Val Kartsounis qualified as a pre-primary teacher and lecturer in Educare. She has been self-employed in the liquor retail since 2000. This includes wine consulting, conducting tastings and compiling wine lists. She has an e-commerce site on the internet, selling fine wine and spirit.
Val attained her Cape Wine Masters Diploma in 1993, with a research topic titled “A case study of Central Liquors (a wine store), including wine selection in a liquor outlet and how to develop the wine side of a retail outlet (product selection)”.
Her wine activities include promotions, writing, judging, and education. Val has lectured for the CWA since 1989. She was a wine writer for a local newspaper from 1994 to 1996 and ran a weekly radio chat show (A taste of wine) on Radio East Rand 93.5 for two years from 1996 to 1998.
Val started four wine clubs and has conducted tastings for them and many others over the years. She has been a guest judge at the Veritas Awards.
Her special areas of wine interest include keeping up to date with local wine events, attending launches of new wines/liquor products and visits by wine producers wishing to stock their products.
Internationally she has visited the wine regions of France and various whisky distilleries in Scotland. Val says that her favourite wine is the wine in her glass, but her true love is French Champagne and the classic International wines of Bordeaux, Rhone and Tuscany.
Val is an enthusiastic cook committed to the “slow food” concept. She enjoys gardening, especially growing herbs. She also enjoys camping, boating, ornithology and game watching.
