My name isn’t Lavern. It’s LaShea.

I’m a wine rep, sommelier, and writer based in Los Angeles. I sell wine made by small, sustainable producers and write about the people who grow, make, and love it. I’ve worked in restaurants, wine bars, and I’ve written for wine publications, all of which have taught me that wine is never just about what’s in the glass.

My work centers the voices of women and BIPOC professionals in wine and food; the people reshaping what the industry looks and feels like.

I write about:

• Wine: small producers, overlooked regions, bottles that surprise you.

• Culture: movies, TV, and pop culture

• Food: what I cook at home, what I eat on the road, all my favorite meals

• Travel: dispatches from tastings, vineyards, and the places where food and wine say something about who we are.

Sometimes I’ll share essays that are part diary, part industry observation. Other times you’ll get Small Pleasures, a weekly roundup of the bottles, bites, and cultural moments that made the week a little less terrible.