Deniece Bourne

Deniece M. Bourne is a Brooklyn-born, Barbados-raised wine and spirits educator with nearly two decades of experience across the Caribbean and North America. She got her start in the industry in 2007 and later co-founded Palate Selections, a boutique wine import and distribution company she successfully ran for almost ten years. Now based in New York City, Deniece is the Founder & Chief Savant of Savoir Global LLC, where she blends education and consultancy to make wine and spirits more accessible and engaging across the Americas, especially in the Northeast U.S. and the Caribbean. A passionate advocate for rum, her ever-evolving expertise is rooted in formal training and hands-on industry experiences, including participation in major rum events since 2019. She recently served as a Judge in the Ultimate Sipping Rum Competition at Miami Rum Congress. Deniece holds the prestigious WSET Diploma in Wines and is a WSET-Certified Educator for both WSET Wines and Spirits certifications, known for her approachable, insightful teaching style. She also shares her expertise as an Adjunct Lecturer at CUNY CityTech and is an active member of Les Dames d’Escoffier New York.