Autour du Vin

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Atlantic Business – The Water Cooler: Drink It In

St. John’s entrepreneur opens wine school for the masses

Tracey Dobbin insists people are trading in their beer mugs for wine glasses.

She may be right. Statistics from California-based Wine Institute show global wine consumption grew by 3.3 per cent from 2008 to 2011. That’s provided a business opportunity for the St. John’s native, who opened Autour du Vin this spring. Dobbin’s business is both a wine school and an agency specializing in wine tourism. But it isn’t based solely in Atlantic Canada; the head office is in one of the wine-making capitals of the world, Bordeaux, France.

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Testimonials

  • I learned so much from you throughout the course. I since have been asked to train as a junior sommelier at Raymonds. I'm super motivated to learn more and hopefully start level 4 in the new year! Thank you for…

    Megan McDonald
    Raymonds Restaurant - Halifax, Canada

  • Sitting in Switzerland by lake Geneva and sipping some local gamay, swirling and checking out red fruits and acidity :)) omg your class was soooo interesting and I am so impressed how knowledgeable you are! And inspiring!! You have a…

    Helga Natas
    Sovex Grands Chateaux - Export Manager -

  • Tracey's tutoring wine guided tastings are a combination of high standards and a practical, fun approach. The wines selected and tasted communicate her passion for discovering and presenting wines both for didactic reasons and for pleasure.

    Davide Agus
    Wine Consultant - Italy

  • I had the privilege of taking some private tasting sessions with Tracey over the course of a year.  Each tasting was themed to focus on a particular region, and each class began with a detailed introduction of the region and…

    Kaitlin Lanthier
    - London

  • Tracey is a passionate and knowledgeable teacher who does her uttermost to make sure everyone is involved and understands what she is talking about. Her extensive knowledge about wine makes her a trustable teacher

    Isabella Ankarberg
    Assistant Product Manager - Sweden

  • Tracey is the best teacher I have ever had. She is amazingly patient and she refuses to let go before she has found the proper way to explain to me the things I don't understand, using different metaphors, approaches and…

    Benedicte Helvershou
    Product Manager - Norway

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