Cole Swanson, WSET 3, is part of the next generation of wine writers and educators. In 2018, shortly after college, Cole began his career in wine, working for tasting rooms in Woodinville, WA, while pursuing his personal wine education. Since 2018, he has gained his WSET II & III, and Spanish Wine Scholar, publishing for Seattle-based magazine Sip, before beginning his own wine education blog Grape Libations and his own freelance communications company EVY Communications. It is with his blog that he attempts to educate those within his generation, and the one below, about wine in an approachable way, so they may feel less intimidated by this stereotypically snobbish beverage. His background has remained predominantly in hospitality for the majority of post college, with his current pursuit being in Seattle’s fine dining scene at Canlis. It is there that he has become inspired to follow the path of Sommelier, so he may continue his attempt to excite people about the world of wine. Outside of the wine industry, Cole has become a voice in destigmatizing mental health. For three years, starting in 2018, he volunteered with the non-profit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), specifically for their Redmond affiliate, speaking to children in schools about his own mental health journey to inform them they are not alone in their own journey. For two years he traveled around Seattle to do so, and for the duration of his third year volunteering, he created their first-ever blog, so voices could travel further than just schools and remain permanent. In 2024, he became a board member for NAMI Washington.