Teachers & Staff – Boston Wine School

Jonathon Alsop

Jonathon Alsop is founder & executive director of the Boston Wine School and author of The Wine Lover’s Devotional: 365 Days of Knowledge, Advice & Lore for the Ardent Aficionado published by Quarry Books. Jonathon started life as a wine writer covering wine, food & travel in 1988. He is author of the wine column In Vino Veritas by Jonathon Alsop as well as many articles for the Associated Press, Frequent Flyer, La Vie Claire, Beverage Business Magazine, Mobil Travel Guides, Fodor’s Travel Guides, Boston Globe, and many others. He founded the Boston Wine School in 2000.

Erika Frey, CSS | CWE | DWS | FWS | BWSEd

Erika’s love of travel, language, culture and science naturally led her to a passion for wine. She enjoys learning about the constantly evolving world of wine and sharing her knowledge with students of all kinds. Her studies have earned her a Certificate in Wine Studies from Boston University and a Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Erika is also a French Wine Scholar, California Wine Appellation Specialist and a Certified Specialist in both Wine and Spirits. Lately, Erika has been learning more about the Craft Beer and Craft Spirits movements, and she looks forward to working more Beer and Spirits classes into the Boston Wine School curriculum.

Rosalind Angoff, FWS | BWSEd

Soon after graduating from college Roz took her first wine classes, beginning a lifelong passion for learning about wine. In 2006, after leaving a high tech sales career, she began to study wine more intensively. She completed the Elizabeth Bishop Wine Studies Program at Boston University, which culminated in harvesting grapes and making wine at a Tuscan vineyard. She also attended the OIV Marketing program at the University of California at Davis. Her wine travels often take her to the wine growing regions of the US and Europe. Roz is a member of the Boston Sommelier Society where she serves as a director, a member of the Society of Wine Educators and of the French Wine Society. Through the French Wine Society she has studied for the designation of French Wine Scholar and master levels of Bordeaux , the Rhone and Alsace. Currently, Roz is teaching the French Wine Scholar program at A Grape Affair in Portsmouth, NH, has served as an adjunct instructor at Southern New Hampshire University Hospitality School. Roz teaches at the Boston Wine School and is a Wine Ambassador with City Wine Tours in Boston. In addition, Roz conducts many private and corporate wine tastings and education events demystifying wine for consumers.

Adam Centamore | BWSEd

Adam is a professional wine and cheese educator with experience in cheese mongering, food and wine review writing, and food photography. He is a graduate of the Elizabeth Bishop program at Boston University, where he is completing his Master’s degree in gastronomy. He is a member of the French Wine Society, Society of Wine Educators, and is the Maitre du Fromage for Boston’s chapter of Les Chevaliers du Tastevin, a Burgundian wine society. Adam loves to eat, drink, and talk about it!

Beth LeDuc, CSW | IWS | BWSEd

Beth is a born and bred Bostonian who began her life in wine at an early age. At 18 she began working at the Winecellar of Silene in Waltham where she acquired an interest in craft beers and from there wine education quickly ensued. After graduating from Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts (and after a bit of backpacking) she came home to live her life as a fine artist. As most struggling artists do, Beth continued her life in retail and expanded into special events and hospitality. In 2011 she passed the introductory Sommelier exam. In 2012 she completed her Certification as a Wine Specialist and in 2014 obtained the Italian Wine Specialist certification. Today she can be found conducting private tastings, working in her studio, conducting classes at the Boston Wine School and occasionally can be spotted lending a hand to the folks over at Winestone in Chestnut Hill. When not immersed in wine education (others as well as her own), or her art Beth spends her time with her friends and family, and plays outside as much as she possibly can.

Jen Murray, CSW | DWS | BWSEd

After working as a social worker for many years, Jen realized that her true passion was food and wine. She is a graduate of the Professional Chef’s Program at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts (2002), has completed her Diploma Certification through the London based Wine Spirit & Education Trust (WSET) and is a graduate of the Elizabeth Bishop wine program at Boston University. She has also attained the title of Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators. Jen began as a personal chef and caterer when she created The Urban Chef, Inc. in 2003. Besides cooking for various clients in their homes she began to prepare food for commercial shoots for organizations such as Talbot’s, Comcast, Boston Market and Hood, and has had the opportunity to work with celebrities such as Tom Brady and Hilary Duff. She has traveled extensively and has taken a number of classes throughout Italy in order to supplement her knowledge and appreciation of the world’s various wines and cuisines. Jen continues to cater events and teach in home culinary and wine classes. She has also worked at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts since 2003, teaching such classes as Wines of Italy, Wine Basics, Everyday Dinners and Cooking Couples Wine and Dine.

Becky Reinhold | BWSEd

Becky is perhaps the truest pure teacher here at the Wine School. She applies her Masters in Language & Literacy to wine literacy, and the language of wine. For her, it is all about the teaching and learning, something that has to happen no matter what the wine. Becky spent 10+ years in the food and beverage industry before entering education, and she has studied at BU’s gastronomy program.

Marc Soucy, CSW | FWS | BWSEd

Marc’s keen interest in wine began as the food and restaurant scene in Boston was really starting to explode, in the 1990s. After studying wine and attended many tastings, listening and learning as he went, it was only a matter of time before it would get more serious. Since then, Marc has earned the French Wine Scholar (with Honors) certification from the French Wine Society, and is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators. Marc is a wine consultant with a major wine retailer, and has been blogging and writing about wine for several years.

Yi Ya | BWSEd

Yi Ya is a wine educator and sales & marketing representative for Boston Wine School China. She is also director of market research at the wine importer Trento, LLC and the founder of Chongqingmei.com. Yi Ya holds WSET and Boston University wine certificates and Boston Wine School teaching certification. She is a true lover of travel, fashion, culture, food, wine and education. She studied, lived and traveled in different parts of the world, but her love of her home country, China is never far away from her. She created chongqingmei.com to share her journey of wine and fashion with people she loves. She speaks fluent English and Chinese and conversational Italian, Japanese, and Cantonese.

Adjunct Educators