REGINE T. ROUSSEAU
AUTHOR, SPEAKER, TELEVISION PERSONALITY, WINE EXPERT AND CEO
Regine T. Rousseau fell in love with wine during a college study abroad trip to Besançon, France. Bitten by the wine bug early on, she began her career in the beverage industry as a salesperson for a wine distributor. While in this role Rousseau noticed how the barrier of “wine speak” formed a disconnect between wine professionals and consumers. Inspired to bridge the gap, Rousseau started her company Shall We Wine, a wine, spirits and beer tasting company based in Chicago.
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Meet Regine Rousseau
Entrepreneur, Promotion Specialist, Writer, Event Planner, On-Air Talent, 2020 Wine Star Nominee- Wine Educator of the Year, Wine Whisperer, Deliciousness Huntress, MC and Speaker
At Shall We Wine, Rousseau helps national and boutique wine and spirits brands expand their presence across the nation; while also providing wine education through events, books and videos that she develops. Making wine approachable for everyone is at the core of Rousseau’s work. She and her expertly trained Shall We Wine team are masters at translating complex terminology into language that individuals of every level of wine proficiency appreciates.
Language is also integral to Rousseau’s work as a poet and published author where wine and written word are often interwoven. In her latest book, Searching for Cloves and Lilies: The Wine Edition (published April 2018), Rousseau boldly illustrates the dynamics of personal relationships while pairing each poem with wine that echoes the mood of her writing. And in Champagne Diaries, an original dramatic blog and the inspiration for her next book, Rousseau takes readers on the journey of the main character named Champagne.
Rousseau received her Level II certification from the International Sommelier Guild and an Executive Bourbon Steward from Stave and Thief Society.
Rousseau has traveled around the globe to share her wine and beverage expertise and has been nominated 2020 Wine Star Awards for Wine Educator of the Year, She has been listed as one of “40 African-American Tastemakers.” She was named a Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic semi-finalist in 2011 and served as emcee for the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Wine and Dine event in 2018. She was also a featured panelist at the Association of Writers & Writing Program conference in 2013, Blacks in Wine Symposium in 2017 and 2019, the Women’s Breakfast Business Panel presented by the City of Chicago and the SoloCEO Summit in 2019. Rousseau has been the Keynote speaker for Wonder Women in Wine and Dream Big Darling. Additionally, Rousseau has been featured in Forbes Magazine, The Zoe Report, The New Yorker, Vine Pair, Black Enterprise and Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and has made television appearances on You & Me Chicago, Sisters Circe Live, WGN Chicago, Windy City Live, Great Day Washington, and Let’s Talk Live DC .
For more information, visit reginerousseau.com and shallwewine.com. For bookings, contact regine@reginerousseau.com. Connect with Rousseau on Instagram and Facebook at @shallwewine, @shallwewinechi on Twitter and join the #shallwewineputmeon community.
Searching for Cloves & Lilies: The Wine Edition
When Regine T. Rousseau asked her family and friends, “What is your favorite body part?” she was surprised by the answers she elicited. Some acquaintances could immediately give her an answer. Others preferred to remain coyly silent. Rousseau uses the wide variety of responses as inspiration for her poetry collection Searching for Cloves and Lilies. In the lines of her work, she introduces you to old lovers and new friends and honors the people who shaped her life, including her beloved mother and respected pastor. She shares the lessons a barber and hairstylist taught her about love and provides a touching ode to her father. Other poems ponder important moments in Rousseau’s life, including a devastating incident with her cousin and a shocking heartbreak.
Poetry isn’t the only passion in Rousseau’s life. The only thing she loves more than discovering amazing new wines is introducing friends to some of her favorites. In this edition, she pairs each poem with a cherished wine and explains why these concoctions can be fun and flirty or poignant and lingering. This unique collection lays out which wine to pair with heartache and which best represents the state of modern relationships.
“..at last got a chance to sit down with Cloves and Lilies. I enjoyed reading it! Such a wide range of poems. Some of them were fun and steamy 
but actually I found a lot of the poems very serious and melancholy. Very interesting. I thought the book turned out well, I hope you’re pleased with it!!”
Rebecca W. New York, New York
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