Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Kendeigh Warden of The Grape Grind.

Kendeigh started in the food and beverage industry over 13 years ago as a summer job. She graduated with her Master’s in Early Childhood Education but found very little passion in it after teaching for 5 years. Since her start in restaurants, the pursuit of wine knowledge has become a lifestyle for Kendeigh. She constantly wants to learn more about wine and there is always something new to learn. 

Kendeigh became a Certified Sommelier in 2019, a Certified Specialist of Wine in 2020, and is currently studying for her WSET3. Wine study and wine experiences have become a daily ‘GRIND’ for her (and in the best way). With a background in education, she's all about sharing educational content and helpful resources with others. The Grape Grind started as a passion project in 2016 and continues to evolve as a resource platform for wine students and wine enthusiasts! When she doesn’t have her nose in a wine book or wine glass, you’ll find her with my biggest loves of all, her three children!

Let's dive into his wine story!

[00:01 - 3:28] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode and a short bio
• Kendeigh background
• How Kendeigh started in the wine world

[ 3:29 - 32:24] How wine education could give you tools to build a brand

• How Kendeigh was got into restaurants
• Wine education
• Work in a restaurant and personal life
• How she can people understand wine
• “Soul wine”
• Appreciation of wine through education
• How covid-19 impact her life 
• Her routine
•  Building a brand
• How education of wine could bring you tools for building a brand
• Kendeigh horizon to 2022
• Steps for people who want to start learning about wine
• How do people know if they could be a wine teacher
• The philosophy of wine education
• Society educations
• Wine exams

[32:25 - 38:55] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Wine resource
• Connect with Kendeigh
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“And once you start doing things you, you're like, oh, my gosh, this is taking much longer than I expected. That is my favorite part of it.” - Kendeigh Warden 

Connect with Kendeigh through her accounts on Instagram. You can also check out his website at thegrapegrind.com

Check the special holiday gift for all of you listeners, click here

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Corey Christman of Bravery Wines.

After retiring from the United States Air Force, Corey Christman started pursuing his winemaking passion. A journey lasting over seven years until his first branded bottle of wine came off the bottling line. Thousands of miles driven, thousands of hours worked to explore what's possible in the world of grape growing and winemaking. On Veterans Day, 2020, amid a pandemic, he and his wife Jennifer launched Bravery Wines.

Let's dive into his story!

[00:01 - 8:52] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode and a short bio
• Corey shares the importance of learning about the wine world
• How Corey did the transition from the military to the wine industry
• When started Cory’s fascination with wine
• The things you learn during the process
• The pieces
• Corey feels blessed in this wine world
• The importance and enrichment of failures

[ 8:53 - 27:13] Where comes his idea of Bravery Wines

• A brainstorming course
• His brand perspective
• How Corey got the focus of the wine that he wanted to create
• Think about what is the consumer interest
• Corey explain how he and his wife designed the project and how visualized the potential
• The tasting process
• The wine silence
• The ability to make dry or sweet wine
• The fermentation process
• The 2020 and his wine 

[ 27:14 - 32:11] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Wine resource
• Connect with Corey Christman
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“The more I got into the world of wine, the more I had this desire to not only make wine but to make great wine.” - Corey Christman

Connect with Corey through her accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn. You can also check out his website at www.bravery.wine 

Bravery Wines donates at least $2.50 per bottle to the Yellow Ribbon Fund - A Non-Profit which raises money for and provided services to injured service members and their caregivers. 

Check the special holiday gift for all of you listeners, click here

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast, today let me introduce you to Ramon Escobar from Chufly Imports.

Born to an American mother and a Bolivian immigrant father, Ramon grew up in a blue-collar part of Milwaukee. He has spent the bulk of his professional life working on international economic challenges. Throughout his life he has looked at development challenges through multiple prisms such as a development volunteer overseas, policy researcher, and during the course of his fifteen-year career as an economic officer in the American diplomatic corps. 

Building on his international affairs and development economics expertise, Ramon founded Chufly Imports to prove an idea -- wine and spirits could, if done right, be a key driver for prosperity in the developing world. Chufly got its start in his father’s native Bolivia, which is home to an unsung, centuries-old winemaking and distilling tradition. Chufly is a platform for empowering winegrowers from undiscovered regions to improve their lives and communities.

Ramon holds a dual-M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and Sciences Po (Paris) as well as a B.A. in Marketing Research from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Ramon speaks fluent Spanish and French, and basic Arabic. Ramon is married to Samia Yakub and has two beautiful boys, Laith and Kais.

