2023 #NCWine Digital Media Summit Speakers

Brianna Burns: Expanding Our Digital Community

Wine and spirits expert Brianna Burns is a wine marketing specialist at the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and the executive director of the NC Wine and Grape Council. With a background in wine education, wine buying, and retail management, Brianna has worked in the wine industry for over 12 years helping others find their love of wine.

Brianna holds her Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the WSET, an award held by fewer than 11,000 people worldwide. She is passionate about helping to elevate the NC wine industry and educating consumers on finding their next favorite bottle.

Mary Montalvo: Wine Education for Influencers & Wineries

Yellymary ‘Mary’ Montalvo is the co-founder of North Carolina Wine Academy and Cava Wine Consulting.  She has also created the blog Wine Biz with Mary (Instagram & Facebook) and the podcast The Road to Wine. She is a successful wine entrepreneur that has turned her passion into a successful career. She is in the process of launching the digital course The Business of Wine to teach wine entrepreneurs how to start their wine business from the ground up applying her wealth of experience in the wine and hospitality industry. She has been featured in the Somm Journal and Edible Magazine highlighting her career and passion for wine education. 

Formerly, Mary owned Luisa’s Cellar for 10 years in Sanford, Florida where she proudly curated the extensive wine selection. She also owned and operated Vineyards of the World in Clermont, Florida, which was in business for 5 years until the location moved to Sanford.

She started visiting Asheville more than 10 years ago and fell in love with the people, wineries in the area, and the beautiful scenery. Once she got settled in, NCWA was born. Created from her passion to educate, Mary takes great pride in running the education programs along with creating fun and interactive course for her students. She facilitates the WSET Level 1/ Level 2, and the Spanish Wine Scholar Guild courses. 

“Life is too short not to enjoy wine, or to make it all snobbery and pomp,” Mary says. Making wine easy, fun, and educational for everyone certainly sparks joy for her. Mary is also a travel enthusiast, offering guided tours of the regions she loves, and she’s passionate about making wine easy, fun, and educational for everyone.

She is a proud geek, a Doctor Who fan, and loves superheroes. She is proficient in Spanish, English and German.