UK

Jiachen Lu

Jiachen is an American sommelier based in London. Her journey in wine began in 2018, when Jiachen decided to “put a pause on [her] legal career in Chicago” and sign herself onto the Diploma of Wine, Gastronomy and Management offered by the Cordon Bleu London. Of her time at the Cordon Bleu, Jiachen states: “Not only did I enjoy the best six months learning wine theory and tasting every day, I found my true passion in life”. Having now firmly resolved to follow a path in wine, Jiachen built upon her experience with a sommelier internship at The Little Nell hotel in Aspen, Colorado, which she then followed with a definitive move to London, where she began a 9-month cuisine training at the Cordon Bleu, culminating in a cuisine internship at Le Gavroche, during which she simultaneously passed the Introductory and Certified Sommelier exams. Her studies have served her well, and in September 2022 Jiachen began her first full-time sommelier job at Dining SW3 in Chelsea. Working on the floor has opened new educational opportunities for Jiachen, and she is now preparing for her Advanced Sommelier certification, as well as winning the Copa Jerez in the UK. She thrives on “helping guests with their wine choice”, knowing that with each interaction she learns more and gets closer to her ultimate goal: the MW certification. Jiachen sees her wine education and professional journey as not only a fantastic opportunity for her personally, but also as a chance to “join other female talents and start smashing old stereotypes”, bringing her diverse experience and perspective into the trade and “inspire new, and hopefully more female and/or minority sommeliers and wine professionals to further their education in the industry”.