On this episode, we dive into one emerging wine region in South America.

[00:01 - 10:10] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode and short bio
• Winemaking talent spread across the world
• Ramon shares his early life story and his Bolivian influence
• • One of his life goals: Providing more opportunities in this South American region
• Ramon Escobar’s wine origin story
• • Wine as a medium for driving socio economic development
  • A commodity that from the soil to the bottle can stay in one community
• Wine as an amazing gateway to place, exploring a new culture, it’s people and customs

[10:11 - 37:13] Chufly: Creating a market and opportunity for Bolivian wines

• Chulfy’s birth after being 6 years overseas
• • 4 founders and Chufly’s first shipment in 2016
  • Validating the product in prestigious restaurants
• Bolivia's history with wine
• • Natural geography that makes this wine so unique
• Ramon shares what he loves about Bolivian wine
• • Sustainable practices
  • Traditions, adapting and improving best practices
  • Elevation matters!
• Talking to the right people that know
• Trusting your team to select the right wines
• Ramon’s belief that Bolivian wines can go toe to toe with the world’s best wines
• Giving Bolivian winemakers a platform to showcase their brand and quality
• Expanding Chufly’s reach to other South American countries like Mexico and Brazil
• Why Aranjuez Tannat was the first wine Ramon imported
• • Pioneers and pushing the envelope in winemaking
  • A Bolivian wine winning a gold metal
• The amazing surroundings, characteristics and story of the 1750 wine
• La Concepcion’s wine tradition and history

[37:14- 39:30] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• • Magnus
• Go to pairing
• • Hard cheese and a 1750 Chardonnay
• Wine resource
• • People
• Connect with Ramon Escobar
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“Any success I've had, it comes to having humility, and knowing what you don't know and talking to people who do know what you don't know.” - Ramon Escobar

“ It was so emblematic of the obstacles that these uncharted territories have when trying to come up. And it's again, it's not about the lack of talent, or the lack of quality. It's just the lack of opportunity. ” -  Ramon Escobar

Connect with Ramon through her accounts on Instagram: @chuflyimports, Facebook, LinkedIn You can also check out his website at chufly.com

Check the special holiday gift for all of you listeners! click here

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Welcome to another episode! Today’s guest is Jeffrey Ishmael. Jeff is the CEO and co-founder of CELLR, which is a consumer-centric wine app intended to help wine enthusiasts curate their wine life. CELLR was launched to provide an app that lives at the crossroads of Vivino, Cellar Tracker, and Wine Searcher. Jeff has been an avid wine enthusiast for almost 25 years and started his appreciation of wine in Paso Robles where he owned a home, but then started expanding his cellar holdings to include a wide variety of Napa and Bordeaux based wines.

Jeff has over 20-years of successful finance and operations experience with a broad background that includes Technology, Retail, and Apparel. Currently, he is the CFO for RAEN Optics, which is a lifestyle optical brand in Carlsbad, CA. Previously, he was the founding CFO of Cylance, which was a cybersecurity company in Irvine that was subsequently sold to Blackberry for $1.4B. Jeff was also on the founding team of Obsidian Security. He has been involved in over $200m in funding with a selection of VC firms that include Khosla Ventures, Greylock Partners, Blackstone, DFJ Growth, GV, KKR, Citi Ventures, Wing Ventures, and more.

In this episode, Jeffery shares with us his journey merging tech and wine.

Let’s dive in! 

[00:01 - 11:10] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode and short bio
• Jeff describes how the idea of CELLR came about
• • Developing a wine community through and app
  • Connecting cellar owners directly
• Using data to match the preferences of wine enthusiasts
• Using accurate data to allow the community to have a good experience

[11:11 - 38:13] From Wine Enthusiast to Wine Tech

• Jeff shares his experience working almost 10 years working with data scientists and software engineers, cyber security and tech finance
• The first stages developing the app
• How Jeff chooses his wines for his collection
• • Experiences that lead to discovering new wines
  • Getting familiar with wine regions
• The importance of on site tasting and bringing people in the same environment
• Jeff shares his latest and favorite wines and the stories that led to choosing them
• The challenges and opportunities for wine coming up on 2022
• • The ability to monetize assets in  the Cellr Tarcker
  • Cellr connecting cellar owners and aficionados directly

• The sense of community that brings people together around wine
• Bringing ideas from the community into individual use

