Hello! I’m Kristen.

I grew up in El Paso, Texas, where I fell in love with the Spanish language and the blend of cultures that shapes border-town life. Now I live in the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado, where I’ve spent the past 18 years teaching music and Spanish in public schools. These days, I work in the school counseling world, still very much a teacher at heart.

A few years ago, some of my dearest teacher friends and I read Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker, which inspired us to start a wine club built around monthly blind tasting themes. During the pandemic, I decided to pursue wine certifications through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and I was quickly hooked. It’s so easy to fall in love with wine; it tells a story, connects us to people and place, and teaches us to find and savor pleasure.

I completed WSET Level III in 2023 and became a French Wine Scholar in 2024. Since then, I’ve begun teaching WSET Levels I and II with the Wine Education Institute in Denver.

Wine is a creative pursuit for me. While my professional identity is rooted in education and counseling, my teaching life and wine life have started to overlap in meaningful ways. I bring my love of learning, connection, and community into the wine classroom, and into this newsletter.

In 2026, I’m exploring one wine region each month—place, grapes, and bottles worth seeking out—along with occasional snapshots from my weekly tasting group (Tuesday Night Blind).

Everything is free. Questions are always welcome.

Hit the subscribe button below, and let’s raise a glass together.

If you’re new here, welcome.
Here are a few pieces that offer a good sense of what Wine Notes is about.

• Your Wine Calendar for 2026
  A month-by-month guide to exploring French wine, one region at a time.

• January: Champagne Explained
  A clear, approachable introduction to Champagne—how it’s made, why it tastes the way it does, and how to enjoy it.

• February: Corsica — French Wine with an Italian Secret

  A guide to place, grapes and bottles from this mountain island.

• One Tomato Sauce & Three Red Wines
  An Alison Roman recipe paired three ways, with perspectives from wine critic Jeb Dunnuck, sommelier Jeremy Schwarz (Frasca, Boulder), and Italian wine specialist Max Koepke.

• 12 French Wines for the Holidays
  A practical, drinkable guide to celebratory bottles for the season.