Confessions of a Sommelier
I don’t get star struck easy. That’s a good thing, because the winery I pour at pulls in some pretty top shelf clientele. Whenever some famous actor or athlete comes in, I read their body language to see if they’re the type that wants attention, or the kind that wants anything but. If the sunglasses […]
Bobby Stuckey
The spectrum of stimulants that send wine professionals down their chosen path is about as wide as the palate of wine itself. Some are raised in the world of wine and some have a revelatory moment when a certain varietal hits their lips, while others simply enjoy it and just want to learn more. But […]
Will Hightower
As the world of wine ramps up production of ready-to-drink, boxed, or canned products consumers can easily throw into their grocery basket and sip without a second thought, it’s nice to know there are people like Will Hightower out there championing the brands who insist on doing things the right way. A project manager in finance by […]
The Return of Ed Hardy
You can tell a lot about a man by the way he can’t park his rented Ferrari. I watched the neon green sports car – the thing looked like it had been painted with a highlighter pen – as it lurched across the lot outside in a sad ballet of skid marks. That made it […]
Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey
The world of wine is a reflection of the people who’ve contributed to it for millennia, dating back to ancient times and accelerating right alongside the human population in its wide-ranging diversity. And, just like with Matthew-Lorèn Lindsey, some of the most celebrated wines come from the most unsuspecting places. The son of a trained pianist, Matthew-Lorèn […]
Naushad Huda
Quite often, the best ideas to move an industry forward come from outsiders looking in. Jeff Bezos wasn’t a librarian, publisher, or author when he founded Amazon. He was a computer engineer who recognized an opportunity to do things a bit differently in an industry that’d been stagnant since basically the dawn of the printing […]
MTGA Wines
Hidden away just far enough from the main roads of Napa is the lush home of MTGA wines. It’s off the main drag by choice, “The only way you get out here is if you’re lost or coming to us.” If that second choice is the case, then lucky you. The rustic country road approach […]
Abby Cifarelli
On the East Coast, especially in and around New York City, it’s hard to imagine there are still empty niches waiting to be filled. But, if you listen hard enough, opportunities to take an interest and turn it into a career are just about everywhere. For Abby Cifarelli, a Westchester girl working full-time at Macy’s, […]
Calling All Consumers!
I remember the first time I visited a wine region about 15 years ago on a trip up to Santa Barbara with my family. It was a revelation to see vineyards and to be in a tasting room drinking wine where the fruit came from. A very, very cool concept for this young wino to […]