2021 July Mag

The wine industry has been historically known to be exclusive, white and male. To further cement the industry’s image, the Association of African American Vintners reports that only 50 out of the 10,000 U.S. wineries are Black-owned. That is equivalent to .05 percent of the wineries! But according to the Wine Market Council Consumer Segmentation, Black consumers make up about 11 percent of wine drinkers in the country. While the numbers may be dismal in ownership, our July cover model, Regine T. Rousseau is helping shatter the glass ceiling, or in this case uncorking the bottle for a savory glass of wine with her company, Shall We Wine.

Regine is a wine and spirits expert, writer, presenter, and media personality who focuses on making wine knowledge accessible to people at all levels of proficiency. She was a nominee of the Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Wine Star Awards for Wine Educator of the Year, she’s earned prestigious certificates for International Sommelier Guild Level II, and Executive Bourbon Steward, Stave and Thief. Regine has traveled around the globe sharing her wine and spirits expertise. She has authored or been featured in articles in the New Yorker, Wine Enthusiast, Black Enterprise, Black Food and Beverage, Wine Spectator, the Zoe Report, Forbes and Chicago Tribune.

TURNING A HOBBY INTO A PASSION.

Regine fell in love with wine while studying abroad during college in Besançon, France and began her career as a salesperson for a wine distributor. While in this role, she noticed a disconnect between wine professionals and consumers. Making wine approachable became a central premise of Regine’s work.

In 2013, Regine established Shall We Wine, a wine and spirits experiential marketing, event planning, and education company. Working with national and boutique winemakers, distilleries, importers, and distributors, she increases brand awareness, reach, and revenue for clients through innovative and traditional approaches. These include in-person and on-line activations, events, sponsorships, videos, media and social media services, and speaker and influencer marketing. She and her team are masters at translating complex terminology into language that individuals of every level of wine expertise and interest appreciates.

Regine’s speaking engagements as a keynote and panelist, include Blacks in Wine Symposium, Wonder Women in Wine, I.E.E.M Conference – Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, SoloCEO Summit, tastings.com, and Association of Writers and Writers’ Programs. She is a blogger on reginerousseaum.com and shallwewine.com, has served as subject matter expert for VinePair, has been interviewed on You & Me Chicago, WGN Chicago, Windy City Live, and Great Day Washington. Regine has also moderated a virtual event for Gallo International Women’s Month.

Sharing wine in many languages.

Language is integral to Rousseau’s work as a poet and published author where wine and written word are often interwoven. In her book Searching for Cloves and Lilies: The Wine Edition, Regine illustrates the dynamics of personal relationships while pairing each poem with wine that echoes the mood of her writing.

Regine is recipient of the Wine Bloggers Conference Ethnifacts Diversity Scholarship, grants from McBride Sisters Collections and Allies for Community Business, and Knox College’s 2020 Alumni Achievement Award. She is fluent in French, Haitian Creole, and English.

Regine has a BA from Knox College, studied at L’Université de Franche Comte and Centre de Linguistique Appliquée.

Join Cerese D Jewelry as we toast this outstanding trailblazer as we continue to recognize amazing women each month! Cheers!

Stay up to date with Regine:

Latest Article:
How Wine Brought Me In From the Outside 

Websites: 
https://www.reginerousseau.com/

https://www.shallwewine.com/

Social Media: 
FB Business – https://www.facebook.com/ShallWeWine/

FB Personal – https://www.facebook.com/reginetrousseau

Instagram Business- https://www.instagram.com/shallwewine/

Instagram Personal- https://www.instagram.com/reginetrousseau/

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/virtualevents/

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS3vdNOWmVbxTyQW_qu9xMw

Cover Image: {PHOTO CREDIT: MS. DIG PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC & LOLLIPOP PHOTO (TM);  CREATIVE DIRECTOR: GENMA HOLMES}