A Cork in the Road

This episode features Sommelier and Wine Director, Steven Grubbs, who currently manages four wine programs in Georgia. His longest role is with Five and Ten in Athens, where he got his start in the industry, to the newest now being Commune, a listening room and wine bar in Avondale estates which conveniently combines his love for wine and music as he is also a musician. You’ll hear about his appro...

This episode features winemaker Rajat Parr, a sommelier turned farmer, published author, and mentor to many. He speaks of people, places, and wines with such a wealth of knowledge, and he is one of those people who is making an impact far beyond what he himself may even know.. His focus these days is his property in Cambria, on California’s Central Coast, taking care of the vineyards of Phelan Far...

This episode features Ashley Buzzy, the artist, printmaker, sommelier, and businesswoman behind Press Shop in Atlanta, Georgia. Press Shop is a thoughtfully-curated gift shop in Summerhill with a strong local and online presence and an emphasis on letterpress stationery, low intervention wines, and impactful books. She talks about how her focus is on connecting the maker with the buyer in a way th...

This episode features a live audience conversation with Dan Kosta, the President and Founder of DK Wine Group including Convene, Admire, and Grail wines. Dan grew up in Sonoma County, and he has over 20 years of experience in the wine industry. Dan’s career in the restaurant industry ultimately led him to wine production, but he worked as a back waiter, a waiter, bartender, operations manager, and...

This episode features Nicole Alvarez, the head Sommelier and Beverage Director at The Alden in Chamblee, GA. She has been working in restaurants since she was 16, but she also recently graduated with her college degree in Political Science last December. Her current focus is to expand the wine list at The Alden to meet the variety and range of the culinary program. Her role includes everything fro...

This episode features Adam Venable, a Sales Consultant for Winebow based in Atlanta, GA. His family is from Columbus, GA, and he got into wine through working in restaurants (Houston’s, Two Urban Licks, Empire State South, The Spence) starting around 18 years old, with help from his father who had an interest and small collection of wines. We discuss the value of sales incentives while working in...

This episode features Norie Chinea, the Southeast Regional Manager for Laurent-Perrier Champagne. Norie is considered a specialist in the Champagne category, but she has more than 15 years of marketing and sales experience in the wine & spirits industry. Originally from Puerto Rico, her passion for wine has led her to earn certifications from the International Wine Guild and the Court of Maste...

This episode features Braxton Parr, the Supervising Video Producer at Wine Enthusiast. He manages the Wine Enthusiast video department and leads digital media strategy, so he plays a key role in filming, editing, and directing content that is published across Wine Enthusiast platforms. We talk about how his wine education has impacted his ability to generate content ideas, and we also talk about h...

This episode features Jane Lopes, an accomplished wine professional who was born in Napa, California and graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Renaissance literature and a love for food, wine, and spirits. After college, Jane began to pick up shifts at nationally acclaimed cocktail bar, The Violet Hour, and in August of 2011, Jane moved to Nashville to be the opening beverage d...

This episode features Dannielle Thomas, a wine sales and events professional and a WSET L3 candidate currently working at Dom Beijos wine shop in Atlanta, GA. Prior to wine, for over a decade, Danielle was working in the human rights and humanitarian sector with a focus on women's health, social and political power, and child advocacy, so we talk about how her wine journey now intertwines and...

This episode features Francis Coligado, the Beverage Director for Nooshe Jan Group which currently consists of both locations of Del Bar and Bibi. Francis has worked in the service industry for close to 17 years and bartended for 15 of those years while obtaining a business degree from GCSU and a law degree from Florida Coastal Law School in Jacksonville, FL. He worked at Rumi’s Kitchen when he mo...

This episode features an in-person conversation with winemaker Pepe Raventós recorded live in Atlanta, GA. He is the 21st generation of the family to work the same land since 1497 in Spain, and Pepe is passionate about the world of wine and viticulture. Raventós i Blanc, his family’s winery, was actually the very first appointment I booked for my itinerary when I visited Spain in September - I wan...

This episode features Eric S. Crane, the Director of Training for Empire Distributors, Inc. He’s been active in booze education for the last 20 years, and he says he fills his days learning and talking about fermented and distilled things. You’ll hear great ideas and a lot of wise advice as we discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from the current scope of wine education to his favorite concert...

