We are so happy to welcome Kiki from La Luz Selections to the Nature’s Vin Grand Opening! She will be pouring some of her delicious wines in the retail shop from 4pm to 7pm. Stop by for a splash and leave with some goodies.
More About Kiki:
Kerin “Kiki” Auth Bembry has been steeped in the hospitality industry her entire professional career. Since learning she could combine her education (BA in Spanish and International Business at the Business and Liberal Arts of Queens College) with her passion for food and wine - she has been an avid and professional sibarita.
Bembry took her first wine class at Windows of the World in 2001, and in the wake of 9/11 she landed a position working for, at the time, the largest importer of Spanish wines in the country, Jorge Ordoñez, Fine Estates from Spain. Kerin established key industry relationships & spearheaded hiring and training of staff, all while coordinating special events, portfolio tastings and countless winemaker dinners. Over the course of seven years, she proved to be an essential part of the company’s impressive growth from $4 million to $25 million annual gross sales.
In late 2008, Kerin left her duties at Tempranillo Inc. to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur by partnering into the East Village Spanish Wine Boutique, Tinto Fino, Vinos de España. After 5 beautiful years, Tinto Fino sold its last bottles of Sherry and shuttered its doors in late 2013.
After becoming a Mom (and a short stint as National Portfolio Manager / Partner for a boutique Spanish wine company) Kerin, who now goes by Kiki, realized her dreams of building her own Iberian Import Company with her best friend and business partner, John House of Ovum Wines fame. La Luz Selections was conceived in late 2016 and shipped their first pallet of wine in May of 2017.
Considered a leader in the Spanish wine industry, Kerin has led numerous seminars and classes around the country: Murray’s Cheese, the Astor Center and the American Sommelier Association. She has frequently participated on the New York Times tasting panel and has been featured in other magazines such as Fine Cooking, Culture and Wine and Spirits. A mentor to many, she is an enthusiastic and driven wine professional whose long-term commitment, mission and focus is to further share her passion for the Iberian Peninsula’s gastronomic, vinous and cultural bounty.
She has now stamped her passport with more than 75 trips to Spain.
A true Sibarita.