Jeannie Lacombe's passion for wine dates back to 1986 when she spent a semester abroad in France. That passion for wine and her desire to learn continued to evolve over the years, and her annual trips to France began to involve spending time touring France's wine regions. In the mid-1990's, as an Account Director for an international marketing firm, Jeannie was transferred to Paris where she spent the next 5 years. While continuing to develop her palate and knowledge of French and other European wines, Jeannie decided to turn her passion into a profession.

Enrolling in a professional wine program in Paris, Jeannie transitioned from marketing to wine by immersing herself in a program that provided her with a solid foundation in tasting, evaluating and general knowledge of wine (part sommelier, buyer, seller and educator). After completing her studies, Jeannie worked for a small, independent wine shop in Paris where she refined her knowledge of the French wine market. Jeannie returned to the United States in 2001.

Prior to joining Vinfolio, Jeannie spent 2 years at Wine Warehouse as a Sales Representative in the San Francisco territory. Her clients included some of the top hotels and fine dining establishments in the City. The international nature of the wine portfolio she represented allowed Jeannie to expand her knowledge to wine from other regions of the world. Jeannie was also part of the PlumpJack retail wine team (part-time) where she had the opportunity to teach classes on such topics as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Basics of Wine.

Jeannie still travels to Europe every year to keep in touch with developments in her favorite wine growing region of the world.

Jeannie has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin in International Relations and French.