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Bar None: Jeannie Cho Lee, Master of Wine, Tells of Her Wine Journey and Love for Burgundy

“It was something that evolved organically,” says Cho Lee, about becoming a Master of Wine, Asia’s first, and one of the most influential figures in the global wine community.
May 23, 2025

Jeannie Cho Lee didn’t set out to become one of the most respected voices in the world of wine. Her journey began not with ambition, but with quiet curiosity. “I never intentionally tried to become a Master of Wine,” she says. “It was something that evolved organically.” That evolution would lead her to become Asia’s first Master of Wine, an award-winning author, educator, and one of the most influential figures in the global wine community. Today, she continues to shape how the world drinks and thinks about wine.

This past March, Cho Lee brought her insight and expertise to Manila, hosting a series of exclusive events in partnership with Artisan Cellar Door in Makati. Wine lovers gathered in the newly-added dining room of the popular wine retailer for intimate Burgundy dinners and  masterclasses with Cho Lee, exploring the region’s two famed areas Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune—each revealing a spectrum of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay expressions. A Champagne masterclass rounded out the guided tastings.  From structured lectures to sensorial wine dinners, her visit was less about instruction and more about immersion.

Courtesy of Jeannie Cho Lee

Her voice is gentle yet exacting, her insights layered like the wines she reveres. Whether she’s describing her first transcendent sip of a 1982 Château Talbot as a 19-year old at Oxford or waxing lyrical about under-the-radar producers in the Côte Chalonnaise, Cho Lee speaks with the clarity of someone who knows the map well but is still eager to explore. “The most valuable lesson I’ve learned in wine is to be humble,” she shares. For her, wine is never static; it evolves vintage by vintage, bottle by bottle,  just as she has as a connoisseur who still sees  opportunity to learn in every glass.

Video:

Filmed on location at Artisan Cellar Door.

EDITORIAL TEAM
ALICIA COLBY-SY Lifestyle Editor
KIMBERLY ROCHA-DELGADO Digital Editor

PRODUCTION TEAM
KENNETH DIMAANO Post-Production Director
JOMAR SOLANIA Video Editor and Colorist
RENZO LUMANOG Associate Producer
ANTON MOLINA Producer
THIRTYSIX-O MEDIA Video Team
ARJAY ZURITA Hair and Make-up

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