DOTJ - Drinking On The Job

Send us Fan Mail Dimitri Karagiannis never imagined he’d become Wine Director at Babbo. He studied journalism in Athens, built a career in the media, then moved to New York and found his way back to the wine he grew up around. Today, he’s shaping the cellar at one of the city’s most storied Italian restaurants. What happened between Athens and Babbo? That’s the story. Check out the website: www.dr...

Send us Fan Mail Oysters, whaling, shipwrecks, the Revolution, bananas and a town built around the sea—David Wright brings the wonderfully strange history of Wellfleet to life. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail In  a world where restaurants are run by apps, algorithms and reservation platforms, Tina Vaughn is fighting back—with a telephone, a handwritten reservation book and the belief that hospitality still means knowing your customer. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail Kalche Wine Cooperative is helping lead the way toward a new, sustainable, worker-designed economy. Their farming and production practices pay tribute to the pan-cultural origins of winemaking by preserving the bounty our environment provides. They embrace hybrid grapes, local fruits, and innovative fermentation methods to maximize resourcefulness, reduce environmental impact, and...

Send us Fan Mail Why is whiskey sometimes spelled without the "e"? Who makes the better whiskey—the Scots or the Irish? Did explorers really uncover three lost cases of Ernest Shackleton's Scotch whisky at his Antarctic base camp more than a century later—and then painstakingly recreate the original spirit? From ancient origins to the digital age, this episode is packed with remarka...

Send us Fan Mail Matthieu Sabbagh is one of the few mobile distillers in the world, traveling directly to Burgundy's most celebrated vineyards and producers to distill Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes at their source. The result is an extraordinary portfolio of spirits—including SABS Gin, Marc de Bourgogne, and Fine de Bourgogne—that have earned placements in some of France's top wine ba...

Send us Fan Mail For 30 years, André Tamers and De Maison Selections have been changing the way America drinks wine—discovering iconic producers before anyone else, championing authenticity over trends, and building one of the most respected portfolios in the industry. Today, we celebrate three decades of vision, passion, and an unwavering commitment to the people behind the bottle. Check out the...

Send us Fan Mail Wine critic. Palate shaper. Burgundy insider. Before he helped define a generation of wines at The Wine Advocate, Pierre-Antoine Rovani was helping shape how we taste Burgundy itself. Now, as the man behind Maison Remoissenet Père et Fils, he joins DOTJ to talk great vintages, rebuilding a legendary house, and what truly makes a wine unforgettable. Check out the website: www.drink...

Send us Fan Mail Globetrotting chef Andrew Zimmern—a fearless voice at the intersection of food, culture, and curiosity—dives into what we eat, why it matters, and the stories that shape it all. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail Café Mulberry and The Mulberry are redefining neighborhood dining—where old-school charm meets downtown edge, and every detail feels personal. This is a story about building a vibe, not just a restaurant. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail David & Lois Cho are crafting wines with precision, energy, and a kind of quiet intensity that stays with you. No shortcuts. No excess. Just clarity and purpose in every glass. This is what happens when obsession meets taste. #winepodcast #drinkbetter#winelife #sommlife #getchowines Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Che...

Send us Fan Mail Perched above the village of Radda in Chianti, this tiny 12-acre estate is carved into steep hillsides at 1,050–1,200 feet, surrounded by forest and bathed in southeastern light. Ancient vines—mostly Sangiovese planted in 1967—dig deep into galestro clay and fractured alberese stone, yielding wines of striking tension and lift. #ertadiradda#chianticlassico#chianticlassico_brunello...

Send us Fan Mail His first vintage captivated top sommeliers in Paris and Michelin-starred restaurants — and never made it to the U.S. Now the second vintage has arrived, and North Berkeley Imports is ready to wow the country.  I t’s not just Vouvray. It’s old-vine, single-site Chenin Blanc grown on pure limestone (tuffeau) clay, flint soils , farmed with an almost obsessive focus on low yields an...

Send us Fan Mail When tariffs hit, small importers didn’t just lose margin — they lost oxygen. But one importer refused to accept it. Victor Schwartz of VOS Imports took on executive trade power in a landmark case against Trump-era tariffs — and won. This isn’t just a wine story. It’s a story about grit, limits of authority, and what happens when one voice refuses to stay quiet. Check out the webs...

Send us Fan Mail Peasant has an all-star hospitality team, and from the moment you walk through the door, you feel at home. Beneath the soft glow of candlelight, superstar chef Marc Forgione’s food arrives as the scent of the wood-burning oven teases your senses. And that’s just the beginning. Big shout out to Cara and Irakly for that special touch that keeps people coming back  Check out the webs...

Send us Fan Mail Arthur Guinness felt it was important to give back to the city that hosts the brewery. In the 1800s, the Guinness family contributed to the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. St. Stephen’s Green, a private green reserved for the city’s wealthiest residents, was purchased by Arthur Edward Guinness and donated to the City so the green space could be enjoyed by everyon...

Send us Fan Mail JYPSI Whiskey is built differently—starting with heirloom grains and aging chosen for flavor, not efficiency, and driven by a fiercely independent ethos that traces back to Eric Church turning down a Jack Daniel’s signature bottling , an honor previously offered only to Frank Sinatra . Walking away from a massive payday, Church chose ownership over endorsement, helping build JYPSI...

Send us Fan Mail Jared Deery manages the Iconic restaurant Blue Ribbon Brasserie. He is also a brilliant painter whose art has been featured around the world and  one of the founders of Tappeto Volante Projects  and Art Studio. It’s the Life and Times of a brilliant artist.  Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist an...

Send us Fan Mail One of my favorite episodes to date: Eric Guido from Vinous has just completed a two-week, sardine-only diet. It’s the perfect time for a deep dive into sardines—their health benefits, varying price points, and the impact of their country of origin.  Also joining me is super taster Audrey Frick, where we discuss the best wine pairings to complement these unique fish. Check out the...

Send us Fan Mail I believe 100 years of joy radiate from the floor boards of Raoul's . Karim Raoul joins me to discuss this legendary  restaurant. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail Christmas doesn’t arrive with answers. In a year that’s asked a lot of us,  this is a pause—  to breathe,  to remember,  to connect. Because the moments that matter most  are often the quiet ones  a voice,  a memory,  a little light in the dark. Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail Keens Wine Director James Conley presides over a world class wine list, a selection of over 300 scotches and curates some of the most arcane American memorabilia.  Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail There are three things you need for the holidays in NYC—see Rockefeller Center Tree,  stroll the holiday windows, and dine at Oceana, where legendary Managing Partner and Wine Director Paul McLaughlin shares stories from the city’s iconic seafood institution. Paul's boundless energy and enthusiasm for hospitality is what makes him one of the most notable people in the restaur...

Send us Fan Mail Provisions Fine Beverage is a visionary Wine, Spirit, N/A and cannabis Bev company.  Click for more info: https://www.provisionsok.com/the-team Check out the website: www.drinkingonthejob.com for great past episodes. Everyone from Iron Chefs, winemakers, journalist and more. 

Send us Fan Mail The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction is one of the most iconic and historically significant wine auctions on the planet. Andrew’’s path into wine was anything but linear. He initially dismissed a wine-career, only later discovering it through hospitality service and being captivated by “weird and wonderful” wines. He went on and studied at CAFA Wine School in Bordeaux, which is not...