Julie Draper (Editorial Consultant)
My professional conversion to the wine industry dates back to early 2017, but I have been a wine enthusiast for most of my life. My earliest wine-related memory involved sneaking a sip of my dad’s Californian Zinfandel, only to have my 8 year-old palate assaulted by flavors akin to a pepper crusted smokehouse steak! Little did I know at the time that this moment of childhood fascination would come full circle many years later.
I may very well have pursued a career in wine much earlier had I not discovered my great affinity for languages in my early teenage years. Consequently, I left my home state of California at 19 to pursue my graduate degree in Switzerland, initially studying to be a translator/interpreter. Once out of college, I was fortunate to have the chance to combine my fondness for languages with my love of culture and travel, subsequently spending the better part of my career working in fine art in New York, Berlin and Geneva.
However, after a couple of decades of alternating between continents and two much-loved careers, wine was admittedly still very much in my thoughts, not to mention an omnipresent element in my life. For as long as I could remember, I had wanted to pursue this lifelong passion in a more official capacity, and, with the infinite support of my partner, I dove in wholeheartedly and headfirst, obtaining my WSET 2 & 3 at the EVS in Paris, followed by the FWS certification through the Wine Scholar Guild. Nowadays, I have the opportunity to apply my knowledge (and passion) to helping CellarTracker users with bulk imports and wine creation.
When I'm not happily buried in the wondrous world of CellarTracker, I can be found tasting for French wine magazines/guides, building something or exploring the vineyards of France with my partner and my dog.