Many women we’ve featured in Wine of the Week started on a different career path before ending up in the world of wine, but Jenelle Engelson—beverage director and lead sommelier at City Winery Nashville—is the first person who started as a Rockette.
Jenelle was a Radio City Rockette in New York City for 12 years, which allowed her to travel around the U.S. and internationally. But when she suffered an injury, it forced her to seek out a second career path. “It didn’t hurt that I had always taken a liking to wine,” she says.
Post-Rockettes, she began working at a boutique wine store in Los Angeles where she learned about wine. Later she started courses with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, where she received their advanced certification. She also studied with the Court of Master Sommeliers and has earned in a certified Sommelier pin.
Currently, Jenelle is working on her Advanced Sommelier pin while also running the beverage program at City Winery Nashville.
Read about Engelson’s Wine of the Week selection on groknation.com.