Erin Kirschenmann

Erin Kirschenmann is a Managing Editor at Wine Business Monthly, where she has built a fourteen-year career covering the business side of the wine industry. Rather than focusing on the technical or scientific aspects of winemaking, she has carved out a niche writing about sales, marketing, and technology trends shaping the industry, while also overseeing content development for the publication's tradeshows and educational seminars. Her path into journalism was shaped early on by her aunt, a reporter who covered the OJ Simpson trial for the Los Angeles Times, and she went on to study Communications at Sonoma State University, graduating Cum Laude with Distinction. She later earned the WSET Level 4 Diploma, one of the most advanced certifications available in the wine profession.

Beyond her editorial work, Erin is active across several corners of the wine community. She serves on the boards of Women for Wine Sense and the Wine Market Council, and has spent roughly seven years advising Dream Big Darling. She has also judged prestigious competitions, including the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles since 2016 and the Cascadia International Wine Competition since 2019, and has taught as a WSET instructor at the Napa Valley Wine Academy. Her contributions to the field were recognized when she was named to Beverage Dynamics' 40 Under Forty List in 2025. She is a frequent speaker and moderator at major industry gatherings such as the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium and the World Bulk Wine Exhibition, and has guest lectured at institutions including the Culinary Institute of America.

About a year and a half ago, Erin channeled her passion for community-building into a new venture, founding Novel Pairings, an online book-and-wine club that brings women together through curated pairings of literature and wine at both virtual and in-person gatherings. She describes her success as a product of ambition and a solution-oriented mindset, paired with the steady support of family and friends who help her navigate the demands of her work. Guided by values of community, empathy, and collaboration, Erin continues to encourage the next generation of women in the wine industry to trust their own capabilities and focus on doing meaningful work without being weighed down by others' expectations.