Kristel Balcaen is a Flemish wine writer, educator and consultant. She has a study background in English and German linguistics and literature and has worked professionally in higher education for 25 years. She holds the Sommelier-Conseil qualification, the WSET Diploma and is currently an MW student.
She is the author of Wijnboek voor Foodies, writes the section on Belgium’s wines for Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, is a member of the editorial team of Ken Wijn-Magazine, creates content on social media and blogs at wineandwords.be. She is Champagne Ambassador for Belgium, was voted Wine Lady of the Year in 2018, and teaches WSET3 courses as well as classes in the Sommelier-Conseil programme.