About Fox School of Wine

We are committed to fun wine education for all with no student left behind.

A private wine school in the beautiful mountains of Northern Utah.

Created in 2008, Fox School of Wine is the leader in public wine classes, corporate wine-related events, and group tours focusing on history with a side of wine in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. The team has many sommeliers and wine educators, a sake specialist, and support staff members who work for wine (not really, but kind of…). At the core of everything Fox School of Wine does is commit to being entertaining, offering tasty wines and foods, and sharing valuable, memorable experiences and education.

We believe that whether or not folks drink wine, everyone can benefit from a fun experience laughing with friends, family or co-workers. Our Recess on Main classes are a perfect fit for locals and visitors to have a pre-dinner, engaging wine experience in a casual setting. Non-drinkers are welcome to join and sit with their friends. Our private, group tours focus on the history of the area, with a wine or whiskey paired to each stop. Non-drinkers enjoy the same history and experience, along with any food pairings, so they are welcome to join. And the large, wine events we design for our clients follow the same pattern: fun, tasting, discovery.

Check our upcoming schedule of classes

Kirsten Henry Fox, Headmistress

Growing up in La Jolla, California, Kirsten Henry Fox began her wine education watching her mom and dad enjoy wine with dinner. She didn't really catch the wine bug until in 2004 when her older two kids hit their teenage years, (not a coincidence.) Buttery, oaky Chardonnay was her gateway wine.

As she drank and studied the wines she liked, she discovered more about the earth, family wineries, grapes, history, and more... Kirsten fell in love with the subject of wine. With a background in public speaking, she opened Fox School of Wine in October 2008, passed the Society of Wine Educators' Certified Specialist of Wine exam in April 2009, passed the Level 1 Sommelier exam by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2011, published her first wine book in January 2012, (The Profitable Wine List: Three Steps to Easily and Quickly Increase Wine Sales) and became a Certified Executive Sommelier in 2014.

Now she sobers up on the weekends...

Learn More

Some of Kirsten's Other Wine Work

Twisted Cork Radio

Who thought it would be a good idea to get two wine school owners together to drink and share stories? A guy named Patrick and we hope his job is safe after allowing us in the studio. Taping started at the beginning of September 2018 and the craziness continued through December of 2019. Miss Fox was proud of the first taping as body parts were only mentioned once and no one swore.

Click here to listen to a few of the remaining podcast recordings of Twisted Cork Radio.

Huffington Post

Kirsten Fox is an executive sommelier, entrepreneur, and mother who brings a unique perspective to pairing wines with life. As life's movie rolls, from restaurants, to laundry, to waxing, to cancer, her first question is always, "What wine would I pair with this?..." Grab a glass and laugh with Kirsten.

See Kirsten's work on Huff Post

Local experts who love to entertain and drink wine

Our wine professors are deeply committed to their students. Learn more about them below.

Professors

Pamela Wood, Professor

A love of travel, different cultures, world history and wine, is what led Pamela to pursue her passion of all things wine.

Moving from California's Monterey Bay area to Utah in 1998, Pamela began working first at Snowbird, then Deer Valley Resort. This led to many travel opportunities, where she always found herself near wine regions. Upon exploring this fascination for what goes into the bottle a new passion was ignited, and Pamela has never looked back. Sharing her love of wine with others has led her to pursue more education, more travel and more in depth love of the vine and wine.

Pamela became a Certified Sommelier in 2011, followed by Certified Specialist of Wine in 2015 through the Society of Wine Educators, and she recently obtained her Certified Wine Educator level, only shared by 443 others in the world, which allows her to teach anywhere in the world.

Currently Pamela is the state educator for the employees of Utah Department of Alcohol and Beverage Services, and is the founder and owner of Park City Wine Club. When not dreaming or studying wine, you can still find Pamela working at Deer Valley Resort in the winter season or basking in the Maui sun every spring.

