“Wine has an amazing complexity, it connects people.”
Svetlana Yanushkevich
Svetlana often tells her friends and customers that, “Wine has an amazing complexity, it connects people.” Connecting people through wine has been her vision for WineNot Boutique since opening her first store in 2010. For 15 years, WineNot Boutique has been a place to connect, learn, and explore – where guests discover wines from around the world, share stories, and build lasting friendships.
A native of Belarus, Svetlana caught the wine bug at an early age while summering in Crimea. Her uncle worked at the historic Massandra Winery near Yalta and Svetlana would visit often – sometimes even sampling sample the famous dessert wines. Fascinated by the wine-making process and the beauty of the labels, she spent her teenage years helping in the vineyards and winery, creating some of her happiest childhood memories.
Svetlana holds an MS degree in Viticulture and a Ph.D. in agriculture and worked as an Associate Professor of Viticulture in Ukraine. In 2002, she relocated to the U.S., where she completed the London-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) highest certifications, becoming a Diploma holder in Wine & Spirits (DWS). After obtaining her diploma, she managed wine programs for several prestigious Philadelphia restaurants and worked as a wine educator for corporate and private clients.
In 2007, Svetlana moved to Nashua, NH, where she opened WineNot Boutique, later voted Best Wine Shop of NH (2011-2022) by NH Magazine, Nashua Telegraph, and Hippo Magazine. Through WineNot she has shared her expertise by hosting private wine tastings, dinners, educational events, and curated wine experiences.
In the past 12 years, Svetlana has also organized many successful wine & culinary tours to some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions – including Piedmont, Tuscany, Champagne, Burgundy, Rioja, Priorat, Bordeaux, Douro, and Mendoza.
Since September 2025, Svetlana has been leading WineNot into a new chapter – transforming it from a retail space into a vibrant community of wine and travel enthusiasts. Her renewed vision, now known as WineNot Experiences, focuses on creating meaningful connections through small-group wine journeys, culinary collaborations, and cultural events that celebrated the artistry of wine and the people behind it.
Her favorite type of wine is Champagne, and her favorite grape is Pinot Noir.
