The Wine List

Joshua Greene has been the Editor and Publisher of “ Wine and Spirits ” magazine since 1986. In addition to writing feature stories and commentaries for each issue, Josh and staff taste thousands of wines annually. Josh is also the critic for the wines of the Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Portugal, Rioja, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Wine and Spirits Magazine annually fea...

Sarah Fernandez got into wine and hospitality only a few years ago. She has worked at Shoji, Niche Niche and Special Club in NYC. A Graduate of Cornell University, she also spent many years in research at Jacobi, Mt Sinai, and NYU Hospitals. She currently works in wine retail at Depanneur in Brooklyn. Jane Lopes returns to The Grape Nation and also the United States after a long stint at Attica in...

Out of the gates of Louisville, Vanessa Price got her first taste of wine at a local winery. She made her way to New York to study acting, music and film, then ultimately to follow her passion for wine and hospitality. Vanessa worked at various restaurants, helped open a wine bar, and worked in wine import, sales, and education. She dedicated herself to becoming both a student and teacher of wine,...

Joel Gott grew up around wine in California, he is a fifth-generation winemaker producing his wildly popular eponymous Joel Gott wines with from California, Oregon, and Washington with his wife Sarah. Joel, along with his brother Duncan also run Gott’s Roadside Stand, a legendary food stop in Northern California. Joel is a busy guy these days expanding his wine and restaurant holdings along with a...

Quebecois David McMillan is considered one of the most innovative, successful and interesting restauranteurs in Canada. He along with his partner Fred Morin are Proprietors of multiple Montreal restaurants including Joe Beef and wine bar Le Vin Papillon. Legendary for his bigger than life eating and drinking, David now is more inward appreciating life with his daughters on his farm. David McMillan...

New York City’s own Ariel Arce is the proprietor of Niche Niche, Airs Champagne Parlor, Tokyo Record Bar, and Special Club. Ariel is a thought leader, tastemaker, influencer and has been tagged as “The New Guard of New York Dining”. She has created a convivial, laid back and affordable neighborhood hang with a focus on wine, Champagne, education, music, and creative food. Ariel Arce has been refer...

You can’t talk about natural wine in the US without Zev Rovine being in the conversation. Waiter turned wine distributor, Zev starting importing wines back in 2008 from small estates that are terroir driven, practicing low intervention and organics. He is the proprietor of Zev Rovine Selections, importing wine from over a dozen countries and 140+ wineries. In light of the pandemic and racial inequ...

Rupert Symington is a fourth-generation port maker from a family of British and Portuguese origin dating back to the late 1800’s. Rupert was educated in England and worked in finance there, making his way to San Francisco before returning to the family business in Porto and the Douro in Portugal. Rupert is the CEO of Symington Family Estates, overseeing four of the leading Port houses including Gr...

Bi-Coastal Patrick Cappiello has been in the wine biz for almost thirty years, and he ain’t an old guy! He has been an award-winning sommelier, restaurant owner, wine importer/distributor and now the owner/winemaker of his own wine label in Sonoma County, Monte Rio Cellars with partner Pax Mahle. Patrick crafts wine from grapes in the spirit of old California, a style lacking of oak and high alcoh...

Victoria James is an award-winning Sommelier and Beverage Director at Michelin starred Cote Korean Steakhouse in NYC. Victoria’s road to success was not an easy one as documented in her new memoir “Wine Girl” The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America’s Youngest Sommelier”. It is an intense story of a childhood plagued by poverty, neglect, and abuse, and ultimately her ascension into the...

Delia Viader was born in Argentina and made education a priority. She spent her formative years in Europe bringing her PHD from the Sorbonne to the US to further pursue business and wine studies at MIT, Univ. of Calif. Berkley and Davis. Delia got into the wine business in Napa, Calif. In the early 1980’s and was one of the first women winemakers in the Valley. She is Proprietor of the now multi-g...

Houston born Zwann Grays headed north to work for People magazine in NYC and Miami eventually morphing to a career in wine getting her chops at the retail level and at a wine importer in New York.  She followed her love for wine into the restaurant biz and worked at Anfora, Bouley, Terroir, and Estela to name a few. Zwann Grays is now the Wine Director at Olmsted in Brooklyn and is a big proponent...

Born and raised in California, Krista Scruggs eventually made her way east to Vermont. Along the way she worked her grandfather's farm, took a job with a big wine company, worked harvests in Europe, and cut her teeth at La Garigiste. Krista is a true Vigneronne. She is at the forefront of the "New American" wine revival, working with hybrid grapes, apples, other fruits, co-fermentations, and a com...

