About Us...
Meet Brigid your course coordinator......
Brigid O’Hora is a WSET (hdip) trained sommelier who has worked for many years in the operational and sales side of the wine industry, including front of house in Shanahan’s, L'Ecrivain, and as a Sommelier in Dromoland Castle and Locks. During this time her passion was always for the educational aspect of wine; and she really caught the bug for teaching during a year lecturing on wine at Cathal Brugha St DIT (now TU Dublin).
The small matter of having triplets in 2006 saw Brigid take a career break, during which time she completed her MSc in Hospitality Management. By 2020 she was ready to re-enter wine education- just in time to embrace the new opportunities for online learning that this strange and challenging year brought.
In September 2020 Brigid launched Virtual Vineyards. This is an online wine tasting events business. Incorporating wine classes, tastings and events. As the world has opened back up Virtual Vineyards is also operating on an ‘in person’ event basis. These events consist of 6 Week Wine Appreciation courses, Wine Tasting team building events, and Restaurant and Bar Staff Training. With the benefit of Brigid’s master’s in hospitality management and HDip in WSET Wine and Spirits, she is in a qualified position to independently upskill hospitality professionals in both wine and service in the wake of the reopening of the industry.
Her latest venture is an online downloadable wine course. This course is ideal for those looking to learn a little more, in an engaging and bite-size video format. The benefit of a course like this, is you can do this in your own time, from the comfort of your own home. It is compiled of videos, interactive tutorials, quizzes, food and wine pairing recipes and educator support.
Brigid, in all her courses, explains all things wine and gives users the confidence to expand beyond their usual wine choices. Her engaging and interactive delivery keeps her audience entertained and takes the stuffiness that can sometimes be associated with the wine industry. Not to mention her years of experience working as head sommelier in some of Ireland's top restaurants along with lecturing in wine studies at Technological University Dublin.