A SOMMELIER-OWNED STUDIO
Elevate your wine business, wine education, wine cellar management, or corporate events with our tailored strategies.
About | L'atelier du vin consults
Atelier: at-el-ier /æt.əlˈjeɪ/ n, Fr. - A workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer
Founder Hillary Cole is a sommelier, French Wine Scholar, and Napa Valley Wine Expert with memberships in several professional wine and appraisal organizations. She is an Air Force veteran who served 10 years in linguistics and counter-terrorism. After her intelligence career, she discovered that many of the elements that are essential for an effective intelligence product - topography, geography, geology, climate, history, religion, culture - are equally represented in wine.
Upon finishing her MBA studies, Hillary completed several wine certifications, her favorites among which include French Wine Scholar, Champagne Master, and Burgundy Master. Since 2014, she has worked in dual roles as General Manager and Wine Director in several Sacramento-area restaurant groups,. Her final restaurant position was Wine Director at one of Sacramento's perennial favorites, Ella Dining Room & Bar, where she procured and managed a Wine Spectator Award-winning wine list. This opportunity elevated her wine cellar management expertise to new heights.
Hillary started teaching wine classes to enthusiasts and professionals remotely in 2020, having successfully mentored several candidates through their sommelier exams already. In 2021, she established L'atelier du Vin Consults to expand her services to include more complex projects and corporate events.
She also returned to Napa Valley to work as Director of Sales for a boutique luxury winery, where she successfully led a project to establish a second label which won a national design award for packaging. The brand has enjoyed great commercial success since its launch in 2023.
In her personal life, Hillary enjoys traveling to European wine regions and cities, making sure her German Shepherd is properly spoiled, Pilates training, and studying foreign languages. Her favorite categories of wine include champagne and aged wines.
Who we serve
We offer tailored strategies to insurance companies, wine enthusiasts and novices, wine collectors, wine bars and restaurants, wine service staff and students, auction houses, and legal professionals. Services offered
Our mission
We are passionate about helping others achieve their objectives in the wine world and established L'atelier du Vin Consults in 2021 as a conduit to assist with projects of virtually any scope. Our mission is to provide tailored consulting services thoughtfully designed to meet the unique needs of each client from wine classes to corporate events and more.
Pay Your balance Online
Pay your balance here in USD with the link below. EUR, GBP, CHF and other currencies pay via WISE. ACH available on request. Physical checks not accepted. Venmo also available.