What I Love About Bell with Hillary Cole

Hillary Cole, Director of Sales at Bell Wine Cellars, discusses her passion for wine in general and specifically what sets Bell Wine Cellars apart. Hillary started out as a military linguist and counter-terrorism analyst in the Washington, DC area, during which time she also had the opportunity to visit vineyards in Italy fairly regularly. The serenity and romance of the vineyards were a stark contrast to her Intelligence career and she felt at home every time she stepped foot on one. After leaving the Intelligence field, she moved to Sacramento to learn how to fly fixed-wing aircraft. She intended to be here for two years and then to fly airlifts in Africa, but gravitated instead to the wine industry via restaurant management as the General Manager and Sommelier for three Sacramento-area restaurant groups after finishing her MBA studies and Intro Sommelier exam. Her final position on the restaurant side of wine was running the wine program at Ella Dining Room and Bar in Sacramento. Hillary has completed several wine certification programs, her favorites among which include French Wine Scholar, Champagne Master Level, Napa Valley Wine Expert, and The Business of Wine. She has loved having the opportunity to maximize her backgrounds in business, wine, and leadership via her position as Director of Sales Manager at Bell Wine Cellars.