About Aurélie Botton

National Trade and Wine Education Manager at Marnier-Lapostolle Inc.

Aurélie Botton was born and raised in Bordeaux, France. The culture of wine has burrowed its roots deeply in her; it is an essential part of her heritage as she has reminisced. Some of Aurélie's family members are in the wine business, as well. One of them has collaborated with the Moueix family for 34 years, and he was been responsible for their Pétrus Estate, La Fleur Pétrus, Trotanoy, and Magdelaine. For as far back as she can recall familial conversations always seemed to drift to wine: the process of making it, the seasons, the grapes, and of course the sales.

Given her early and omnipresent exposure to all things related to wine, Aurélie decided to become a sommelier and attended the Sommelier School of Bordeaux based in the Hospitality School. There she formally learned tasting techniques, oenology, and wine history. Mesmerized by all things related to wine, Aurélie entered two national contests that are open to young French sommeliers. The initial phase of both contests entails narrowing applicants down to 45 to 65 semifinalists, based on their respective written entries that consist of essays, questionnaires, and write-ups of tastings. Then, participants are narrowed down to 10 finalists who are selected based on the cumulative points from all aspects of the written entries. The 10 finalists must compete in practical exams, such as blind tasting, paring wine and food, decantation, spirits tasting, and successfully answering cultural and historical questions in front of a jury of highly recognized French wine professionals. The practical exams are very competitive and open to the public, yet Aurélie entered and won both the Pessac-Leognan Trophy for Best Young Sommelier of Bordeaux Wines and the Mumm Trophy for Best Young Sommelier of Champagne Wines in 2007. She worked as a sommelier at the Hotel De Crillon's Restaurant Les Ambassadeurs in Paris while she completed her formal sommelier studies; then, she was a sommelier at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland for six months.

In 2008, Aurélie joined Marnier-Lapostolle and worked for seven months as the U.S. brand ambassador for Château de Sancerre. She left to pursue a master's degree in business administration in wine marketing and management via a two-year program at the Institut de Hautes Etudes Economiques et Commerciales (i.e., "Institute of Economic Studies). Aurélie's class was comprised of 47 students of 12 nationalities. She graduated with honors in November 2010.

During Aurélie's MBA studies she completed two pivotal internships: one in Belgium for wine importer Gusto World, where she was the brand ambassador for on-premise accounts from March to September 2009, and a second in Tuscany, Italy, in the communications and marketing department of the Italian National Wine Institute, "Enoteca Italiana" from April to September 2010. It was during her time in Tuscany that she completed her thesis. She, then, went to Spain to learn Spanish before accepting her present position as the national trade and wine education manager at Marnier-Lapostolle Inc. in February 2011.