Missie Bowman Boisvert ׀ Vino Connoisseur

Photo by Hillary Odom

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The Secret To...

Missie, the owner of Palmetto Package & Fine Wine Shop, is not a big drinker. But in the ways of wine, she is well-read and experienced. Believing every person is the authority on what type of wine they like, Missie is not a wine snob. “Your palate is your palate is your palate,” she argues. Missie is stomping arrogance out of wine and making appreciators out of many with an adult education course at USC Aiken and tastings at her store.

“The secret to appreciating wine is using all five senses. Feel the shape of the bottle, smell the bouquet, look at the color and clarity, taste it several times, and hear it as you clink glasses with a friend.”

ONLINE EXTRAS:

1. Missie says that being from Aiken has served her well. And when she returned to her hometown, she was determined to "serve" her community.

2. Having lived in San Fran when white zen was invented, Missie doesn't like when people talk bad about it. "It was the bridge that got us from chablis and burgundy to the vast variety that's available to us now."

3. Missie organizes the wine vendors for the Aiken Center for the Arts' A Taste of Wine & Art benefit.