Wine educator, Arielle De Soucey will be moderating a panel with three local entrepreneurs with different experiences in Arizona's wine industry. The panel will include Sarah Fox, Head of Operations for Sand-Reckoner Winery, Sally Kane owner of The Coronet Restaurant, Coronet Cafe and Nightjar and Jeanne Snell owner of Arizona Wine Collective. The panel will discuss the rewards and the challenges of making, serving and selling Arizona wines.

Arielle DeSoucey is the Wine Director for Tap & Bottle, Tap & Bottle North, and Westbound. Over the past fifteen years, Arielle has been awarded multiple wine certifications, including the WSET Level Three, and she is a CSW - Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators. As a wine buyer, educator, consultant, and passionate wine enthusiast, Arielle hosts public and private wine education programs, tastings, and events, with a mission to engage and educate the Arizona wine community.

Sarah Fox’s wine journey began while studying Psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. What began as wine dates with friends became a serious exploration into the science, art, and soul of wine. The mystery she found in a glass of wine was intoxicating, and the notion of terroir fascinated her. A Colorado native, Sarah started her wine career on the Western Slope of the Rockies with Two Rivers Winery, and dove deeper into her exploration of wine with a harvest at Etude in Carneros, vineyard work in Gigondas, and time selling wine in retail and fine dining in Colorado and Arizona. Sarah’s enduring love of the mystery found in terroir, and the connection wine creates between people and place, drives her passion for creating meaningful experiences for all at the Sand-Reckoner Tasting Room.

Sally Kane was born in Tucson and raised in an environment that inspired a passion for style and cuisine that has defined her life ever since. Her family’s restaurant, the Tack Room at Rancho Del Rio, boasted Arizona’s first wine cellar and was awarded the southwest’s first Mobil 5-Star rating. As a young adult, Kane studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts, landing her firmly in the middle of California's culinary renaissance. She spent every penny she had tasting her way through the classic eateries of the Bay Area, from La Farine to Chez Panisse. She has worked as a dishwasher, prep cook, baker, recipe developer, barista, bartender, and waitress at restaurants across the world, from Berkeley to Galway to Nashville to San Miguel de Allende. With strong ties to the community, an ardor for food and drink, and a deep love for her hometown Sally opened The Coronet in 2014. The Coronet moved to the Cushing Street property in 2020 and expanded into three entities; a casual counter service cafe, a culinary-inspired cocktail bar, and a fine dining restaurant.

Jeanne Snell, along with her husband Pete, has been 100% dedicated to promoting and selling Arizona wines for the past 6 years. As co-owner of Arizona Wine Collective, Jeanne is dedicated to featuring Arizona-grown and produced wines on a daily basis through tastings, glasses, and bottle sales. Arizona Wine Collective was born out of years of customer-focused retail experience, our hobby of wine tasting and exploration, and our dedication to creating an outstanding local business that highlights Arizona-made products. Jeanne has an extensive career in public relations, marketing, advertising and retail operations on a local, national and international basis.

Sponsored by the University of Arizona FORGE, the Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCoG) presents this series once a month on the business of heritage foods. Drawing on a community-wide network of resources, TCoG-certified speakers and local entrepreneurs provide information on leveraging Tucson's global designation as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to grow food-based businesses in Southern Arizona.

With questions about access or to request any disability-related accommodations in this event such as ASL interpreting, closed-captioning, wheelchair access, or electronic text, etc., please contact Holly McAnally at hollybrenna@arizona.edu