Alessia Antinori is a 26th generation winemaker at Marchesi Antinori . The Antinori family has been committed to the art of winemaking for over six centuries since 1385, and is one of Italy’s oldest and biggest family run businesses. Alessia holds a degree in Viticulture and is Vice President of the family winery alongside her two sisters Allegra, Albiera, and iconic dad Piero Antinori. In March,...

Houston and DC based Julia Coney is a wine writer, wine educator, speaker, consultant and activist. Her wine writings also address the intersection of race and wine. Her work has been featured in prominent wine and mainstream publications. Born out of necessity, Julia Coney founded Black Wine Professionals, a resource for wine industry employers and gatekeepers, professionals, and the food and bev...

Miguel de Leon is a restaurant and wine professional of color living in NYC. He has worked his way through some of the finest dining rooms in the country including Chez Panisse, Momofuko, Casa Mono and Per Se. Miguel is currently the General Manager and Wine Director at Pinch Chinese in Soho. Miguel’s advocacy, allyship, and voice have become an important, timely, real and accurate voice for the i...

"Brooklyn’s own Billy Durney grew up to follow in his Dad’s footsteps. After a long career in private security, Billy left to pursue his love of BBQ. As a kid he got a whiff of that burning BBQ wood at his Grandma’s house and later in Texas.  He opened Hometown BBQ in Red Hook, Brooklyn in 2013, and the rest they say is history. He later opened Red Hook Tavern, and a Hometown BBQ in Industry City...

Saskia de Rothschild, is the youngest person to currently lead a first growth Bordeaux estate, her family’s Chateau Lafite Rothschild , and is the first female chairwoman of Domaines Barons de Rothschild. Fourth generation winemaker, Dr. Laura Catena is the managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina. Laura was the first guest to appear on The Grape Nation back in September of 2016. The...

Canadian born Marco Pelletier studied engineering but pursued his love for wine, eventually heading to France. Marco was head Sommelier of some of Paris’ best restaurants including Tallivent and Epicure at the Hotel Le Bristol in. Marco left the 3 Michelin Star world to open Vantre, a Parisian wine bar with an extensive wine list and an emphasis on great food with former Bristol alum. Marco Pellet...

There is a generational change taking place in wine in California. Senses Wines is the dream of three childhood friends from Occidental, California, Chris Strieter, Max Thierot and Myles Lawrence-Briggs. The west Sonoma Coast winery partnered with acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to make exciting Chards, Pinots, and now some Cab Sauv. Will Harlan oversees Promontory Winery in Napa, Californ...

Ryan Zoidis and Benny Bloom travel the world blowing some of the hottest riffs with legendary funk band, Lettuce , they are the Shady Horns. The Shady Horns have also played with Chaka Khan, the Wu-Tang Clan, Phil Lesh, and Aaron Neville to name a few. Eric Benny Bloom hails from Rhode Island and now resides in Colorado. Ryan Zoidis hails from Portland, Maine and attended the Berklee College of Mu...

Born and raised in Barbaresco Italy, Gaia Gaja is a fifth-generation winemaker. Along with her siblings and iconic father Angelo, she oversees the family’s legendary winery Gaja in Piemonte. Gaia represents a generational shift at the winery that dates back to 1859. Gaja has also been making wine in Tuscany and Bolgheri for over 20 years and now makes wine in Sicily.  The Grape Nation is powered b...

Yannick Benjamin is a Sommelier in his native New York. Yannick refused to let a life-changing accident alter his dreams of college and his love of wine. He is the Co-Founder and Director of Development for Wheeling Forward and their event “Wine on Wheels”, coming up in NYC on Saturday April 4th. Yannick is soon to open his new restaurant, Contento, a ground breaking barrier free space in Harlem....

Laurent Ponsot and Erwan Faiveley are amongst the most revered winemakers in Burgundy. Laurent left his eponymous family winery after 36 years to start Laurent Ponsot Wines. Erwan Faiveley oversees his eponymous family winery, Domaine Faively , one of the largest Burgundy producers making quality wines at all levels. Laurent and Erwan were interviewed at the 2020 Naples Winter Wine Festival. The G...

Cathy Corison has been making wine for over 4 decades. She was the first woman winemaker-proprietor in the Napa Valley at her Corison Winery located in the benchland of the valley since 1987. Her focus has been Cabernet Sauvignon and her sought after wines are alive, powerful, elegant, aromatic, complex and long lasting. The Grape Nation is powered by Simplecast .     See Privacy Policy at https:/...