[38:14- 41:30] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• • Turtle Rock Westberg Ray
• Go to pairing
• • Filet and Black Label from Maryland Branch
• Wine resource
• • www.winebusiness.com
• Connect with Jeffrey Ishmael
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“And that's what we implement, it's implementing ideas that are coming out of the community and developing a product for them to use individually.” -Jeffrey Ishmael

“ I want to send you a bottle of wine in Kansas City, it's a federal offense to drop that in the mail, I mean, it's stupid” - Jeffrey Ishmael

“It's being able to curate your individual, you know, Wine,  lifestyle,, tracking the varietals that you you drink” - Jeffrey Ishmael

Connect with Jeff through his accounts on Instagram: @cellrsociety & @Twitter! You can also check out his website at www.cellr.com

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Heather Luing is a wine lover and wine student who's working on opening up a wine lounge in Jersey City Heights while also upcycling wine corks and sparkling wine capsules on Etsy into cheese knives, coasters, bar trays, and other things. Heather is also a former community manager with Empathy Wines and shows the world her style and approach to wine with her brand, Live Life Uncorked.

In this episode, Heather shares with us her interesting story. Let’s dive in! 

[00:01 - 4:00] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode 
• Shares about her wine story
• • Heather studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and she jump-started her interest in wine
  • Her decision to enroll in Italian culture food wine
• How she started her Instagram 
• Her decision and intention to open a Wine Lounge

[4:00 - 7:15] Influence of the Italian food and wine lifestyle on the relation that Heather has been with the wine

• Florence and the importance to connect to the people throw a dinner and a glass of wine 

• The importance of wine in the social interactions

• Opening a couch where people could sit with and like to chat with people that they might not normally sit with or talk to.
• Challenges with the world wine systems

• Tips and tricks to remember the kind of grape varieties
• Have in mind the importance of the culture in the wine

• The regions and the different types of grape varieties that they have

[7:16 - 26:37] Education: Careers or courses about wine topic

• Heather and her studies about wine in W Set
• She has been studying at Sonoma State University on their online program for their wine business management certification. 

• Understanding the business of wine
• The wine in the industry

• How did Heather come up with the idea from the brand and what does it stand for?

• Expansion on her idea of a Wine Lounge
• The biggest part of the process started over the quarantine

• The knowledge she acquired and how it help her in her business
• How the customer can feel connected to the brand

• Social media

• Next steps about her Wine Lounge 
• Intention to introduce the world wine to the people

[26:38- ] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Heather Luing
• • See links below 
• Reach out to me for more wine conversations through the links below 
• Subscribe and leave a review
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“Be able to open a Wine Lounge so that everyone can come to a place that’s not intimidating at all and it’s just like a super comfortable and easy place to learn about wine small producers” - Heather Luing.

“I’ve always really loved wine. It's just (stimulating) the conversation that you could have with other people” - Heather Luing.

“Something that I love about being foreign to learn about wine is how much the culture you learned about it” - Heather Luing.

Connect with Heather through her accounts on Instagram: @livelife_uncorked & @livelifeuncorkedshop! You can also check out her website at https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiveLifeUncorkedShop.

Use code EVERYDAYWINE10 for 10% off on the Live Life Uncorked Etsy shop.

-----------------------------------

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Jonathan is the co-founder and CTO at Offsyte, a marketplace for planning amazing team events. He started Offsyte with his co-founder, Emma, right after the pandemic started last year. They were on a mission to make it as easy as possible to connect with your team. Since launching, they've helped teams book 1,000s of events towards that mission. Jonathan has lived in San Francisco for the past 7-8 years (with many, many trips to wine country) and currently lives with his partner Rachel and adorable dog Lola.

In this episode, Jonathan shares with us about how virtual events are thriving as we welcome a more digital-phasing world, and he also shares with us how we go into wine and why he just loves Napa Valley. Let’s dive in! 

