About Me
Hi, I am Trina Plamondon, the founder of Carpa Vino. I am many things. I am a wine consultant, importer & educator. I write about wine, food and culture from my home in Vancouver, BC. I hold a BeD in Special Education, I am a certified Project Management professional and at one time I even taught at the school for the deaf, fully fluent in American Sign Language. I love holding events and I am proud to have established the first night market in my home town.
I am keenly interested in equity, diversity, inclusion in the wine industry and participate in activities and events that support this aim. I have been the chair of many provincial and municipal boards that support vulnerable populations. I have taken decades of learning from these experiences and my disability career. I use this expertise and apply it to the wine world. My hope is to one day see a reflection of society in the wine world with all its beautiful colours, genders and abilities.
I am still finding my place. I know that small farm wineries share the same passion and drive as me. Their deep love of the climate, the process and the beautiful products produced and shared is why I fell in love with wine. They are risk takers, mavericks, people connected to the earth and others. While they are serious about their craft, they are filled with joy, laugh often, and take life as it comes. They are my people.
My motto in life is to “leave things better off than when I found them”. While wineries are becoming more sustainable in their production methods, ensuring wine packaging is eco-friendly, is a complex and daunting task. This is where I hope to leave things a bit better off than before, participating and supporting projects that support this goal.
I am always excited to share my passion of wine with others. I like to say “I help people discover the magic in wine!” I am a forever learner and have had the good fortune to have access to education. I hold professional certifications through WSET (Level 3 – Merit, Canadian Wine Scholar, Food & Wine Pairing), BC Wine Ambassador (Level 2), Champagne Certificate from Comitè, a Certified Project Manager Professional with a Degree in Special Education & TESOL.
I am currently completing my Diploma (Level 4) through WSET. I look forward to the journey and where it takes me.
“Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.”
Michael Broadbent