What Happens When a Sommelier Loses Her Vision? w/ Amy Yancey (Part 1)

Ep 170At 32 years old, Amy Yancey was told it might be time to retire because she was losing her sight. She wasn't ready to walk away from wine.After more than a decade in the wine industry, Amy's retinitis pigmentosa had progressed to the point where working safely on a restaurant floor was no longer possible. But instead of leaving the industry she loved, the Certified Sommelier began figuring out how to build a wine career that could evolve alongside her vision loss.In this episode, Amy shares how her vision loss changed the way she experiences and evaluates wine, what tasting without relying on sight can reveal about our own biases, and why black wine glasses can completely change the tasting experience. She also shares how she created Pocket Somm, built unconventional partnerships that allowed her to stay in the industry, and turned her expertise into private tastings, wine retail, and a subscription wine club.You'll also hear about some of Amy's favorite lesser-known wines, her love of grower Champagne, and why she gravitates toward thoughtfully farmed wines that allow you to taste the grape and the place it came from.Connect with Amy:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocketsommgvl/Website: https://www.pocketsommgvl.com/Use code CORKFIZZ for $15 off your first order when you sign up for the subscription wine club! https://shop-pocket-somm.myshopify.com/Episode Highlights:Building a wine career after vision lossHow sight influences the way we taste wineRemoving bias with black wine glass tastingsCreating Pocket Somm and a new career pathHow wine education helped Amy adapt her tasting Discovering lesser-known wines and grape varietiesWhy thoughtfully farmed wines stand outAmy’s love of grower ChampagneWhat did you think of the episode? Text me!Support the showDon't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!  - https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide Connect with me:Cork and Fizz - https://www.corkandfizz.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corkandfizz/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corkandfizz/Email - [email protected] production and management by Liz Chapman