Olivier Peronnet, Professor

Born and raised in France, Olivier comes from a Burgundian family established around Macon. For generations, his family have been winegrowers and small négociants participating in the region’s wine co-operatives. It was only natural that Olivier embraced his cultural heritage from a young age which fueled his desire to protect the small family terroir. Wanting to share his passion and experience with others, Olivier became a French Wine Scholar in 2018. He is looking forward to passing on his love of wines and the French culture to his students.

Laura Wheatley, Professor

An avid outdoor enthusiast and exercise physiologist, you can frequently find Laura on top of Utah’s mountain peaks with a glass of wine in hand. An educator at heart, Laura shares her passion and knowledge of wine through teaching. She has earned professional certifications through the Wine Scholar Guild (Spanish and Italian) and is currently pursuing the French Wine Scholar and Certified Specialist of Wine certifications.

Every great bottle of wine has a story: from the beautiful vineyards where the grapes were grown, the struggles and dedication of the winemaker, or the special occasion that it is being opened for! These stories have brought Laura joy and a deeper appreciation for the history and labors of love that have gone into each glass. From the Finger Lakes to Spain, Laura has visited many wine regions to seek out delicious and unique wines that she can’t wait to share with you!

Mike Szczesny, Professor

Mike Szczesny, Professor

Mike was first introduced to fine wine while working in the hospitality industry in Hawaii. Following a relocation to Park City, wine became a source of constant study, enjoyment and eventually a full-time profession. After obtaining his Certified Sommelier designation from the Court of the Master Sommeliers in 2008, he began working in the wine industry.

He received the Certified Specialist of Wine designation from the Society of Wine Educators in 2010, and then studied and tasted his way to being one of only 443 people in the world who hold the Certified Wine Educator diploma from that esteemed organization.

Mike also holds the Certified Sake’ Professional designation from the Sake’ Education Council. He is currently the Fine Wine and Key Accounts Specialist for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits here in Utah.

When not selling, reading about or drinking wine, Mike can be found on a bike or on skis somewhere in the Wasatch Mountains.

We Are Experts in the Wine World

Our Tour Guides are both knowledgeable and entertaining... and know enough about wine to get themselves into trouble.

Tour Guides

Mike O'Malley, Tour Guide

Specializing in our history tours, Michael O’Malley has had a love for the history of Park City and Salt Lake since he first skied here in 1980. This interest ultimately led him to guiding ski tours and hikes at Deer Valley Resort, and volunteering with the Park City Museum. He has written several "The Way We Were" articles for the Park Record newspaper. A graduate of Pomona College, and a licensed Idaho whitewater raft guide, Michael has a real job as marketing consultant for the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. In the unlikely event he runs out of historical facts, he can always entertain guests with other Utah stories.

Mitch von Puttkammer, Tour Guide

Mitch von Puttkammer,
Tour Guide

Mitch grew up in Northern Utah and developed deep connections within the community. Through his early years, he developed a passion for hospitality and adventure travel – working and studying in Park City, UT; Napa, CA; Las Vegas, NV. Mitch finished his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah with a degree in Sustainable Tourism in 2016. He’s in radio production for the largest media company in Utah - KSL. He's happiest when skiing or hiking at high elevations, entertaining visitors, and enjoying time with friends and family.

Nate Sears, Tour Guide

Nate has lived in Park City for over 20 years. In addition to working for many years in tourism and hospitality, Nate has a diverse entertainment background including commercial work, improv and gigs with Disney, Universal Studios and Nickelodeon. Your tour with Nate will always be fun, funny and informational.

Aaron Strange, Tour Guide

Originally from New England, Aaron took a detour to Washington DC before landing in Park City in 2016. After learning to ski proper powder, he decided it was time to share his love of wine and history with some of Park City’s many visitors, and started guiding Mines and Wines tours. Aaron is also an attorney working in patent law, but would probably prefer to spend his days on the golf course or exploring somewhere new. Ask him about his pet rabbit!