Ep. 2477 Melissa Graeff: VIA Expert in the Making | On The Road Edition with Stevie Kim

Sep 24, 2025

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Welcome to Episode 2477 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode of On the Road Edition, Stevie Kim meets Melissa Graeff, a VIA Expert in the Making.

Melissa is aiming to achieve the Expert level certification at the Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador’s course in Chicago. In this conversation with Stevie Kim she explains what motivates her, her background in Italian wine and her specific method of study, as well as some tips and tricks on how to pass the challenging exam.

More about today’s guest:

Melissa Graeff is a Brand Manager at Kobrand Corporation in New York and an Italian Wine Ambassador (VIA, Class of 2024). A recipient of the SommCon USA 2023 scholarship, Melissa brings a strong background in wine education, holding certifications from WSET and continually expanding her expertise. Passionate about Italian wine and culture, she shares her knowledge through active engagement in the global wine community.

Connect:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vintagemel30

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagraeff/

More about the host:

Stevie Kim is an Italian Wine Marketing & Communication Expert, Brand Positioning Specialist, and Public Speaker based in Verona, Italy. As Managing Partner at Vinitaly, she leads key initiatives, including OperaWine, Vinitaly International Academy, wine2wine Business Forum, and 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls. A passionate Italian Wine Evangelist, she harnesses social media and education to promote Italian wine on a global scale.

The Italian Wine Podcast is part of Mamma Jumbo Shrimp, a brand Stevie launched in 2020 to make wine more accessible through books, maps, videos, and the Italian Wine Travel with Stevie YouTube series.

Stevie often joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! You can also find her taking a hit for the team when she goes “On the Road”, all over the Italian countryside, visiting wineries and interviewing producers, enjoying their best food and wine – all in the name of bringing us great Pods!

Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/steviekim222/

Website: https://www.vinitaly.com/eventi/operawine/stevie-kim/

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