A Cork in the Road

Steven Hargrove is the Associate Director for the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction with more than 18 years of special-event fundraising experience. Previously, he managed the special events team at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which produced more than seven large-scale events that raised more than $3 million in revenue. Prior to the Food Bank, Steven oversaw special events for Meals On Wheels Atlanta. Steven loves to travel and has visited nearly 40 countries, with his favorites being China, Italy, South Africa, Israel and Costa Rica. He has also hiked the Inca Trail in Peru, and he hiked Patagonia through the countries of Argentina and Chile in fall 2022. We talk about the origins of his love for wine, which was a parallel journey while pursuing a Juris Doctor and a Master of Industrial Relations from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Music from Oklahoma City University. He gives us a behind the scenes look at the process of producing the auction events each year in Atlanta and how the team interacts with the participating wineries throughout the year. His favorite wines at the moment are Tuscan Chiantis, California Cabernet Sauvignons, and Bordeaux blends. You can visit www.highmuseumwine.org to learn more about the auction and you can follow @highmuseumwine on Instagram. Recorded April 5, 2023 ---------------------------------------------------------  This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines

This episode features Sommelier Dustin French and Bern's Steakhouse. Dustin grew up in upstate New York in a small town called Bolton Landing. At the age of 12, he started washing dishes on weekends at the local diner where his mother worked. He continued working in restaurants during the summer throughout high school and college working almost every position imaginable. After graduating college, he tried to pursue a career in finance while still bartending and waiting tables on the side. After shifting his goals to the hospitality industry, he moved to Tampa, FL in October of 2020 and began his career at Bern’s Steakhouse that December. He first started working in the bar department, but he switched over to the wine department when an associate sommelier position opened up. In October of 2021, he completely moved over to the wine department and has been working the floor at Bern’s ever since. We talk about what makes this wine program so incredibly unique, and he provides some insights into the beautiful history of this special place, He also speaks to the caliber of the wine collection that he gets to work with on a daily basis and how he is simultaneously pursuing his own wine education. He currently holds the Certified Sommelier designation through the Court of Master Sommeliers and has his eyes set on taking the Advanced exam in 2024. In his free time, he says he loves nothing more than a date night with his fiancé or hanging out with his Siberian husky, Pursey.  You can connect with Dustin on Instagram by following @dustin_c_fr and you can follow @bernssteakhouse and check out www.bernsstreakhouse.com to plan your visit. Recorded April 3, 2023

This episode was the first ever recording of the podcast with a live audience here in Atlanta, GA. We welcomed Rollin Soles of ROCO Winery to Vine Vault for a tasting and live show. Rollin's story begins in Texas, but he took side trips through Switzerland, Australia, and California to ultimately end up in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Educated as a microbiologist and having studied biochemistry in college, Rollin's winemaking combines work ethic and science along with a passion for showcasing wines that represent a sense of place. As Oregon’s original producer of sparkling wine, Rollin insists on a pioneering, innovative spirit in the ROCO cellar—always seeking new insight and trying new ideas to keep the wines among the very best that the Willamette Valley produces. You can follow @rocowinery on social media and visit www.rocowinery.com to learn about his portfolio and to join the mailing list. Recorded on February 23, 2023 live in Atlanta --------------------------------------------------------- This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines

Cheers to 100 episodes! We celebrate this milestone by checking in and catching up with several past guests: Billie Harris (2:48 - 15:44) Billie was the guest on the first ever episode of the podcast – Episode 1! She is the founder and owner of The Vino Van, LLC providing fun and educational wine tours from Atlanta to various Georgia vineyards and wineries. The Vino Van is a 10-passenger customized Mercedes Benz sprinter, and we talk about what excites her most about the wine tourism industry in the Southeast. Billie also drops some big news on this episode about some exciting new additions to the company launching in 2023 (@thevinovanllc) Chelsea Young (15:51 - 42:14) In 2018, Chelsea was an inaugural recipient of the Fuel Your Dreams Scholarship for Women in Wine by Women of the Vine & Spirits. As of January 2023, she sat for her last WSET Diploma exams and is (impatiently) awaiting results. She is currently studying for SWE’s Certified Wine Educator, WSG’s French Wine Scholar, and WSET’s Certified Educator. In September of 2022, Chelsea opened the Oenophile Institute in Smyrna, Georgia. The Institute is a wine school that is accessible, inclusive, and affordable for everyone from casual consumers to industry professionals. (@winey.redhead and @oenophileinstitute) Taurean Philpott (42:21 - 1:11:48) When Taurean was last on the show, he was working as the sommelier and beverage manager at Bacchanalia in Atlanta. In 2022, he then had the opportunity to work as a Harvest intern at Provignange, working with the winemaking team overseeing Piedrasassi, Domaine de la Cote, and Evening Land. He talks about being involved in everything from sorting, barreling down, fermentation management, bottling, and labeling. Now back in Atlanta, he currently oversees the wine program at Taste Wine Bar and Market in The Works. (@chateauneufdupapi_) Larissa Dubose (1:11:55 - 1:40:38) Larissa is the National Director of Beverages for airport concessionaire Paradies Lagardère’s Dining Division, including the popular wine bar concept Vino Volo. As the founder and resident wine educator of The Lotus and The Vines, her passion for wine education is clear. She desires to redefine wine culture and bridge the gap from wine novice to connoisseur using the soft skills of wine knowledge and etiquette, empowering a new generation of wine lovers. This effort has been recently recognized in her inclusion of the inaugural cohort of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Future 40. (@larissacdubose) Dan and Kristina Limoges (1:40:45 - 2:05:10) Limoges Cellars is an up and coming vineyard and winery situated on 37 acres in the North Georgia mountains. As winemakers and owners, Dan and Kristina Limoges aim to make exceptional wines from their own grown vinifera and offer unique interpretations on traditional European wine making styles. The focus at Limoges Cellars will be thoughtfully paired, quality wine and food with an emphasis on education in how to taste wine, pair wine, and expand one's wine tasting palate. (@limogescellars) ------- Recorded in February and March of 2023