[00:01 -08:45] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode 
• Jonathan talks about how Off-Site came into existence 
• • Launching a virtual platform 
  • How COVID has shaped the working world 
• What types of vendors they have on the platform 
• • Vendors from different categories
  • Not just wine vendors 

[8:46 - 17:35] Hosting Meaningful Virtual Events

• Difference between actual and virtual events/meetings
• • People who are good in events translate well to the virtual space 
• How the global landscape has changed
• • Opportunity to see the team composition
  • More options for the employees: remote/non-remote 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below
• Building better teams and relationships virtually 
  • Use the code: EVERYDAYWINE
  • Get $50 off of your first event 
• • Building trust 
  • Being genuinely invested on their success
  • Learn how to manager and host virtual events through this link

[17:36 - 26:36] Let’s talk about Wine 

• Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley
• Jonathan talks about how he got into wine 
• • Started in college 
  • Became close to wine country because of work 
  • The experiencing of tasting is special 
• Jonathan shares about why he keeps coming back to Napa Valley 

[27:27 - 31:02] Closing Segment 

• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Jonathan
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“But I think for most companies, what we're gonna see is just choice, like, they're going to be giving, pushing a lot more of this on to individual departments and teams, and you're gonna see a lot more hybrid mode.”

Connect with Jonathan through LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also check his website at https://www.offsyte.co.

Book an event with Offsyte by logging on to www.offsyte.co/everyday-wine and use the code: EverydayWine and get $50 off from your first event! 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Ilona House is a Wine Ambassador and owner of Ilona n Company Events. She works as a personal wine concierge providing curated wines delivered directly to you. Through virtual wine tastings, she helps you find your personal wine style and provides wine for personal consumption as well as custom-label wines, corporate gifting, and wine events. Ilona is a professional certified through Napa Valley Wine Academy and WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust)

In this episode, Ilona walks us through her wine journey and her ambassador program. And she also share with us her wine pics and pairings for this episode. Let's dive in! 

[00:01 -10:03] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode 
• Ilona shares about her wine story
• • Ilona talks about the ambassador program
  • Curated wines only available through the ambassador program
  • Fell in love with the story-telling aspect of wine
• Events that led her to falling in love with wine
• • Finding family in the wine scene
• From wine enthusiast to wine entrepreneur
• • Finding the joy and education with wine drinking
  •  

[10:04 - 19:19] Getting into the Ambassador Program 

• Being as entrepreneurial as you want
• How people can avail of the services
• Building relationships with wine lovers
•  
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below

[19:20  -27:26] Let’s talk about Wine 

• 2019 Mendocino County Chardonnay 
• • Curated wine for the ambassador program
  • Refreshing wine with hints of apple, peaches
  • Food pairs: salad and shellfish 
• 2018 Joy and Serenity 
• • Cabernet-based blends, charitable wine
  • Approachable wine
  • Pairing: red meat and pasta 
• Wine kits
• • Something that you can enjoy at home 

[27:27 - 31:02] Closing Segment

• Wind trends for 2022
• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Ilona
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“And I thought to myself, you know, people shouldn't be afraid of wine, they shouldn't be afraid to have nice parties that this should just be a part of your life. And how can I do that?” - Ilona House 

“Everybody can enjoy wine at many different levels. And everybody should feel comfortable with their style. You know, you can be a white wine drinker, you can be a red wine drinker, you can only want bubbles -- it all it doesn't matter. It's whatever you like. And we can always find fun ways to pair it with the right foods to make it even better.” - Ilona House

Connect with Ilona through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! You can also check out here website at www.ilonancompany.com and my.boissetcollection.com/house.wine.

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Ben served as an Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) crewman with the 7th Marine regiment out of 29 Palms, CA. After his enlistment, Ben enrolled in colleg where he found a passion for small business and eventually propelled him into agency work and brand management. In 2012, Ben helped launch a pilot nonprofit aimed at rehabilitating veterans through permaculture which showed promise that agriculture can be an alternative treatment for Veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. Looking for inspiration, he found that the French Foreign Legion houses over 100 aging Legionaries on a vineyard chateau where they grow grapes, make wine, and find peace. Ben wondered – "Why not here?" Soon after, the idea of veteran viticulture re-emerged during a Walla-Walla wine trip with co-founders Ryan Mills and Paul Warmbier which led to the launch of Dauntless Wine Company.

In this episode, Ben walks us through how he fell in love with wine and how learning the parallels between wine and agriculture sparked his interest in it. He also shares the story behind Dauntless Wine Co., and lets us in on the rich history of the featured wines he has brought for us today. 

