, and hopes to extend that ethos to others.

Josh is our Exams Officer. He has his WSET Level 3 Award in Wines. His favorite libation continuously changes, but right now he is really into wines from the diverse region of Piedmont, Italy.

Kaleigh received her WSET 1-3 certifications through France 44 Wines and Spirits where she works part time on the events team and assists and teaches public classes. She works full time in communications at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing and watching volleyball, spending time with her cats and working on house projects.

Karina is a wine educator and the General Manager of the France 44 Event Space. She completed her WSET Diploma in Wine in 2020. Her fridge is usually occupied by bubbles, and she and her partner share an adorable dog named Ziggy who loves eating sticks as much as she loves drinking bubbles.

Nicole is a wine nerd and educator, and owner of My Wine Truth. She is passionate about sharing her love of wine and aims to make wine fun and approachable for everyone. Nicole has her WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and spends her free time cooking, tending to her St. Paul urban zoo and traveling with her husband and two boys.

Sam is an educator for wine, spirits and cocktail classes and events. He has his WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and has also recently acquired his WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits. He’s on an impractical mission to get people to drink more fortified wine and thinks Chardonnay gets a bad rap.

Sophia has been with the France 44 Cheese Shop since 2019, though she has worked in cheese since 2015 in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. She combines her passion for food and wine in pairing classes and loves to tell stories of the farmers and cheesemakers who make the cheeses we adore possible. 

Vanessa is a wine educator and owner of Sips Ensemble LLC where she enjoys working with her husband to foster curiosity, connections, and community through wine. She completed her WSET Diploma in Wine in 2024. She loves experimenting with food & wine pairings and exploring the Rhone Valley with its dynamic range of delicious wine styles.

Winston is a dentist by day and a wine enthusiast and educator by night. He received his WSET Diploma in Wine in 2024. As a native of Buffalo, New York, Winston loves drinking both classy, complex wines and trashy, refreshing beers.