Canada

Carrie Rau

Carrie is an Indigenous lady, working as a wine educator, chef and sommelier in Canada. Her journey in wine began when, realising that the expenses of attending University would be beyond her reach, Carrie turned her energy towards the study of wine and gastronomy, her two greatest passions. A move to Toronto followed in 2010, so that she could enrol in the wine courses which could only be found in the biggest cities, offered by such groups as the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Scholarships for these were hard to come by, but Carrie’s hard work as both a freelance chef in a R&D test kitchen and as a part-time educator allowed her to successfully complete them. As she prepares for the Master of Wine examination through her Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship, Carrie feels that the organisational skills, the efficiency and the stamina which she has developed through her work and studies will stand her in very good stead. Carrie is of Indigenous heritage, of the Cree Band from Western Canada (Treaty No. 536), and throughout her career she has been inspired by her fellow Indigenous hospitality professionals, Elaine Chukan Brown and Tara Gomez being particular standouts. Carrie works extensively with two non-profit groups, Vinequity and Femmes du Vin, both of which aim to remove barriers by providing scholarships and financial access to wine education for People of Colour and Women in the industry, respectively. Carrie’s Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship will increase her visibility as a dynamic Indigenous woman working in the wine sector, which will surely help her with her desire to aid Indigneous winemakers in launching and building their brands in Canada.

“I am thrilled to have this once in a lifetime opportunity and the impact it will have on my community. I'm looking forward to..... being able to inspire other young, indigenous and hospitality folk to follow their dreams. I truly appreciate this honour - Thank you”