Welcome to Episode 1389, in which Cynthia Chaplin interviews Markus Patz in this instalment of Voices, on the Italian Wine Podcast. About today’s guest: MBA, IWA, IWS, WSET3, WSET Educator, CS, CSWS, MAW, MNZW, Cert4TAA, DiplWHS “Bringing the world of wine to the market.” Markus is a passionate wine industry professional with over thirty years of experience in international sales, retail marketing, business & brand development and events management. He is an awarded liquor retailer and recognized as one of Australia’s top wine educators (Finalist Australia’s Best Wine Educator 2017 & 2019). Nominated Best Wine Educator in Australia 2018 & 2020 and Best New Wine Writer 2018, he headed store & online retail operations and worked as a wine merchant & consultant, certified wine educator & sommelier, buyer, judge, wine writer & presenter, speaker, and more. Markus is also a mentor at the Wine Industry Mentor Program, supported by Wine Communicators of Australia, The University of Adelaide, Wine Australia and the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. As a Brand Ambassador & Master of Australian Wine, he is enthusiastic about promoting lesser-known wineries & emerging varieties. Mechanical engineer by trade, he merged his trade and passion for wine when becoming a project manager for the design and development of synthetic corks for the wine industry and, in 2004, Markus turned his world upside down to move to Down Under starting the exciting journey that is the Australian wine industry. To learn more visit: linkedin.com/in/markuswpatz Instagram: @markus_patz About today’s Host: Cynthia Chaplin is a VIA certified Italian Wine Ambassador, a professional sommelier with FIS and the WSA, a member of Le Donne del Vino, and a Professor of Italian wine and culture. Born in the USA, she’s lived in Europe since 1990. Italian wine, in particular rosé, is her passion. She works with embassies, corporations and private clients, creating and presenting tastings, events, seminars and in-depth courses. Cynthia is a wine writer, a judge at international wine and sake competitions, she consults with restaurants and enotecas developing comprehensive wine lists and food pairings, and she advises clients who want to curate an Italian wine collection. She currently works for Vinitaly International in Verona as a Project Manager, Educator, and the host of VOICES Series on The Italian Wine Podcast, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the global wine industry. To learn more visit: Facebook: Italian Wines in English Instagram: kiss_my_glassx Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-chaplin-190647179/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodcast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!