Kristine Miller of Bon Somm Global Wine & Cheese Boutique
For this 200th milestone episode, I would like to thank all my guests over the past nearly 11 years. Your stories full of guts, passion, vision and determination have been truly inspirational. I would also like to thank my sponsors: Ellensburg Community Radio, Blind Renaissance, Ellensburg Travel, Northwest Portal, Canyon River Ranch, Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center, and Inn at Horse Heaven. Without your support, Lines on Wines would not be possible.
When Kristine Miller was studying Organizational Leadership and Political Science at Central Washington University in the early 2000s, she never imagined a career in wine and hospitality. It was a junior-year internship at Disney and a particular bottle of white wine that ultimately changed her career trajectory. The internship involved her working in a premier restaurant with an award-winning wine list. She became so obsessed with wine and hospitality that, after graduating from Central, she took a job at a Disney restaurant and eventually did a management internship at Disney’s upscale Victoria and Albert’s Restaurant. It wasn’t long before Kristine became a certified sommelier and wine specialist, a wine educator, and a certified specialist in hospitality.
Kristine has shaped wine programs at multiple premier restaurants, including the renown Inn at Little Washington, has helped others open wine shops, and has taught dozens of hospitality, culinary, and wine classes at several universities. But it was her extensive experience in Europe, particularly at cozy enotecas, that provided her with a model for the type of business she wanted to open, once she found just the right spot. That spot turned out to be downtown Ellensburg, WA, and the business is Bon Somm Global Wine and Cheese Boutique. Bon Somm is a destination place offering carefully selected wines and cheeses from around the world. Visitors are meant to linger and learn, as they indulge in unique and creative tastings that change every two weeks. Your palate can travel the world right here in Ellensburg, and in this interview as well.
Listen to the Interview: