Beats Vines and Life

The BYOB King! How Mark Iacono built Lucali's into an NYC institution brick by brick and bottle by bottle MJ’s guest is a chef and owner of the one of the most sought after pizzerias in all of Brooklyn, Mark Iacono. Born and raised in Carroll Gardens, Mark Iacono grew up fully immersed in Italian American culture. He was a regular neighborhood kid. He enjoyed his grandmother’s cooking, playing cen...

MJ’s guest is veteran Sommelier, author and Co-Founder, and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, Sarah Thomas. Sarah was sommelier at acclaimed Le Bernardin. She is now the co-founder and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, where she brings together her lifelong passions for both food and books. The daughter of two south Indian immigrants, Sarah grew up in the rural town of Somerset, Pennsy...

MJ’s guest today is Sommelier, Wine Sales and Marketing Phenom and Chief Revenue Officer for Hundred Acres Wine Group, Landon Patterson. A native of Southern California, Patterson began his wine career as a Sommelier in Las Vegas, working with the venerable Wolfgang Puck at his signature restaurants on "The Strip". While there, he built a passion and a strong platform of knowledge focused on inter...

Who would Audrey Frick most like to drink a bottle of wine with and what did MJ learn from her answer? What turns John Kapon on - besides his wife? Pascaline Lepeltier’s favorite cartoon? Lyle Railsback’s least favorite word? (hint, there are two of them and yup, we totally feel him!)  Bruno Almeida curses in Portuguese and Eric Asimov’s work out routine makes him a triple threat.  &nbsp...

MJ’s guest is seasoned sommelier, wine educator and founder of Volcanic Selections, Jeff Porter. Jeff has been featured in numerous major food and wine publications, such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Eater and The Financial Times . Jeff’s sommelier career began in Napa Valley, where he worked at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena. He joined the Bastianich H...

MJ’s guest is wine expert, sommelier and founder of Thatcher’s Wine Consulting, Thatcher Baker-Briggs. He has made a career of stepping outside his comfort zone, always pushing himself to learn and master something new. His professional trajectory boasts key positions in kitchens and dining rooms of some of the most influential restaurants in the world including: then three-Michelin starred Saison...

MJ’s guest is chef, author, radio, and TV host and restaurant expert Michael Colameco! Michael is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, class January '82. After graduating from CIA he worked at the Four Seasons Restaurant, Windows On The World (Cellar in The Sky), The Maurice, Tavern On The Green and at the age of 31 he was the Executive Chef of The Ritz Carlton, New York City. Mike was...

MJ’s guest is acclaimed sommelier, restaurateur, entrepreneur and owner of Terroir Tribeca Wine Bar in New York City, Paul Greico. Originally from Toronto, his family owned and operated the iconic La Tosca restaurant, which Paul worked at for many years alongside his father and grandfather. In 1991 he arrived in New York City  and began his restaurant career. By 1994, he was working at Gramer...

MJ’s guest today is an author, senior partner at Deloitte, a Certified Sommelier with the Guild of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and a Master of Wine Candidate with the Institute of Masters of Wine - Michael Juergens. Michael has written a number of books on wine, and runs the wildly popular Drinking & Knowing Things wine blog which was adapted into a book that provides 52...

MJ’s guest is owner and winemaker of Monte Rio Cellars, Patrick Cappiello. Patrick got his start in restaurants, starting his wine career in 2002 as a Sommelier at Tribeca Grill. As time progressed his roles changed to Wine Director and restaurant owner over the next 15 years. Through connections with countless winemakers and after meeting his current business partner Pax Mahle, the transition to...

MJ’s guest today is Master Sommelier, Award-winning TV host and Author, Andrea Robinson. Andrea is one of only 28 women in the world to hold the title of Master Sommelier. Andrea is the first woman designated as Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America. She is the author of four top-selling books on wine and food, a 3-time James Beard Award winner and award-winning l...

MJ’s guest today is director of winemaking at Tooth & Nail Wine Company in Paso Robles, California, Jeremy Leffert. Jeremy has been the director of Tooth & Nail since 2015. Amor Fati, Stasis and Tooth & Nail wines are made under the guidance of Jeremy. He is an avid outdoorsman, specializing in mountaineering. A flat-picking guitarist since the age of 10, Jeremy lives in Templeton, CA,...

MJ’s guest today is Master Sommelier, Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, and star of the upcoming CNN TV series “Nomad with Carlton”... Carlton McCoy. Carlton is one of the youngest people and second African American to earn the title of Master Sommelier. Carlton worked in revered institutions such as Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit and Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak i...

