Meet Arielle DeSoucey | Wine Director & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arielle DeSoucey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arielle, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned by working in the wine business is to stay humble. There are literally thousands of grape growers, winemakers, grape varieties and styles of wine that there is always something for me to learn. Over the years, I have achieved multiple wine certifications to increase my personal awareness of market trends, evolving wine styles, and to augment my own wine acumen, yet I never want to appear as if I know everything. No one can know everything about wine, simply because the breadth and span of wine encompasses nearly every aspect of society. Yet by remaining humble, asking questions, and remaining curious, I feel as if my wine world is ever expanding, making myself a trustworthy, honest resource for my customers.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently the Wine Director for locally owned Tucson businesses, Tap & Bottle, Tap & Bottle North, and Westbound. I have worked in wine and hospitality since 2008, making the transition from a NYC-based career in corporate hotel sales to full time wine buyer first in Raleigh, NC, and presently in Tucson, AZ. I am currently a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators and have an Advanced Certificate with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.

Prior to moving to Tucson in 2021, I was living as an Expat in South Moravia, in the Czech Republic. It was here, over the course of three years, that I developed my own brand, Civil Wines. My mission for Civil Wines was initially to increase awareness and visibility regarding wines of the Czech Republic, while engaging the local English speaking community by hosting events and tastings. Today, I use Civil Wines as a platform to create fun content, connecting my customers with incredible, value-driven wine, and as a marketing tool for wine tasting events, wine classes, and new products that we have on our shelves. It is a fabulous communication and marketing tool, allowing customers to gain a sense of trust through my unique content creation.

My work in the Czech Republic was the most challenging career step in my life. Not only was I launching a brand entirely on my own, I was doing it in a country where English was not the primary spoken language. This language barrier was an obstacle at first, but my perseverance, drive, and curiosity allowed me to enter into the world of Czech wine as a foreigner. I was invited to speak on behalf of the country’s wine industry, I interviewed countless winemakers, I judged in multiple international wine competitions, and I was published in Europe Now Journal, Council for European Studies.

Simply living in a foreign country during Covid was a challenge all onto itself. The Covid restrictions had locked down movement across borders, severely limiting my travel to wine destinations. However despite these obstacles, I persevered, establishing virtual, interactive wine tasting programs that introduced the world to Czech wine.

Looking back, the challenge of creating something that was entirely my own, allowed me to expand my knowledge and self confidence. I’ve learned that developing anything on your own or with a team takes patience, and setting personal goals helped me to stay on track towards what I wanted to achieve.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area, we would first head to Arizona wine country, including Patagonia and the AVA’s of Willcox and Sonoita! We would head to some of my favorite wineries, including Callaghan Winery, Dos Cabezas, Los Milics, Rune, Bodega Pierce, and Queen of Cups for wine tastings. Since these areas are relatively close to home, we would day trip to the wineries and enjoy Tucson at night! Some of my favorite wine bars here in Tucson include Revel Wine Bar, Sand Reckoner’s Tasting Room, and the Arizona Wine Collective. I’d also organize a tour of the Del Bac Distillery to show how locally made whiskeys are crafted here in the desert.

While in Tucson, you have to enjoy Mexican food! We would definitely head out to my two favorite spots-Taqueria Juanitos and La Indita, followed by locally brewed beers at Pueblo Vida, Crooked Tooth, and Moto Sonora.

Some of the most interesting food here in Tucson is the span of ethnic food, including Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and Korean foods. For Ethiopian, Zemam’s Too and Cafe Desta are my usual spots.

I always enjoy heading to Contigo, near the Westin La Paloma, for the incredible views and delicious Spanish inspired food and wine!

Some of the most exciting things to check out in the evenings are the local music events, including the DJ group, Last Night’s Makeup Party, and local bands, like Birds and Arrows, Febbo Fuentes. Hotel Congress and the Rialto always have fantastic live music so the evenings would most likely end up there!

Although just on the outskirts of Tucson, a trip would not be the same without a visit to the Mission San Xavier Del Bac and Madera Canyon for hiking!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout WSET, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. This is the organization with whom I was awarded my first Wine Certificates. Based out of London, the WSET programs are now offered worldwide, with schools and online programs available to anyone in the trade. WSET continues to be a reliable source of knowledge and inspiration for me throughout my wine career. The programs are challenging and complex, offering a gateway to anyone who is interested in learning about wine and the wine business.

Website: www.civilwines.com

Instagram: @civilwines

Image Credits
All photos are my own.