Began working in the Okanagan wine industry as a tasting room associate summer position in university while I completed my geology degree. After several years working in my chosen career, happenstance brought me back to the wine industry in 2018 when I opted to take a few viticulture courses at the local college. Have been working in viticulture ever since.

I am Cindy Azua Vasquez, a 31 year old Chilean woman, born and raised in Quebec. I travel the world throughout the year to support my personal winemaking project in Itata. I discovered my passion for everything that surround wine and I developed a love for amphorae and skin contact whites throughout four vintages in Panteleria with Jacopo Bianchi. I have been working in Itata since 2019. In 2020 I started my own project and since then have been working with same grape growers. I am looking forward to having my own small vineyard one day. Additionally, I have worked in Canada, Austria, Slovakia, Peru and northern Chile. My relationship to each process is of utmost respect and intimacy. I am learning and practicing bio-dynamic agriculture, focusing on regenerative, permaculture, and biodiversity approaches through respect and connection with mother earth. I am constantly looking forward to improving my knowledge and skills to contribute to a healthier future

I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for over. decade and am not dedicating myself to learning more about wine.

Dede comes from a family in the food industry, their mother worked in production and manufacturing health and safety and their elder brother was a chef for nearly a decade. Born and raised in Vancouver, they moved to Toronto in 2014 and knew that restaurants would be a sufficient first job experience in the big city. After graduating from the University of Toronto majoring Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity as well as Literature and Critical Theory equipped them to analyze the world and the people within it.

This is the main drive for their interest in wine and viniculture. Centuries of history encompassing comraderie, violence, commerce, joy and politics are within wine.

I started my wine journey back in India, once I moved to Canada I started working in retail made my way to Junior Sommelier at a Golf Club in Toronto.

Black hospitality professional, aiming to connect with other POC professionals and strengthen the unity of marginalized communities in our industry. I've completed WSET2 and CMS1, currently studying for CMS2 and WSET3.

Sommelier at Bar Gobo. WSET Level 3.

To All my Fellow Melanated Canadians @ Vinequity,

Happy Black History Month!

To show my appreciation to how proud I am to be Melanated Canadian, I advocate for the cause to not only support our community, but to plan, build and protect families within the community.
.
I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on the initiative.

~ Natalya Bailey

P.S - i would like to start a wine line and would like to be further educated on how to do that, please and thank you!