The Faculty

Kirsten Fox, Headmistress

Growing up in La Jolla, California, Kirsten Henry Fox (below left) began her wine education watching her mom and dad enjoy wine with dinner. She moved to Park City, Utah, and began working in corporate group sales at Deer Valley Resort in 1998. She didn't really catch the wine bug until in 2004 when her sister, Sara Ann Henry, opened the Art of Wine in Park City, Utah, where they both lived. In order to bring wine lovers regularly into her retail store, Sara began offering short, fact-filled classes with tastes of five, reasonably-priced wines. With a background in public speaking, Kirsten saw the opportunity to learn a bit more about wines while helping Sara as a substitute teacher. Pow!

The earth, family wineries, grapes, history... Kirsten fell in love with the subject of wine. In 2008, Sara moved to Napa Valley, and Kirsten was left without a venue to continue tasting and learning. So she opened Fox School of Wine in October 2008, passed the Society of Wine Educators' Certified Specialist of Wine exam in April 2009, joined the American Association of Wine Economists in 2010, passed the Level 1 Sommelier exam by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2011, published her first book in January 2012, and is offering the same class format, this time with the possibility of detention for bad students. 

Jack Chase, Professor

Jack Chase is a Wine Educator from Salt Lake City. Born in Los Angeles,California, but essentially raised in Utah. Jack's passion truly is wine and food and would love to give a recommendation for a great local restaurant. He has also been a Percussion Educator for the last twenty years. Jack received his wine education from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California. He currently works with Phoenix Wine and Spirits as a Wine Broker. He enjoys Barolo wines, especially the Elvio Cogno Barolo from Piedmont.

Daniel Ramirez, Professor

Daniel grew up in gorgeous locations like Cancun, Acapulco and Ixtapa, as his father was in the hospitality industry. He began his own career in restaurants in Mazatlan when he was 16. He soon moved into the resort world and began studying wine at Pueblo Bonito at Emerald Bay. There, he was promoted to wine steward and Sommelier. He was part of the opening team at three-diamond Fellini's in Cabo San Lucas. He moved to Utah in 2007 where he is a restaurant manager, wine educator and father to his beautiful little girl Aubrey.

Mike Szczesny, Professor

Mike Szczesny has been a student of many things, but wine has been the subject that has most completely and enduringly captured his attention. After being introduced to wine while studying abroad in Europe, he became fascinated by the many forms wine could take in the many places it is produced. After several careers, Mike returned to work in the hospitality industry and found that introducing people to new adventures in wine is one of the most enjoyable things a person could get paid to do. He now does that full time, working for a wine brokerage firm by day and teaching wine classes by night. Mike has passed the Certified Sommelier (Level 2) examination from the Court of Master Sommeliers and has also earned the Certified Specialist of Wine designation from the Society of Wine Educators. When not talking about wine, he can be found on a bike or on his skis.

Joey Lopaka, Professor

Joey Lopaka grew up the grandson of a pioneering hotellier in Hawai'i, and while living in hotels didn't expose him to cooking or cleaning, it did expose him to the finer things in life. Sips of wine here and there were "ok" for a child in the 70s, and Joey's affection for his family's beverage of choice was roused early on. After brief careers in sports and music, Joey committed himself to learning all things alcohol, earning certifications from the American Sommelier Association and the Court of Master Sommeliers. His wanderlust has kept him moving all over the country and beyond,  leading him to stints in Seattle, the Hamptons, Dublin, Stowe, Orlando, Aspen, and now Park City, where he heads the wine program at The Farm at Canyons. 

Pamela Wood, Professor

Living in Midway, Utah, Pamela Wood enjoys the outdoors, from golf, hiking, camping, and skiing to travel. Her passions are travel, wine, and enjoying time with her husband, not necessarily in that order. She was certified a Sommelier in the summer of 2011 by the International Wine Guild. Pamela works at both Deer Valley Resort and Glenwild Golf Club and Spa, covering two of her passions. In the summer months Pamela has a craft and home decor business "Touch of the Tropics" and you may have seen her booth at the Park Silly Sunday Markets.

David Olson, Professor

While growing up as the youngest of five children in a military family, change and adaptation were a way of life for David Olson. As a Culinary Institute of America trained chef, certified sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, food photographer, cookbook author, culinary instructor in Avignon, France, and being published in Gourmet magazine, one might think you would find him hard at work in a restaurant kitchen everyday. But, his lifelong love of the water and outdoors have propelled him down different avenues, including being an underwater cameraman for shark documentaries. Wine is a passion that runs throughout his life.

Nicole Agin Breza, Teacher's Assistant

A transplant from Central Michigan, Nicole Agin Breza has always been more of a beer drinker. After starting classes with Fox School of Wine, Nicole has branched out and can now help friends as they search for wines they might like. She enjoys talking to students to help them plan fun evenings in Park City! 

Cindy Bopes, Teacher's Assistant

Cindy and her family have called Park City home for close to 20 years. Having hiking, snowshoeing and running trails right outside her door makes Park City her ideal place to live. Aside from being a pleasure to consume, Cindy has enjoyed the new experience of learning about the individual components that go into making a great wine... dirt, climate, grapes, crush, barrels, fermentation time and talent. She loves the fascinating combination of science and art, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with students each week. 

Lauren Boyer, Teacher's Assistant

Lauren grew up in Park City before transplanting herself to the East Coast. Her passion for wine stems from her love of food - and that is where her life-long journey with wine began. The continual learning of new vintages, new blends of varietals and new approaches to winemaking, fuels her never-ending curiosity. Being able to couple that with outstanding food and sharing with friends is what she lives for.