Sheri Sauter Morano, MW

Sheri began her formal wine education at the International Wine Center in New York City, where she later became an instructor. Sheri completed the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Intermediate Certificate in 1998 and the WSET Advanced Certificate in 1999. In October of 2000, she became one of the youngest Americans to complete the WSET Diploma (DWS) and the following year, passed the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam designed by the Society of Wine Educators to promote higher standards among wine educators in the United States. In November 2003, Sheri earned the esteemed title Master of Wine (MW) and became the youngest American woman to achieve the designation.

Sheri likes to joke that she is a jack-of-all-trades and a Master of one. With a background anchored in interdisciplinary studies, Sheri enjoys working in a variety of niches within the wine industry. In addition to her role with Chai Consulting, Sheri is a partner in Wine Ring, a consumer-focused wine technology platform and a consultant for Strategic Insights, Inc., a marketing research firm. In 2012, she founded the Triangle Wine School in order to offer the WSET certifications to wine lovers and trade professionals in North Carolina. In addition to her consulting work, Sheri writes for several publications and serves as a judge at a variety of wine competitions around the world, including the International Wine Challenge where she is a panel chair. Sheri has been featured in a number of magazines and on television and radio shows around the country.

Sheri will bring her deep educational background, aimed specifically towards wine fraud issues, as well as her publication chops to provide our members invaluable content.