Marnie Old

Sommelier and author Marnie Old is a breath of fresh air in the wine world. An engaging performer, talented artist and incisive writer, she is known for her intuitive explanations of complex wine topics and brilliant infographic visualizations. Marnie teaches about wine and beer around the country as an expert speaker and currently serves as director of vinlightenment for Boisset Collection, one of the top ten family-owned wine companies in the world. Marnie’s newest book is the second edition of Wine: A Tasting Course, an infographic crash course in wine which was first launched by DK in 2014 and has since revolutionized how wine is taught globally. Marnie is also the author of Passion for Wine, jointly written with one of the world's most charismatic vintners, Jean-Charles Boisset, and Wine Secrets, a collection of concise and practical wine advice for beginners, as shared by 40 of the world’s top winemakers, sommeliers, and experts. Her first book was He Said Beer, She Said Wine, an entertaining debate over which drink makes the better food partner co-authored with legendary beer guru Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Marnie pens a weekly wine column for the Philadelphia Inquirer and an education column in the trade magazine Beverage Dynamics. Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan’s esteemed French Culinary Institute, she also served as founding education chairperson for the American Sommelier Association. A pioneer of online video, Marnie's intuitive, plain-speaking tutorials have millions of views on YouTube's Wine Simplified channel. Formerly the beverage director for Philadelphia's Meal Ticket restaurant group, Marnie earned national attention for her beverage programs at Striped Bass, Rouge and Avenue B. Marnie has since designed beverage programs for restaurants, including Morimoto in Manhattan, appeared as a regular speaker at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO and advised one of the world’s largest retailers of wine and spirits, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.