MJ’s guest today is a living legend in the world of wine and wine educators, Kevin Zraly . Kevin Zraly is best known from his time as the wine director for the Windows on the World restaurant and founder of the Windows on the World Wine School on the 106th and 107th floors of NYC’s World Trade Center.  After the loss of the restaurant in 2001, Zraly continued the wine school for another 15 ye...

MJ’s guest today is second generation sommelier, restaurateur and the U.S. Ambassador for Charles Heidsieck Champagne, Philippe André. Many of you may know him by his IG handle Nique Somm. Philippe first developed a passion for hospitality and wine education growing up in the fine dining restaurant business. He answered his professional calling working as the Wine Director at his family’s highly e...

MJ’s guest today is owner and Chief Bubble Officer of La Caravelle Champagne and Founder & President of Bouquet Ventures, Hospitality Consulting - Rita Jammet. Rita and her husband André Jammet owned and operated the iconic New York French restaurant, La Caravelle. The New York Times described La Caravelle as a “French Legend and a Paris in Manhattan experience to food enthusiasts and the A-li...

MJ’s guest today is celebrated sommelier Marquita Levy. Marquita was featured in the New York Times article written by Eric Asimov on Black Wine Professionals. She was one of the consulting Sommeliers for the Wine & Spirits October issue Black Rising Stars. Marquita discovered her passion for wine while waiting tables to support her dance career. When wine became her main focus, she retired fr...

MJ’s guest today is Author, Sommelier and Restaurateur, Victoria James. As the Beverage Director and Partner at COTE in New York City and Miami, she recently received a second James Beard nomination for "Outstanding Wine Program." Victoria has worked in restaurants since she was thir­teen, falling in love with wine so much that at age twenty-one she became certified as a Sommelier. She has worked...

MJ’s guest today is managing partner of Tribeca Wine Merchants (TWM) - Ben Aneff, a proud Native Texan turned New Yorker. TWM has been called a “renowned Burgundy specialist” by Wine Enthusiast , and named one of “America’s Best Wine Shops” by Food & Wine Magazine. Having come to New York for graduate school in music, Ben’s first job in the wine world was a part-time position at TWM. His inter...

MJ’s guest today is esteemed Somm, wine educator, restaurateur and disabilities advocate - Yannick Benjamin. Yannick is a proud New Yorker from Hell’s Kitchen. Born into a family of French restaurateurs, he has worked for many highly regarded restaurants throughout NYC: Le Cirque, Oceana, Jean-Georges, Atlas, Felidia, and Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton. In 2003, a car accident left him paralyzed from...

MJ’s guest today is Master of Wine, wine educator, columnist, and co-author of the iconic book Wine for Dummies Mary Ewing-Mulligan. Mary was the first woman in North America to become a Master of Wine. She is also the president of The International Wine Center (IWC) in New York, an independent wine and spirits school founded in 1982. At IWC, Mary runs the academically rigorous programs of the Win...

MJ’s guest today is President of the Legendary Import and Distribution Company Skurnik Wines and Spirits, Harmon Skurnik. The company began with just a handful of relatively unknown estates in 1987 and has since grown to represent over 500 estates, most of which are family-owned and operated. Harmon has been a partner in Skurnik Wines & Spirits since 1989 - from tasting, to buying, to managing...

MJ’s guest this week is Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross, the creators of LEGEND Imports. Jane and Jonathan share a combined six years of work in Australia’s most renowned restaurants, and nearly 40 years in the wine industry. Jane has worked at many prestigious restaurants and bars, such as The Violet Hour (Chicago), The Catbird Seat (Nashville), Eleven Madison Park (New York) and Attica (Melbourne)....

If you follow MJ on IG you know that he is all about balancing wine with wellness. When Lisabeth Danneels & Emily Gold of the Fine Line Podcast: Balancing Hedonism and Health reached out to chat he was all in! In this convo you'll learn even more about MJ and his unique path to wine podcasting. The ladies and MJ share great hacks for staying fit and healthy while living your best wine loving l...

MJ’s guest today is German wine lover, expert, avid vinyl fanatic and best known to listeners by his IG handle Soil Pimp, Robert Dentice. When not toiling away during the day financing Biotech companies he can frequently be found visiting the world’s greatest vineyards and winemakers - particularly in Germany. His wine collection is primarily focused on Germany and could easily be one of the large...