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WOMEN WINE LEADERS
DIPWSET
Kathleen Smith

Kathleen Smith
DipWSET
Kathleen has always had a passion for food and wine. After spending ten years in the NYC financial industry, she was looking for a new adventure and signed up for a WSET class at International Wine Center in 2006. It was love at first sip, and a career change quickly followed. She attained her WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits in 2014 and has completed the WSET Educator Training Program in both Wine & Sake.
She recently returned from living in Hong Kong, where she was Manager of the Education Department and Wine, Spirits, and Sake Instructor at a prestigious wine school. Now, having relocated to the beautiful state of Rhode Island, Kathleen has taken her passion to the next phase and immersed herself in study. She successfully completed WSET Diploma in Wine with Merit, one of the industry’s top certification bodies, and also completed Fine Vintages Food & Wine Pairing Certification.
Kathleen is excited to be back at the International Wine Center and looks forward to sharing her passion for wine, spirits, and sake with the students of IWC. Additionally, Kathleen is the founder of The Happy Vine, a company that specializes in providing high-quality wine and spirits education and experiences.
The “DipWSET,” or Diploma in Wines and Spirits, is a prestigious Level 4 qualification offered by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). This comprehensive program is designed for wine and spirits professionals, as well as serious enthusiasts, who are eager to deepen their knowledge and expertise.
Through rigorous coursework and examinations, students explore a wide range of topics, including viticulture, vinification, wine regions, spirits production, and global wine markets. Upon successful completion, graduates are equipped with an advanced understanding of the wine and spirits industry, allowing them to excel in their careers and become respected authorities in the field.
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