This episode features audio clips from wine professionals who work at WOW, The New Cultural District in Porto, Portugal, followed by a discussion with Melissa Abreu who owns a Portuguese-focused wine shop in Atlanta, GA. Melissa is from a small town in South Georgia, but her Father is Portuguese, and they traveled to Portugal every two summers since she was born. She says her father always put so much emphasis on appreciating the culture there and making it as big a part of their lives growing up as he could. She later graduated from Georgia Southern with a business degree and spent the majority of her career working in manufacturing and supply chain. Four years ago, however, she says she finally gained the courage to open her own business. We talk about how she had always wanted to open a retail store, and her love for wine along with determination and drive far outweighed any fear or lack of experience to take a leap of faith. The Dom Beijos wine shop in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta is building community through wine, and Melissa shares gratitude for her partner, Justin, and the support of her family and friends. We talk about the portfolio she sources for the shop, her love for introducing people to Portuguese wines, and what it's been like to work in Atlanta's wine industry. She says owning this shop is truly what she believes she was always meant to do. You can visit www.dombeijos.com and follow @dom_beijos to learn more about Melissa and plan a visit to the wine shop.

Featuring audio clips from:

José Sá - Educator at The Wine School 

Maria Delamain - Brand Manager at WOW

Priscila Haddad - Head Sommelier at WOW

Recorded July 18-22, 2022 in Porto and July 25, 2022 in Atlanta.

For more information about planning your own visit to Porto, visit www.wow.pt and www.the-yeatman-hotel.com. This episode was made possible with generous support from WOW Porto, The Yeatman Hotel, and Wagstaff Marketing.