Our Teachers

At Bacchus Academy, we are proud to bring you the most knowledgeable and experienced team in the wine and spirit industry. Our teachers at Bacchus Academy have decades of combined experience, combining their knowledge of wine, spirits, and winemaking with the highest standards of teaching. Come explore the world of wine with us and experience our top-notch wine educators.

Jenny Polack

WSET Level 1 -3, Barossa Wine School and Bacchus Academy Masterclasses Educator

The current director of Bacchus Academy, renowned wine consultant, and Wine Whitch; Jenny is a highly qualified wine educator.

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Briony Liebich

WSET Level 1 & 2 Award in Beer

Briony has 20 years in the food and drinks industry and is a passionate educator helping others sharpen their senses to better appreciate what’s in their glass.

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Jaime Pagano

WSET Level 1 and 2 Wine and Barossa Wine School Educator

Jaime Pagano is a hospitality professional who brings his love of wine, food and his local area into his teaching.

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Ian Trinkle

WSET Level 1 and 2 Wine Educator

To say that Ian Trinkle knows a lot about wine is a vast understatement. The renowned sommelier has spent the last 16 years honing his craft, curating multi-award-winning wine lists for some of the city’s best restaurants and dining precincts.' In addition to teaching WSET Level 1 and 2 Awards in Wine for Bacchus Academy, Ian owns and runs Wine-ism, part wine bar, wine store and event space.

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Verena Nistler

Melbourne WSET

Verena is our primary WSET teacher in Melbourne and oversees our administration

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Maya Nash

WSET Educator

Maya Nash teaches WSET courses in Byron Bay. Maya has a passion for education and loves sharing her wine knowledge with students of all levels. She believes learning should be interactive and brings energy and plenty of creative exercises and activities to each class.

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Isobella Barber

WSET Level 1 & 2 Award in Wines Educator

Isobella Barber is a teacher for Wine Spirit Education Training in Toowoomba, Queensland. With an outgoing and engaging teaching style, Isobella teaches both Level 1 and 2 Awards in Wines.

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Joseph Kenny

WSET Level 1 and Level 2 in Wine and Spirits Teacher

Joseph is the author of several books on Wines, Spirits, Mixology and Bartending. He is a consultant and visiting lecturer for Wine Studies and Mixology courses and has trained several thousand in Wines and Spirits and food and beverages service.

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Russell Gehling

WSET Level 1 and 2 Wine and Barossa Wine School Educator

Russell started his professional life as a secondary school teacher so his interest in teaching WSET Level 2 & 3 came naturally once his career changed to selling wine in later years. Russell worked in management roles for Negociants for over 15 years and then he started his own company – Russell Gehling Wines in 2007. He represents Australian, New Zealand and European producers.

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Mark Snow

French Wine Scholor Educator

Mark Snow is a French Wine Scholar Education who loves wine from around the world. His special interest is the wine from under appreciated regions.

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