Congrats to Hudson Valley Wine Goddess Debbie Gioquindo!

Here's some great news about someone we really like - Debbie Gioquindo. Debbie's given a lot to the Hudson Valley over the last five or more years. She's given a lot of time, and helped to raise the profile of the valley. She is one of the valley's biggest boosters. And she is at so many of the events up and down the region. A tireless promoter! Congrats, Debbie!

Hudson Valley Wine Goddess, Debbie Gioquindo Achieves Wine Location Specialist

Poughkeepsie, NY, February 8, 2012: Debbie Gioquindo, Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) is proud to announce she is being inducted into the fifth class of wine professionals that have the designation of Wine Location Specialist (WLS) by passing the Wine Location Specialist Certificate Program. As a Wine Location Specialist, Debbie is accredited by the CIVC and the IVDP and certified to lead wine education seminars, tastings and dinners specific to Champagne and Port.

The Wine Location Specialist Certificate Program is administered by The Center for Wine Orgins that was founded in 2005 by the growing regions of Champagne, France and Porto, Portugal. The Center represents the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the trade association that represents all the grape growers and houses of Champagne; and the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP), the trade association that represents all the grape growers and houses in Porto and the Douro Valley. The Center for Wine Origins was created to educate Americans about the importance of location when it comes to wine, and to gain greater protection of wine place names in the U.S.

Debbie joins 125 Wine Location Specialists across the globe that hold this designation.


About Debbie Gioquindo
Debbie Gioquindo, CSW, WLS, is also known as The Hudson Valley Wine Goddess. She is a wine blogger, educator, marketing and public relations professional. She became involved with the local wine industry in 2006 as a marketing consultant for the Shawangunk Wine Trail. That later led to becoming involved with the branding of Hudson Valley Wine Country. Wanting more in 2010 she sat for the Certified Specialist of Wine exam administered by the Society of Wine Educators.

After being downsized from her day job (because you need a day job, to provide for your wine passion) February 2011, she answered a tweet from @TheHappyBitch about creating a wine label. Three tweets and 6 months later Debbie along with Keryl Pesce launched Happy Bitch Wines.

Today Debbie consults with wineries and small business on marketing and public relations with an emphasis on emerging media as well as conducts wine education and tasting seminars. Debbie is also the chairperson of the Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition that is held every year at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Google+