Her Story
About Adrienne
Adrienne Bennett is a sommelier with 14 years of experience based in the Los Angeles area. She guides people through their journeys in wine at a restaurant level, elevating dining experiences through thoughtful pairings while managing a wine list exceeding 1,300 labels at Mastro's Ocean Club in downtown Los Angeles. Bennett earned her Certified Sommelier credential through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2014, following her introductory exam in 2012, and draws on a college background in chemistry. She remains an active member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying toward her Advanced Sommelier exam. Outside her professional role, Bennett volunteers at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where she teaches children about conservation and participates in the sea turtle research program. She attributes her success to the dedication, drive, and work ethic instilled by her parents from a young age, and she values trustworthiness and honesty in all interactions. Bennett advises aspiring sommeliers, particularly young women, to pursue the field with full commitment despite its male-dominated nature at higher levels.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Adrienne
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success is 100% attributed to my parents. They instilled dedication, drive, a good work ethic, and the importance of always trying to improve yourself and learn at a very young age. If you work hard, study, and be a good person, everything will fall into place.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was from a manager about 5 or 6 years ago: as long as you go in with your best intentions and your full personality, you have no choice but to succeed. Be true to yourself, true to who you are, go in with good intentions, and you'll make a difference and succeed. Keep a positive attitude, put your best foot forward, and be your authentic self.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Go for it. Put the pedal to the metal, never let them tell you that you can't. Being a sommelier is still a very male-dominated field, especially in the higher ranks like Advanced and Master Sommeliers, where there are only 28 women out of 269 in the world.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is information gathering. Information is everywhere in books, websites, and podcasts, but it's scattered. It's not like a college class with a syllabus; you need to know everything and it's hard to find it all.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trustworthiness and honesty are always top of my list. You can't get anywhere without being truthful and honest with your team, management, people who work under you, and yourself. Having open communication of honesty helps you grow, helps superiors know where you're at, and helps employees rely on and trust you.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.