Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/123973
Jessica Altieri Wine Channel TV CEO connects with consumers through video and social media orn and raised in Chicago, 27-year-old Wine Channel TV Network founder and CEO Jessica Altieri had a lot to prove at a young age. As a high school basketball star, she received an NCAA scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Following her dream to become a sportswriter, she transferred to New York University and graduated with honors with a degree in broadcast journalism. While living in New York, Altieri interned with ABC and freelanced at MSNBC in Syracuse. In the years 98 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | that followed, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where she took part in an upscale culinary program; lived in Madrid; and eventually went to Africa, where she filmed a documentary on the Master Drummers of Ghana. After returning to New York City, Altieri's passion for food and wine bloomed. Aspiring to be the Rachael Ray for the younger generation, she and a resourceful friend with a video camera started documenting visits to her favorite restaurants and interviews with chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers. At that critical point, she realized that May - June 2013 BY CHRISTOPHER SAWYER there was a serious void to fill: There was a Food Network, there was a Travel Network, but there was no wine network equivalent. Inspired to change that, Altieri moved to California, enrolled in the Court of Master Sommeliers and earned her certificate. She began filming visits to restaurants and wineries in California with the aim of spreading the word about wine in a non-pretentious way, especially to younger adults. After establishing the two branches of the Wine Channel TV Network in 2009 – Wine Channel TV and Wine Channel TV Media w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m