My name is Sonja Ivanoff. I´m a Finnish freelance sommelier entrepreneur. Seventeen years ago my passion for wines brought me to work in a restaurant. Restaurant was the easiest and smartest place where I could learn about foreign gastronomy and wines.
As long as I can remember I have dreamed about travelling. I have always been an experience junkie who has always next trip in her mind and usually already booked. My desire to feel and experience the authentic life of different cultures through gastronomy and locals has been endless.
I am also a bit of a perfectionist. You have might have heard that there is a strong link between local food and wine. This fact and desire find perfect matches between food and wine, made me educate my self as a wine master or a sommelier. Do not mix this with Master of wine degree, that´s next level thing.
Magic in your hands
The most powerful and mind blowing thing about wines for me is in it´s bouquet, nose of the wine. The magic happens when you close your eyes and take the first sniff from the glass. That scent takes you to warm places with unique terroir that is now in your hands.
In an Albariño from Basque county you can still smell the fresh breezes from an Atlantic sea. You can also taste that saltiness and feel those minerals tingling your gums in your mouth. With about 15 to 20 euros and a trip to Alko, you can have that great feeling of holiday in northern Spain. I suggest to cook some octopus with it.
“Wine is an expression of Terroir.”
Wine is an expression of Terroir. Terroir is originally french word witch means soil and land. In the wine world we use it to subscribe everything that surrounds vine. Vine is surrounded by different types of soil, weather conditions, infrastructure, nature and it´s wild life and lets not forget the human touch. Farmers and wine maker have an huge impact and responsibility to take care of the vines and land. Only a healthy soil can produce quality vines, grapes and wines.
Every wine can be a journey to a unique place
For me good food can be an exotic daydream where you can travel as far as your imagine takes you. To experience such a delightful day dreaming, food and wine needs to have some authentic touch points.
Good Naples pizza and a glass of Chianti Classico can take you to Trattoria for a moment. Salty cured iberico ham and tapas board with a lovely Gran Reserva Cava brings me back to alleys of Barcelona. On a rainy September evening bold glass of Barolo and black Truffle pasta can save any ones day.
Over ten years I had an privilege to offer these wine flights to people, my clients in a restaurants. I organized many tastings and met many people behind these amazing wines. During my career I have always enjoyed most when I can make someone appreciate, understand and fell in love with the wine. I love making wine simple and easy. Wine is not fuzzy and it should not be too difficult. It`s made to enjoy.
Last year I decided its time to try my own wings as an entrepreneur. I started as a freelance sommelier and launched my web page called VIINITAR. Viinitar is a Finnish word that means a lady of wine or a wine goddess. I now organize wine tastings in a restaurants, all kinds of events and even private homes and of course also via Teams or Zoom if you are still too cozy in your own sofa and want to enjoy it safe.
If you want to take a wine flight with me and have a tasting that takes you to a wine trip, take a look at my home page. Leave your contact information and I´ll get back to you soon. Here is a link to my Finnish site, it will be soon in English too. You can also find me on social media like instagram.
Wow, congratulations on your business! I am a wine-lover also and career as a sommelier was one of my dreams also. I took some classes years ago, ,i.e. studied the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s “Exploring wines and spirits”, have you taken that course?
You tell your story so that it’s very compelling and inviting, thank you for that. Enology is not very trendy at the moment and I feel people don’t appreciate it enough, but maybe – with the help of foodies and traveling, this will change.
You just got a new follower in Instagram,I wish you all the best in your endevours!
Hi Maria, Great to meet a wine lover here too. I studied wines here in Turku in Viinimestari koulutus in Finnish, under Turku ammatti-instituutti. That is paind education that last aproximately 14 months. In general there is same information given that in international WSET courses but all together it is cheaper but more difficult to get in.
Thank you for commenting and following. Lets see how I manage to put this school a business together. Haha!