[00:01 - 09:47] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Ben shares about his wine story
• • Wine as part of soldier’s culture
  • Parallels of soldiering to farming 
• Launching a nonprofit 

[09:48 - 18:58] From Wine Enthusiast to Wine Entrepreneur 

• Learning that wine making is agriculture driven
• How Dauntless came to be 
• Merging military history and wine 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below

[18:59 - 32:56] Let’s talk about Wine 

• 2020 Pinot Gris 
• • Ben shares a little wine history about the battle of Trenton 
  • Bet talk about experiencing fires in Willamette Valley 
• 2018 Sherman Syrah
• • Named after the Sherman tank
  • One of the most iconic tanks of World War II
  • Best pairing for Syrah 
• 2018 Battle Taxi Pinot Noir
• • Using cloned grapes
  • Named after 113 ABC, the first all aluminum armored personnel carrier
  • Classic pairing for Pinot Noir

[32:57 - 38:02] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Ben
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“ And we wanted something to be more encompassing, that embodied all time periods, and veterans of all statuses from all eras.” - Ben Martin

Connect with Ben through Instagram, and Facebook! You can also check out his website at www.dauntless wine.co. 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Mary Michele is a national speaker, freelance writer, wine enthusiast and foodie who lives with her husband and StyleFinder co-Founder, Jim, in Raleigh, NC. Mary Michele Nidiffer is on a mission to help women discover how beautiful they really are. As a Master Style Coach, Founder of StyleFinder Boutique and the StyleFinder School of Style, Creator of the StyleFinder ID® System, and Host of the Podcast, Style by Mary Michele, she wants to empower women through personal style.

In this episode, Michele is going to share with us about the parallels of design and wine and the importance and impact of a good story. Let’s dive in! 

[00:00 - 17:30] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Michelle talks about merging wine and style 
• • Wine and style as storytellers
  • Our style is unique to who we are
  • Being a brand 
• Michelle’s wine story 
• • Fell in love with the wine stories 
  • Bringing people together through wines

[17:31 - 41:48] Style Meets Wine 

• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below
• Started getting into style at a young age
• Using style as an expression 
• Showing up as the best version of yourself
• Importance of finding a role model 
• Describing Michelle’s wine style 
• Wine spots in Raleigh, Durham 

[41:49 - 38:12] Closing Segment

• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• Connect with Michele
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think that's really what I love about it, is it brings people together. And there's storytelling and there's connection.” - Michele Nidiffer

Connect with Michel through Tiktok, Instagram, and LinkedIn! You can also send her an email at [email protected], check out her website at www.ShopStyleFinder.com and www.StylebyMaryMichele.com, and listen to her podcast! 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Martin Cody began his career in healthcare sales, rewarding work which shaped his understanding of the importance of rigorous, thoughtful customer service. Martin and his wife Denise, Chief Operating Angel of Cellar Angels, pivoted their love affair with wine into their first vino-venture in 2007; a retail brick and mortar wine shop in Chicago. The store became a much-loved, well trodden institution in the city. Still, in 2013, Martin and Denise sold it to chase their dream of providing the finest, least known, independent producers in the country a digital marketplace to share their talents and artistry with wine enthusiasts. Having founded three companies prior to founding Cellar Angels, Martin has a visionary entrepreneurial spirit, and built an extensive Rolodex of national wine industry contacts that continue to support Cellar Angels’ growth. His passion for both the craft of winemaking, and his firm belief in the importance of developing and shaping small businesses, have allowed Cellar Angels to thrive and fill a much-needed void in the market.

In this episode, Martin lets us in on how he was able to discover the world of wines at a very young age and how we eventually shifted from being in the medical field into wines. Martin also shares his unique business model and the importance of customer experience and giving back. Let’s dive in! 

[00:00 - 08:13] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest for this episode
• Martin shares about his wine story
• • Got introduced to the world of wine at an early age
  • Importance of having great customer experience 
  • From medical field to the wine industry 

[08:14 - 30:13] Experience of Having a Wine Shop/Wine Business 

• Martin’s product management philosophy
• • Every wine tells a story
  • Everything had to be better and be immersed in wine 
  • Experiential marketing model 
  • All about building relationships
• Helping wineries leverage the power of the internet
• • Giving wineries access to the market
  • Wine with a cause through Cellar Angels
• Finding like-minded people and helping people 
• How Martin manages his wine portfolio
• Sharing more wine stories 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below
•  

[30:14 - 38:12] Closing Segment

• Checkout Cellar Angels
• • See links below
• Wine trends
• • Move away from the corporatization of wine
• Favorite Wine
• Got-to pairing
• Favorite wine resource
• • Napa Valley Wine Project
• Connect with Martin
• • See links below 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“The amount of effort you put in, it's going to be directly correlated to the rewards and benefits that you reap out of it.” - Martin Cody

Connect with Martin through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn! 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram! 

JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.