The Faculty

Kirsten Fox, Headmistress

Growing up in La Jolla, California, Kirsten Henry Fox began her wine education watching her mom and dad enjoy wine with dinner. She didn't really catch the wine bug until in 2004 when her sister, Sara Ann Henry, opened the Art of Wine in Park City, Utah, where they both lived. In order to bring wine lovers regularly into her retail store, Sara began offering short, fact-filled classes with tastes of five, reasonably-priced wines. With a background in public speaking, Kirsten saw the opportunity to learn a bit more about wines while helping Sara as a substitute teacher. Pow! The earth, family wineries, grapes, history... Kirsten fell in love with the subject of wine. In 2008, Sara moved to Napa Valley, and Kirsten was left without a venue to continue tasting and learning. So she opened Park City School of Wine in October 2008, passed the Society of Wine Educators' Certified Specialist of Wine exam in April 2009, joined the American Association of Wine Economists in 2010, and is offering the same class format, this time with the possibility of detention for bad students.

Kirsten, left, and her sister, Sara in 2009.

Kris Anderson, Professor of Procurement

Back in 1986, Utah's liquor laws only allowed liquor purchases from either a private club or a state-run package store, so Deer Valley Resort operated a package store right outside their famous Seafood Buffet restaurant. New employee, Kris Anderson, was one of the wait staff required once a week to man the dreaded package store, (read: no tips.) She began thumbing through Wine Spectator issues while on her shifts and started to ask guests if they wanted suggestions of wines to pair with their dinners. She made such great recommendations that people began tipping her. The following season, much to the astonishment of the other waiters, she asked to work the package store full time. Fast forward a couple years, and since the late 1980s, she has been the wine buyer and Snow Park Lodge manager for Deer Valley Resort. Kris takes as many wine classes as possible at the Culinary Institute of America and she continues to search for the perfect marriage of food and wine that will knock your socks off. Kris is the buyer for Park City School of Wine's private wine stocking service.

Kris Anderson studies a new wine label in Deer Valley's storage room.