For Industry Members

Lisa is an Advanced Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine, Wine Sales Representative for Regal Wine Company and Business of Wine Instructor at San Diego State University. 

Previously she was the Food & Beverage Manager of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, where Lisa was responsible for creating innovative seasonal beverage programs that encompassed wine, cocktails and beer, staff training, revenue generation and service standards for The Marine Room, The Shores Restaurant, La Jolla Shores Hotel Catering, and La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club Catering and Club Dining. Prior to moving to San Diego, she was General Manager at the renowned San Francisco Cypress Club. Lisa received a degree at the University of Wisconsin Stout in Hotel and Restaurant Management before she attended the Culinary Institute of America, graduated with honors with a degree in Culinary Arts. 

Lisa recognized the need for mentorship and wine education for women in the San Diego wine industry. in 2011, she organized and founded the Women’s Wine Alliance, a nonprofit organization and she continues to serve on its board of directors.

A lifelong veteran of restaurants, Certified Sommelier Tami Wong was the second San Diegan to be chosen by Wine & Spirits Magazine as one of the six Best New Sommeliers in 2014. She is a founding member of Nat Diego, San Diego’s first natural wine festival. As a board member of and contributor to CampestreMAG, she shares her love of the San Diego and Baja wine community. She serves as an Ambassador and member of the Education Committee for the San Diego County Vintners Association. Her “day job” finds her selling wine as a wholesale rep for Estate Wines Ltd, Wine Wise, Stehleon Vineyards, Vesper Vineyards and Charlie and Echo. 

Courtney Quinn is President of the Women’s Wine Alliance in San Diego. This nonprofit organization advances the education of women wine professionals through seminars, tastings, mentorships and scholarships in the San Diego community.

As part of her business, Path2Wine, LLC, she leads presentations and wine education seminars for consumers, corporations and within the industry. Courtney works with wineries from around the world on expanding their presence in the United States. Impressed by the local wineries, she is writing a book on the Wines of San Diego.  

Courtney's Path2Wine began after a decade in the nonprofit sector, when she left to attend the wine immersion program at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. She left Napa for Mendoza, Argentina and created the wine import company OWOC Wines. She holds the Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, both the Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Specialist in Spirits from the Society of Wine Educators and is a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist.