Welcome, I'm so glad you're here.
Hi, I'm Mak
I'm a wine lover, avid traveler, enthusiastic home cook, and newly minted Level 1 sommelier who doesn't actually work in the wine industry.
I grew up just outside Vail, Colorado, where being an only child in a pretty rural neighborhood meant I learned early on how much I loved bringing people together. Whether it was getting everyone around the dinner table, planning an elaborate meal, or convincing someone to try something new, I've always believed that good food is even better with good company.
These days, you'll usually find me traveling somewhere new, cooking something unnecessarily ambitious, skiing or biking in the mountains, or at home with my husband, Neil, and our Australian Shepherd, Hermione.
And more often than not, I'm plotting what we're going to eat and drink next.
Growing up, my parents always prioritized experiences over things. I remember being furious that a family trip to New Zealand meant missing my dance recital. But twenty years later, I still remember the incredible breakfast at a little B&B with a life-size chessboard in the orchard. The recital? Not so much. Turns out my parents were onto something.
They gave me an insatiable curiosity about the world, which has since taken me to more than 50 countries and every continent except Antarctica. I've ridden camels in Jordan and Morocco, skied the Alps in Austria and Switzerland, taken cooking classes from Mexico to Thailand, and explored vineyards throughout France, Italy, and the United States.
When it came time to study abroad, I chose Jordan and later studied business in China. I wanted to explore cultures beyond the typical European study-abroad experience and understand the world beyond the headlines. I speak English and Spanish, was once conversational in Arabic, and have dabbled in Mandarin and French. I've always loved how language opens doors, but I've learned that sharing a table can tell you just as much about a place.
Food wasn't always the centerpiece of my travels. Growing up, it was mostly fuel for the next adventure. Then I met my husband, Neil, who introduced me to the wonderful world of fine dining. Suddenly, a meal could be the experience itself. I fell in love with people who dedicate themselves to doing something exceptionally well, whether that's a chef, a winemaker, or someone sharing a family recipe.
I'm equally happy discovering an incredible roadside restaurant as I am sitting down to a three-Michelin-star meal. I love a ridiculous bargain, an occasional splurge, and slowing down for good food, good wine, and even better company.
But my favorite discoveries are the ones that follow me home. A cooking class in Chiang Mai taught us the secret to a great homemade curry: kefir lime leaves, which we now keep in our freezer and use almost weekly. Colorful rugs from Oaxaca bring personality to our home, while silverware rests from Japan have become a favorite conversation starter whenever we host.
To me, travel is about more than the places we've been. It's about the experiences that become part of our everyday lives. I believe what we learn abroad can extend far beyond our return flights, and sharing those discoveries helps us understand other cultures and connect with the people around us.
Because the best part of discovering something wonderful is getting to share it.
50 Countries
And counting!
The Wine Rabbit Hole
Wine wasn't exactly part of my career plan. I spent about a decade running my family's real estate business before my husband, Neil, and I started our own accounting business. Between the two, life was busy, demanding, and after a few particularly tough years professionally, I was ready for a break.
So naturally, I decided to take a sommelier course. And honestly, I didn't know how difficult it would be!
I'd always loved wine, especially discovering new bottles on our travels, but I wanted to understand more about what was actually in my glass. I signed up for the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier course, thinking it would be a fun little intellectual escape.
Well, I passed my Level One, earned my pin, and promptly fell down the wine rabbit hole.
Suddenly, I was fascinated by everything from geology and climate to history, agriculture, and the people behind each bottle. Wine brought together so many things I already loved about travel and learning, and I couldn't get enough.
There was just one problem: I don't work in the wine industry.
I don't have access to industry tastings or endless opportunities to sample wines. And while I'd love to open four bottles of Burgundy on a random Tuesday to compare them, that's neither particularly affordable nor practical. Your girl's gotta work the next morning.
But I wasn't about to let that stop me. I just needed to find a more creative way to keep learning. And that's how Mak's Wine Club began.
Better Together: Mak's Wine Club
And so, Mak's Wine Club was born. I figured if I wanted to keep learning about wine, why not rope my friends into the adventure? After all, opening four bottles is a lot more fun (and affordable!) when you have people to share them with.
Each gathering starts with a theme. Sometimes it's inspired by our travels, a wine region we've visited, or a bottle we've brought home. Other times, it's simply a grape I'm curious about or an excuse to try something new. I research the wines, plan food pairings, put together a few aromas to explore, and gather everyone around the table.
We taste, compare, debate, laugh, and discover that we all have different favorites. And that's exactly the point. It's not about drinking wine the right way or becoming experts. It's about understanding what we like and why, discovering something new, and enjoying the process together.
But Mak's Wine Club is about more than wine. It's become my way of connecting everything I love: traveling, learning, discovering wonderful things, and bringing those experiences home to share. Whether it's a bottle from a tiny vineyard, a recipe learned halfway around the world, or a favorite little restaurant worth planning a trip around, I love finding things that deserve to be passed along.
And that's what I hope to share with you, too. The wineries worth visiting, bottles worth bringing home, recipes worth recreating, and little discoveries that make everyday life more interesting. I'm still learning, and I hope you'll come along for the adventure.
Because travel is fun, good wine is wonderful, but sharing it with good people might just be the best part.
THE FINAL SIP
I travel. I learn. I taste. I share.
Thank you for journeying through my story. Wine is more than just a drink; it's a connection to the land and the people we love. Every bottle shared is a chapter written.
_HEIC.png)