The inception of the story that was to become Between 2 Worlds occurred at the very start of 2020, as I, Simone Popov, fresh from a career in Winery hospitality in the famed Napa Valley, set off on a wistful exploratory journey of self-discovery through the renowned vineyards of France.

I was charmed by the picturesque vineyards, but even more enthralled by the culture of the vine and the people who tend it.

When I returned to the U.S., I felt a deep connection with my European roots and wanted to spend my time in the industry championing the cause of these amazing people and their culinary and vinous culture.

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Then COVID happened. And the world stood still.

But the seed was already planted. I spent the next five years pursuing various levels of wine education, trying to decipher the magic that is found in each hectare of viticultural land. In 2022, I started The [Wine] Dispatch with the same mission:

Telling a story of wine and connecting, bridging the gap between the “Old World” and the “New”: between the vigneron and the wine lover: between my youth growing up in Ukraine and travelling throughout Europe, and my older years in California.

Between 2 Worlds, founded in 2025 amidst yet another turbulent global environment, is a continuation of the Dispatch’s mission, an expansion of the idea of connectivity, exploration, and conveying culture through wine.  We aim to create and foster a community that connects wine enthusiasts not only with the vignerons who lovingly craft the wines they love, but also with importers and distributors who tirelessly promote these wines in California, Europe, and beyond.

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We aim to do this through:

1. Curated Selections: Between 2 Worlds selections intends to select the wines of highest quality, from the most honest producers/ importers,  and represent the unique regionality and terroir of these wines in the digital space.
2. Digital Publication: In the effort to tell a story of wine, B2W will craft articles around the world of wine, focusing on education, exploration, and impassioned discussion of all wine’s unique characteristics.
3. Community: Through the Explorer’s Society, we aim to bring wine lovers together and provide them with the tools and access to explore the broader world of wine.
4. Education: Through affordable, personable, and interactive wine courses [both that will earn you a pin, or give you the knowledge] we want to give all wine “explorers” the confidence in their knowledge and the understanding that wine is an eternal pursuit and one can never know everything.

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With those lofty aspirations in mind, I would like to welcome you to Between 2 Worlds and wish you a happy experience exploring wine.

Sincerely, 

Simone Popov

DipWSET, CSW, MBA, FWS, SWS, IWS

simone@b2w.wine

“I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.”

-Hunter S Thompson