This episode features Janice Williams, a freelance writer living, working, wining, and dining in New York City. Before transitioning into the food and wine space, Janice covered culture and entertainment news for Newsweek. She has been studying journalism from day one in school and in her career, but now she’s sharing her voice and talented skillset with the world of food and beverage media. Her work has now been featured in print and online publications, including Wine Enthusiast, Uproxx, Vine Pair, and Thrillist, among others. We talk about some of her favorite projects to date, her recent trip to South Africa, and her guiding principles for what she feels will ultimately move the wine industry forward in years to come. You can follow @browngirldrinkswine on Instagram for her latest insights. Recorded February 21, 2023  

This episode is our first "Listener Q&A" episode inspired by our friends at The Winemakers Podcast. Kelly's husband, Ryan Cornett, joins her live on air to discuss a variety of questions submitted by podcast listeners and to celebrate approaching the 100th episode of the show. Recorded February 3, 2023 This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines

This episode features Yolanda Shoshana, a tastemaker, content creator, brand ambassador, and on-premise representative for wine and spirits based in New York City. She created and performed The Wine Club Monologues, a solo show about wine showcased at the Hartford Fringe Festival and Syracuse Fringe Festival. She has written about wine and spirits for print and online outlets including Huffington Post, Liquor.com, The Village Voice, Black Enterprise, Essence, The Frisky, SheKnows.com, United States Bartenders Guild, and Your Tango. She also because a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier NY in 2020 and is recognized as “one of the most creative influencers” in the wine community who “taps into the broader socio-cultural context and on-going discussions that are fundamental to the well-being of everyone in food, beverage, and beyond.” We talk about the future of combining art and wine, and she provides some helpful tips about finding a story while experiencing wine and press events. We close out the episode with a fun recap of her recent trip to Argentina and discuss our mutual appreciation for the city of Buenos Aires. You can follow @yolandashoshana on social media, and you can learn more about her portfolio of work by visiting www.yolandashoshana.com.  Recorded January 28, 2023

Kaitlin "Jett" Kolarik is a wine professional and photographer in Atlanta, GA. They come to the wine industry from a background in media production and photography, but we talk about how they fell in love with the wine world over the past few years now having experience working in restaurants, wine bars, and currently, one of the friendly faces you’ll see working in wine retail at 3 Parks Wine Shop in Glenwood Park here in Atlanta. Kaitlin is passionate about sustainability and inclusivity in the wine world and loves learning about the people and the producers behind wines, especially in the category of minimal intervention wines. They also relatively recently had the opportunity to attend Pinot Camp in Oregon, so we talk about how that unique experience – and first official visit to a winery! - has further fueled their personal pursuit of wine education and exploration. You can follow @picklesanddishsoap for wine insights on social media, and you can keep an eye on www.kaitlinkolarik.com for their wine and photography projects in the future. Recorded January 16, 2023 This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines

This episode features Adam Pucillo, currently the Fine Wine Specialist for The Estates Group, the fine wine division of Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC). He was formerly the wine director of Del Frisco's Double Eagle - Atlanta, American Cut and Regent Cocktail Club, and was also part of the opening team at Atlas Buckhead in the St. Regis - Atlanta.  We talk about his time working in these fine dining restaurants and the skills he developed from wine service along the way. Adam is an Advanced Sommelier and winner of the 2017 Taste of Atlanta “Atlanta’s Best Somm” competition and the 2020 "Somm Smackdown" Champion. He also recently passed the Theory portion of the Master Sommelier Diploma exam in July 2022, so we talk about the preparation process and the emotional rollercoaster involved in pursuing this level of wine education. He is a longtime Atlanta resident, where he finished his degrees in engineering at Georgia Tech.  Adam is also the proud father of his 6 year old son, Lucas. The best way to reach Adam is via email, adam.pucillo@gmail.com, and he is always willing to help others who are looking for ways to further their wine education. Recorded December 20, 2022

This episode features Steven Meir, the founder of Bon Vin Selections. He grew up in Atlanta and graduated from the University of Georgia, but he got his start in the hospitality and fine dining industry when he moved to Vail, CO after college. His wine journey later took him to New York City in 2006 where he began working as a sommelier in fine dining restaurants including Babbo, Daniel, and Jean-Georges. With an opportunity to later move into distribution, he worked at Michael Skurnik Wines from 2009-2021 as a Manhattan-based sales rep. We talk about the skills he gained in these various roles and what eventually led him to moving back to Atlanta in 2021 to begin building his own wine distribution brand. Steven officially launched Bon Vin Selections in March 2022, and since then he's been building his brand and connecting with the Atlanta wine community in a very impactful way. We discuss some of the challenges of wine distribution related to laws and regulations in the state of Georgia, but we also talk about why it's such an exciting time to bring new suppliers into the Georgia market. You can follow @bonvinselections on social media to learn more about Steven's wines, producers, and tasting events, and you can check out www.bonvinselections.com for information about his portfolio.  Recorded November 19, 2022 This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines