Your favorite pod guys are back & back with another special guest! Executive Director of Wine Unify, Alicia Towns Franken joins the guys for Episode 123. Listen to the full episode now!

Alicia has served as the Head of Mentorship and as a member of the Board of Directors since Wine Unify was founded. Described by her colleagues and mentees as “the heart” of Wine Unify, she brings with her first-hand experience as to how the non-profit serves the wine community.

Alicia brings with her nearly 30 years in the wine industry. She began her career as the Wine Director for Boston’s famed Grill 23 & Bar, where she worked for over a decade to build one of the city’s most respected wine programs. She later worked as a sought-after wine consultant and event planner under her own business, Towns Franken Consulting. Most recently, she was the Vice President of the Wine Portfolio for Archer Roose, a canned wine company seeking to democratize the wine business. Ultimately, though, her passion for building community, working to champion a more diverse wine industry, and innate talent for mentoring young wine professionals led her to take on the role of Executive Director for Wine Unify.

To date, Wine Unify has given 99 awards to BIPOC wine professionals and enthusiasts. These awards include fully-funded courses through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), sponsorship from Coravin, glassware from Stölzle and Gabriel Glas, as well as subscriptions from Jancis Robinson and more. These awards are one piece of the organization’s core mission to welcome, elevate, and amplify the voices of underrepresented minorities in the wine business.

The guys are back for the first episode of the new year! They recap their holiday excursions & time spent with friends & family. The guys show their love & send prayers to Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills after the scary situation on Monday Night Football. The verdict of the Megan Thee Stallion & Tory Lanez case is out & the guys share their points of views & thoughts. The Fantasy Football season comes to an end & Jamele let's everyone know that he is a champion this year!  The guys share some of their 2023 travel plans & much more in episode 122. Listen in now to the full episode! 

The guys are back in the studio for another episode! This time they are joined by another guest, Chris McLloyd AKA The Hip Hop Somm! Chris is a Somm based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He's a Roots Fund Scholar & a Champagne Master Level student. Chris brings over 10 years of experience within the wine industry & has an extensive taste for music. Chris shares with the guys how he got into the industry, his experiences with the Roots Fund & more. Of course they start talking music! Chris sent a text to Jamele when the Kendrick album dropped, & they all deep dive on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. They go over other top albums of 2022 and share some of their favorite artists of the year. Chris gives some insight on what's next for him & more! Listen in now! 

The guys also give their first take thoughts on SZA's new album & A. Boogie's new project! They send love to Brittney Griner & much more in this episode! 

Be sure to pour up a glass of Champagne, Cab Franc, Or Chenin Blanc for this episode! 

Check out Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiphopsomm/

They tried to get Wayne, but after fighting off some sickness around the Thanksgiving holiday, the guys are back! They give another shoutout to Ikimi, Executive Director of The Roots Fund for coming in town for last episode. They recap Thanksgiving & emphasize on the growth in bringing wines back to the fam & feeling comfortable explaining the process! The guys discuss the Lions after another Thanksgiving Day meltdown & disappointment. Topics shift as Balenciaga makes headway in their latest release of advertising exploiting children. They deep dive on the powers of such companies and what it takes or lack thereof to cancel certain powerhouses. Spotify Wrapped & Apple Music Replays are released & the guys share their respective lists as well as the yearly stats for the podcast! The guys show love to Stormzy on his latest album and debate Meek Mill's latest mixtape to wrap things up! Listen in now to the full episode!

We would like to thank Libby Wines for sponsoring the wine for this episode! Use the code "MITB10" to get 10% off of your order of 3 or more bottles! Whether it's the Rose Blend, White Blend, or limited release Red Blend you won't be disappointed! Bubbled wine for anytime! Check out the full collection at the site below, be sure to subscribe to their email list to learn about their upcoming initiative launching Spring 2023, & follow them on Instagram! LIBBY DID!

https://drinklibby.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drinklibby/

The guys are back & it's easily Her Loss on this episode. They kick off the podcast by playing a few tracks from the highly anticipated Drake & 21 Savage collab project, Her Loss. Before they dive into the album, Wayne touches on a recent trip to Denver & a weekend with the guys watching football. Jamele shares his experience going back to Grand Valley State with the fam for a GV football game. Darryl recaps his football filled weekend & shares some updates on The Matthews Group. The guys truly dive in & give their thoughts of Her Loss, from favorite tracks to expectations to least favorite tracks. Listen to the full conversation now! 

They Wine Down this episode by sharing an update on what they've been watching lately & share some of their favorite episodes of the fan favorite show, Atlanta. With the upcoming release of Wakanda Forever they discuss the soundtrack & have conversations around bringing outside snacks into the movie theater. Pour up a glass & listen to the full episode now!

The guys return for another episode & are met with shock of the passing of Takeoff. While the news is sad to hear the guys reflect on the music he was able to produce & give him his flowers. The passing of Takeoff opened up the conversation around the responsibility of taking care of family when being out together. The guys recap their Halloween weekends & share their highlights of Halloween day. In music, the guys give their takes & thoughts on Rihanna's single for the newest Black Panther movie. Smino drops his latest album, Luv 4 Rent, DVSN releases their album, Working On My Karma, Baby Keem releases The Melodic Blue deluxe, new SZA & more! Wayne touches on the Tik Tok influence of music making it's way to bars & the guys dive into the recent anti-semitic news surrounding NBA All-Star, Kyrie Irving. Listen in to the full episode now!