This episode features Lindsey Fragalle, a wine consultant and retail sales specialist who has worked in the wine industry for almost seven years. She started her wine journey while living for a brief time in California where she worked at two wineries in the Bay Area. Since moving back to Atlanta in early 2019, she has worked at a small, local wine shop in Brookhaven, GA called Brookhaven Wines. I...

This episode features Steffini Bethea, owner of Purple Corkscrew Wine Shop and Tasting Room located in Avondale Estates. Steffini is a wife and mother of two who back 2012 saw a need for a shop that sold carefully chosen, high quality wines within Atlanta. In addition to her WSET wine certification, she also holds a degree in Biology from the University of Houston which has served as a backbone to...

This episode features Jordan Smelt, the wine director and co-owner of Lucian Books & Wine in Buckhead, Atlanta. Originally from Tampa, Jordan has called Atlanta home for over two decades and during that time has worked at some of the best restaurants in the city, including Cakes & Ale, Holeman & Finch, and Restaurant Eugene. He also served as the General Manager of Rive Gauche Wine Co....

This episode features Hailey Culmone, a Certified Sommelier in Atlanta, GA who works in wine distribution and hosts private tasting events. She grew up working in restaurants, but it wasn't until a 6-month trip abroad between undergraduate and graduate school working on a coffee farm led her to fall deeper in love with wine. We talk about how she started to notice the nuances of both coffee an...

This episode features Anthony Panzica, the Beverage Director of The Porchetta Group based in Atlanta, GA. He overseas the beverage programs at all of the restaurants that are part of this Italian-focused restaurant group rooted in values of community, culture, and family. We talk about his early experiences with food in his family, his approach to wine pairings, and his fascination with Vermouth....

This episode features Laura Brown Unterstein, a passionate wine professional combining the expertise of her years as an American Sign Language Interpreter with her verve for the wine world. She is currently the national sales manager for Maysara Winery, as well as the cofounder of Uncorked Access, an organization making the wine industry more accessible to the d/Deaf community. She has been recogn...

This episode features Kelly of A Cork in the Road as a guest on The Wine Makers Podcast with Brian Casey, Sam Coturri, Bart Hansen, and host John Myers recorded live at the Sixteen 600 tasting house in Sonoma County in February 2023. We (Kelly and Ryan) have been big fans of their show and their wines for awhile, so being on their show was an honor. It was an incredible opportunity to sit down and...

This episode is a “first” in the podcast’s history because we had not one, not two, but six microphones set up for this live recording in Atlanta, GA. It is also our first roundtable discussion format for the show. We sat down with 5 Italian wine producers that were visiting Atlanta as part of a tour with The Sorting Table, an importer who distributes their producers' wines to wholesalers thro...

This episode features Sommelier Jason Wilfore, the recent champion of our "Unusual Suspects" Blind Tasting Competition here in Atlanta, GA. He was born and raised in Schenectady, NY and got his start working in the restaurant business as a server and singer at Romano's Macaroni Grill. He later worked at Provence in Guilderland, NY which focused more on traditional French and Mediterr...

This episode features our live audience in-person recording with winemaker Filipa Pato from Portugal. Thanks to Bon Vin Selections, we set up this recording at Dom Beijos in Kirkwood, a wine shop that specializes in showcasing Portuguese wines in the heart of Atlanta. Her passion for the indigenous grape varieties of the Bairrada appellation of Portugal is what led her to start her own project in...

This episode features Jill Davis, the Hospitality & Events Manager for DuMOL Winery where she brings the DuMOL story to life for guests at the winery and on the road. Jill grew up outside of Atlanta and went to college at Georgia Tech, and now her unmatched enthusiasm for and knowledge of wine allow her to engage with novices and experts alike. Prior to joining DuMOL, Jill spent several years...

This episode features Meaghan Odum, the creator of @trillwinewife on Instagram and one of the most recent Elevate Award recipients from Wine Unify. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Meaghan currently lives in Mississippi, so we chat about the wine scene and how she is using social media as a tool these days to show up as her authentic self and showcase her own unique perspective while learning a...