I turned my three passions into a business to help you become a better wine taster. 

Hi,

I am Isabelle Lesschaeve, the founder of InnoVinum Academy and Principal of InnoVinum LLC.

I am lucky to have had a fulfilling career. First as a sensory scientist, a University professor, a coach, and a consultant to wineries.

I traveled on every continent and lived in 3 countries. But first, I am a wine lover. InnoVinum Academy allows me to combine my passion for sensory science, education, and wine. 

My mission: To demystify wine tasting rituals.

Why?  Because I want you to trust your senses and be confident when you taste and describe wine.

Here is my story.

Wine has always been part of my life. 

I grew up in France, in one of the most famous wine regions, Champagne.
Although my parents weren't vignerons, I don't recall one family event without sparkling wine served as an "aperitif." Not the fancy ones, but the wines we bought from small local producers we knew. That may explain why I love so much bubblies.

I can't remember this anecdote. My mom told me that my grandma Pauline put a small drop of Champagne on my baby lips after my christening ceremony. This first taste might have triggered my passion for wine. Who knows!

Learning about wine doesn't need to be that complicated.

I started working in the wine industry 20 years ago.

Professionals then were tasting wine in such a way that was against all the principles I learned at school. In particular, what I learned during my academic and practical training to become a tasting panel leader. Every wine tasting I attended was biased in one way or another.

I also became annoyed by the snobbism and elitism that seemed to characterize the American wine world. I didn't understand why people had to take classes to learn how to appreciate wine. Now I realize that in Europe if you grew up in a wine-producing country, food and wine are part of your culture. It was not the case in North America 20+ years ago.

That's why I started to educate my colleagues and friends on how to taste wine using unbiased practices. This hobby became a passion of mine and turned into a side business.

Until 2019. 

When my passion turned into a full-time business

Dr. Ann Noble, the famous Wine Aroma Wheel creator, sold me her company when she retired. I took over the wholesales and e-commerce activities. My days became longer and my weekends shorter. The workload increased and I was still working full-time elsewhere.

 I finally made the giant leap in November 2020. My employer was going through some structural changes. It was a sign that I needed to commit full-time to InnoVinum Academy.

Since then, I launched a unique program to teach wine lovers wine aroma description.
You can find out more here.

I continue to publish Wine Tasting Tips to demystify wine tasting one article at a time.
Please read my latest article.

To know more about my career, I recommend checking my LinkedIn profile here.

Getting a bit personal

 I live in Atlanta, GA, with my husband Patrick and my Cocker Spaniel Levi.    

I don't have a particular hobby. But I discovered the mental and physical benefits of yoga seven years ago. I practice for 30 min every day if I can. I have started applying the principles of being present in my wine tasting teaching. It helps a lot to be mindful and focused on analyzing aromas and tastes.

 I used to dance Zumba pre-pandemic and haven't managed to reintroduce this practice in my daily activities. I know I should, it's so much fun.  

I am an avid reader, reading every evening before going to bed. I borrow novels from the local library that I download on my kindle. I also love watching PBS shows, Masterpiece, the very British drama series, or Nature. These are good mental breaks.

I would love to work with you and help you achieve your goals.
Let me know how I can help you. Click on this link to do so.

Cheers!