A native of Saugerties, Maureen has a long background in the restaurant and wine business, with over 25 years working in Atlanta, Charlotte, and New York. She has been focused on wine since 2005, when she began leading beginner wine classes for restaurant staff. In 2013 she became a Certified Sommelier and began her formal career in food and wine pairing, buying wine, and curating wine lists. From there, her natural progression was to branch out into teaching, and has conducted formal educational tastings, food and wine dinners, and developed wine curricula.