Exclusive Wine Events and Speaking Engagements

The ability to engage and inspire an audience—to entertain them with style—is what sets Karen apart as a speaker. During Karen’s presentations, the audience learns about wine, but more importantly, they have a fantastic time doing it. Karen is one of the rare presenters who can talk about wine without ever being didactic or geeky.

During her career, Karen has given hundreds of speeches to groups large and small. These range from keynote speeches and presentations as part of meetings to TED-like talks.

Karen and her team at Karen MacNeil & Company also curate customized, exclusive wine events. The events can be large or small and can range in length from a day to a week. We specialize in providing insider access and creating one-of-a-kind wine experiences.

We sometimes work directly with the client, but also have collaborated with many of the top event companies in the United States. No one knows wines, wineries, and wine country better than Karen.

Please contact us so we can learn more about your group or event and suggest ways we can help make it successful.

Karen’s wine tastings and seminars are interactive, high-energy, fun, fascinating, and educational. They can be conducted in person or as live virtual events. Karen has engaged audiences from 5 to 500. Her clients have ranged from private individuals to Fortune 500 companies.

Please contact us to discuss your group and let us offer suggestions for an impactful, memorable tasting or seminar successful.

Here are some of the tasting topics Karen is known for:

What Makes Great Wine Great?

Drinking great wine is what we all aspire to. But how do you know if a wine is actually great? In this exciting tasting, Karen shares the eight attributes that all great wines around the world possess, with tastings to match.

The Inside Sensory Secrets to Wine Tasting

Karen teaches in an hour and a half the insider sensory secrets that all wine pros know. After this tasting event, participants will never taste wine the same way again.

Bordeaux and Napa Valley—The Two Greats: How Do They Compare?

The two great cabernet powerhouses are often compared. But would you know which was which if you tasted them blind? In this tasting event, we explore the sensational flavors that have made each region great.

The Business Person’s Guide to Wine

From how to decipher a wine list to how to get the most from a sommelier to the wine styles any business pro should know, a complete guide enabling business people to get up to speed on wine … fast.

Pinot Noir Around the World

Pinot noir, considered the holy grail of wine varieties, is one of the most entrancing types of wine any of us will ever experience. From its mysterious flavors to its sensual textures, this is a wine for hedonists. In this tasting, we explore pinots from all over the world.

Cabernet Sauvignon Around the World

Often called the king of grapes, cabernet sauvignon makes some of the most majestic, sought after, and expensive wines in the world. From Bordeaux to Napa Valley, Tuscany to Australia, and Spain to South Africa, we explore the world’s greatest cabernets to understand why they are so compelling.

The Champagne Challenge

Could you blind taste six wines with bubbles, then line those wines up from least expensive to most expensive? It’s fun to try! In this super exciting tasting, everyone gets in on the action and at the end, Karen explains why some Champagnes and sparkling wines cost 10 times more than others.

The Adventurous Palate

It’s very common: after years of tasting wine, we all find ourselves reaching for the same old wines we know. But the world of wine is huge and exciting. In this tasting event, Karen takes you through a blind tasting of exciting wines around the world. Get ready to have your palate expanded.