Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Gilliam.
Hi Autumn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started my business getting friends together to taste wine blind. We realized that our views on wine were pretty narrow. It was fun to get together with friends and try new things while being completely honest with what we thought of the wines. I took a deep dive and decided to educate myself more. Then the light bulb came on and I thought, “We can’t be the only ones that struggle to find new wines to try. How can I help people be more confident shopping for wine? How can I make wine fun and create curated experiences for people?” After thinking about the possibilities and that no one in Rochester, MN was doing this I decided to obtain advanced wine education certificates so that I could start a business where I would be fun and experiential wine education to people. I also wanted to make sure that the goal of my classes wasn’t to sell people the wine I had them taste. I would certainly help people if they would like to order the wines but the main goal is to try, identify what you like and more importantly what you don’t like, and learn a little bit along the way.
The Adventurous Sip was born and now I am teaching an average of 4 to 5 classes and private events per month. In Rochester, MN I have become a trusted resource when it comes to wine knowledge and recommendations.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been easy. At the start I felt a lot of imposter syndrome wondering if people would take me seriously. It was a slow process to build up to where I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Adventurous Sip is a wine education and tasting business based in Rochester, MN. I also travel all over the state teaching classes, hosting events, and providing curated experiences.
The Adventurous Sip teaches you all of the cool stuff about wine from history, geography, food pairing and more. When I put on an event the goal is to get you talking about and understanding what is in your glass. It is NOT to convince you to purchase a case of wine you may or may not like.
I specialize in ensuring that every class is different. I have taught over 200 classes and I have only repeated a handful of wines. I make sure that I am choosing wines that people will enjoy and using that as a vehicle to learn about history, geography and more.
I have also been a golf professional for over 25 years. A year ago I launched Sip, Swirl, Swing events where participants play a 9-hole scramble event and do blind wine tasting while they play. At the end when the teams turn in their score cards they also have to answer questions about the wines. There is a bonus for teams that answer the most questions correctly. These are very fun events where we take two things that can be intimidating (golf & wine) and blend them together for an afternoon or evening of fun!
I am most proud of the loyal guests that I have. I have people that come to lots of events every year because they know it will be different every time.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have to thank my friends for letting me test my concept out on them. There is a special group in particular that is known as HMC. Without this group of fabulous friends I would not have been able to get started. My Aunt Susan is the one that introduced me to French wine in France which is how I got hooked on wine in the first place. My family are my biggest supporters especially my husband who has to help out with holding down the fort while I am out doing all things wine.
Pricing:
- Private events start at $250 min. 6 guests
- Classes start at $25/person
- Consultation starts at $50/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theadventuroussip.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnwinechick/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventurousSip
