Bobbie Burgess, became the Wine Director and Social Media Marketer for EAT LOCAL STARKVILLE four short years ago, after working as a bartender at Restaurant Tyler and The Guest Room in Starkville, Mississippi. She currently runs four very different and unique wine programs, does restaurant consulting, is the Director of Catering for Brian Michaels Catering Company, works at Scotty's Wine and Spirits, and is the host of UnCorked with WCBI News which currently airs on local news channels in parts of three states. In 2018 she was named Starkville, Mississippi’s Rising Star Under 35. She passed her Certified Sommelier exam on February 27th, 2020. On March 30th, 2021 Bobbie became a Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators. She is currently studying for her Certified Wine Educator exam through the Society of Wine Educators and her Advanced Sommelier Exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers of America. She has also built a virtual tasting group with sommeliers studying across the south, is dedicated to expanding resources for sommeliers studying in desolate regions across the US, and pushes for mental health acknowledgement within the
hospitality industry. She has been a panelist and volunteer for TexSom and was a panel moderator for SommCon's Virtual Summit last year.