Linda grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and was aspiring to be a ballet dancer. Recurring injuries forced her to change her path and ever since then, she has been trying to figure out what she wants to do when she finally grows up. She was certified by the International Sommelier Guild in Vancouver (1999), and Advanced Level Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers (2001). Though she spectacularly failed her only attempt at the Master Sommelier Diploma (2005), she continues to train with and mentor peers who are preparing for exams or competitions.
With over 30 years of experience of service in 13 countries, Linda has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s greatest chefs, and some very fun beverage programs. Restaurants include Charlie Trotter’s (USA), Mugaritz (Spain), Geranium (Denmark), David Toutain (France), In de Wulf (Belgium), and a brief consulting stint with the luxurious Soneva properties in the Maldives and Thailand. Along the way, she has worked four harvests, worked a few grueling weeks at a sake brewery, staged at numerous restaurants, picked up (and lost) a few languages, and taught English as a second language. She has studied meditation, explores movement in all its forms, practices yoga, and teaches it to the broken bodies that work in the world of food and wine. During the pandemic, she has been offering trade and private tastings, online mobility classes through her consulting business, Grazing a Trail, and has been taking (a lot of!) courses and online seminars in yoga, movement, diversity in the wine business, and wine regions.