Our Life in Wine

The Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level 4 Diploma is the culmination of years of study of fine wine. It’s intensely rigorous, requiring at least 500 hours of study time around the areas of The Wine Business, Wine Production, Wines of the World, and more. It requires an independent research project and nearly TWELVE hours of examinations. For this reason a WSET Level 4 Diploma is one of the qualifications to become a Master of Wine candidate, and it’s increasingly an indicator of integrity and dedication in the wine business. 

Not surprisingly, it’s also pretty helpful when you want to start a winery.

Sarah Lyons began her journey into the world of wine when she first moved to Los Angeles, initially accompanying a friend to wine tastings. What began as a casual exploration soon evolved into a deep-seated passion. Intrigued by the stories behind each wine—and eager to learn more—Sarah enrolled in her first wine education class at The Wine House in West LA. She soon found herself transfixed by every aspect of the subject.

Sarah continued her wine education, progressing through increasingly advanced levels of study. She likens the experience to peeling layers of an onion, with each class delving deeper into the complexities of wine from around the globe. Her dedication paid off as she successfully completed Level 3 before undertaking the formidable challenge of the Level 4 Diploma.

Over four years, Sarah immersed herself in this comprehensive, challenging curriculum. But just as she embarked on the final semester focusing on Wines of the World, Sarah faced a significant hurdle when she became pregnant with her son, Wylder. Something was off with her palate. “I could not taste any depth in wine…it smelled incredible, and by smelling it I remembered how delicious it used to taste. But when I put it in my mouth it was flat, like watery juice, with no finish,” she says. “I was so scared it would never come back!” Luckily she persevered and eventually regained her sensory acuity, successfully completing the diploma in the summer of 2017.

It was a thrill for Sarah to head to London for a formal WSET graduation ceremony at the Guild Hall, a historic venue steeped in tradition. She joined her fellow graduates in receiving their diplomas, an experience made even more memorable by the opportunity to shake hands with the great Steven Spurrier.  Armed with her wine education, Sarah developed a keen appreciation for wines of all styles and grape varieties. She honed her ability to evaluate wine objectively, considering its intended style and quality. 

Recognizing the complexity of the wine world and its potential to intimidate newcomers, Sarah decided to try to demystify wine through education and storytelling. She shares her knowledge generously, striving to make wine more approachable and enjoyable. She wants to ignite the same passion for wine in others that she had discovered during her own education.

Because Sarah knows the wines of the world and has tasted so many of them, it’s easy for her to compare them to the same grape varieties made in California. She’s got an appreciation for California’s terroirs, but also an understanding of each varietal’s expression in the old world versus the new world, as well as the farming and winemaking decisions that have the most impact on the finished wine.

“I have an understanding of what grapes grow well in our terroir,” she says. “I got a sense of what would do well in our climate, with its soil, aspect, diurnal swings, and so on,” says Sarah. 

“The WSET Diploma was also a solid education on winemaking, and I learned the results that follow from various techniques, or different picking decisions. This has led me to be able to make those decisions for our own wine, and my palate training has helped identify the results in the wine,” she added.

Overall, Sarah’s using her knowledge and skills to ensure Lyons Vineyard wine is of high quality, and is of its place: an ode to the vineyard and terroir, harmonious and balanced.  While their wine is high-end, Sarah and Skye are not high-brow; they want to share their wine and celebrate it without pretense with their members.