About the Author

 Mehtap (Emmie) Turan was born in Isparta, located in the Aegean region of Türkiye. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy from Gazi University in Ankara, she moved to northern California in 1977. Emmie was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from San Francisco State University in 1981, followed by a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1983.

Emmie’s professional career has spanned several business start-ups, including infant and child development programs, temporary employment for early childhood teaching professionals, vocational teacher training and, since 2000, she has managed her own home health care agency. More recently, Emmie has turned her attention to a lifelong passion — the study of wine! In 2022, she completed the Winemaking Certificate Program at the University of California, Davis.  Emmie is currently continuing her studies towards a diploma through WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust.)

Emmie participates in educational programs and organizes international wine tours. When not on a tour, she can often be found sharing her knowledge in the tasting rooms of local wineries.