ALICE ACHAYO
Alice Achayo is a storyteller, food and wine educator, and founder of The Wine Linguist. Born in South Sudan and raised in Uganda before relocating to the United States, Achayo’s roots in agriculture, food culture, and community shape her approach to wine as a reflection of land, memory, culture, and the people behind it. Her studies in Eco-Gastronomy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy’s Piedmont region deepened this foundation, connecting her early experiences of food, farming, and communal life in East Africa to a broader understanding of sustainable food systems, Slow Food, and the cultural contexts that shape how people eat, drink, and gather.
Through The Wine Linguist, Achayo has built a food and wine culture consultancy that connects people to the places, makers, and stories behind what they eat and drink. Her work brings this to life through storytelling, partnerships, and immersive experiences that make wine more accessible, meaningful, and globally relevant. With a focus on winemakers, vine farmers, chefs, global cuisines, and the cultural contexts that shape how we gather, The Wine Linguist invites people to experience wine as more than a beverage, and rather a lens into agriculture, hospitality, memory, and place.
Achayo has spoken at industry events including the Oregon Wine Symposium and IPNC, advocating for more culturally and generationally relevant approaches to wine communication. She has been recognized by Wine Enthusiast as one of its Future 40 Tastemakers and by SevenFifty Daily as a Drinks Innovator redefining wine culture.