Madonna’s journey to the world of wine started in Iowa where she was born, roamed the hills along the Mississippi River with her eight siblings (Yes, eight!), and wondered what was in all those stemmed glasses people were drinking out of that made them act so happy.

She worked as a printer in Iowa, then ran a huge printing company in Chicago where she became one of the only female foil embossing specialists in the country.

And, of course, all of this made her very thirsty.

Following a stint hosting her own Chicago radio show, and acting in commercials and a few movies (You can catch her in the Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman movie, Chain Reaction, if you look quick.) she realized her blossoming passion for wine could no longer be ignored.

Madonna started taking classes at the Chicago Wine School, sipping with her instructors, learning about the wide world of wine, and quickly realized she had found a new passion.

Before her friends knew what was happening Madonna had sold everything, packed up her car with wine glasses, bottle openers, and tasting notes and was headed to California. She enrolled in a hard Court of Master Sommeliers certified program, and when she passed the three-day intensive testing she filled her own glass with tears because a long held dream had come true.

Still following her heart, Madonna relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida where she spent three years preparing to open her wine lounge, aptly named the Wine Madonna. Her successful lounge hosted tastings, food and wine pairings, literary events and national and international wine trips for customers. Her love of wine helped ignite the same passion in many visitors who became loyal customers and friends.

Ten years later Madonna sold the bar, relocated to Colorado, and is now taking her expertise to a new level.