Intermediate Wine Tasting with Alicia Barrett

What makes a wine taste the way it does — the grape, or the place it’s grown?

Join Alicia Barrett for an interactive tasting that explores one of wine’s most fascinating questions through a guided comparison of six wines made from the same grape varieties, grown in different regions around the world.

Through three curated pairs, we’ll taste wines side-by-side to uncover how climate, soil, and winemaking traditions shape what ends up in your glass. From Old World classics to New World expressions, this seminar will help you understand how the same grape can produce dramatically different wines.

This intermediate tasting is aimed at those with some knowledge of wine who are looking to improve their tasting skills.

Guests will enjoy a complimentary welcome cocktail followed by a seated tasting experience.

Doors at 6:00 pm for a welcome cocktail. Tasting at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave. Tickets are non-refundable after Wednesday, May 13.

About the Sommelière

Alicia Barrett is driven by a passion for crafting exceptional experiences through thoughtful, immersive wine education. With a background that bridges hospitality, retail, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a unique blend of business acumen and teaching expertise to the wine world.

Her journey began with a transformative trip to Burgundy that sparked a lifelong passion for wine and inspired her to pursue formal training at the global headquarters of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in London. After returning to the United States, Alicia worked as a sommelier at the InterContinental Hotel Chicago and in fine wine retail while earning her WSET Diploma in 2020, a distinction held by just over 10,000 individuals worldwide.

As Head of Wine Education for Binny’s Beverage Depot, the Midwest’s largest wine and spirits retailer, Alicia spent six years developing one of the country’s most comprehensive retail wine education programs. She trained nearly 2,000 employees across 45 stores, elevating product knowledge, service standards, and sales performance across the company. Alicia also served as a WSET Instructor for the American Wine School. Her work has taken her around the world, collaborating with winemakers and trade professionals to design engaging, accessible, and commercially relevant wine education experiences. 

Presently, she is the Chicago-based educator for the U.S. Champagne Bureau training sommeliers, trade professionals and hospitality students at DePaul University on behalf of the region. She has founded her own company, Wine Connection, which specializes in bespoke wine tastings for corporate and non-profit clients.

Getting Here

The Alliance Française de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Avenue. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Avenue. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

Parking Information

$12 for 12 hours at InterPark at 100 W Chestnut St. Validation is available at reception.

Photography Notice

Please be advised that students, members, and attendees at cultural events or programs may be photographed, and these images may be used for marketing purposes.