Helen Gregory is a lifestyle entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in strategic brand management communications for leading hospitality, beverage, and destination clients with worldwide reach. Helen launched her first marketing firm in 2001 and recently rebranded it into Gregory + Vine, and the vine has grown ever since. 

People who are not in the design and arts industry don’t usually consider themselves as creatives. But for Helen Gregory, creativity isn’t relegated to just certain groups of people. She believes that creativity is for everyone and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be a Picasso or a Mozart to be creative because oftentimes, creativity flows out of people in the most fascinating and unique ways.

At least that’s how Helen sees the work that she is doing through her agency, Gregory + Vine. Through her agency, she’s able to help brands in the hospitality, food, and beverage industry with their public relations and brand strategy, digital and experiential events, and more. She says that with a market that’s increasingly becoming more demanding of new flavors and experiences, it actually requires a ton of creativity to create unique experiences and personal touches that’s specific to a brand.

Tune in to this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast as Alexi talks to Helen Gregory of Gregory+Vine, about the incredible amount of creativity in the hospitality, food, and beverage industry. Helen also shares how Gregory+Vine is serving their target clients, how industry players can adapt to the changes happening right now as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how businesses can creatively to keep up with changing customer demands.

Ted Diamantis is the owner of Diamond Wine Importers, the 28-year-old Greek wine portfolio based out of Chicago, Illinois. Ted created the company out of the belief that Greece, with its natural terroir of mountain vineyards, maritime influence climate, volcanic and alluvial soils, and over 200 ancient indigenous varieties, can once again become a source of some of the most exceptional wines in the world.

What started like a ‘crazy idea’ over 28 years ago turned Ted Diamantis into a true Greek wine crusader in the U.S market through his company, Diamond Wine Importers. But his journey, though it became a huge success, wasn’t a completely smooth ride. In fact, Ted had to work two jobs for 17 years just to keep his business afloat. 

When Ted started importing and selling Greek wine in the U.S market, he tried to cold call distributors. However, none of the people he reached out to wanted to talk about it and there were even those who didn’t even want to entertain the subject. It was painted quite simply for him: they were not interested. But Ted wanted to compete and win. He believed he had a great product and that Greek wines can be parallel and comparable to other more well-known wines. So he continued working on his vision and Ted was able to catch his break, grow his business and make inroads into the U.S wine market. 

Learn more about Ted Diamantis of Diamond Wine Importers and his Greek wine crusade in the U.S market on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast. Ted shares with Alexi his journey through quitting his corporate job and being introduced to the wine importation business by his mentor, George Skouras, and he also talks about how he learned the ropes of wine distribution, how Greek wines are performing in the U.S market today, and how he increased his company’s presence on social media. Stay tuned.

Brian Ravitsky is the Co-founder of Brazos Wine Imports, the esteemed importer of Chilean and Argentine wines as well as wines from Uruguay. He’s been in and around the food and wine industry from the age of 13. At one time, he worked for Advintage Fine Wine before going on to devote his time to building Brazos Wine Imports. 

Brian graduated from CU, Boulder in 1998 and he became a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators in 2004.

The wine industry is blessed with the ‘curse’ of too many producers who offer a wide variety of wines to choose from. Some are popular, while others are comparatively less known. These growers and wineries  who have yet to gain wide-spread recognition represent not only the wines they produce but more importantly, their culture and regions. And wine importers are at the forefront of spreading the goodness from these regions locked in bottles of wine. 

Brian Ravitsky is one of the importers who brings the best of homegrown wines from South America to the United States. He introduces the American market to an unknown map of wine indulgence.

Join Alexi Cashen on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Show as she talks with Brian Ravitsky of Brazos Wine Imports about all the wonderful things that South American wines have to offer. Tune in as Brian shares his journey in the wine industry, what drives his company and what sets them apart from competition, and his insights on what to expect from the wine industry post COVID-19.

Shakera Jones is a writer, educator, and creator of BlackGirlsDineToo, a lifestyle brand, blog, and social media space that serves as a guide to the world of high-end food and wine. 

Shakera’s energetic voice in the wine industry has been scratching at the surface of an important reality: that people of color are underrepresented in the US alcoholic beverage industry.

There’s an ongoing issue in the drinks industry that needs to be addressed. Whether it be at retail stores, in restaurants, or wine events—people of color are grossly underrepresented. But why? Is it due to their lack of interest or is it because they aren’t made to feel welcome in the wine space? According to Shakera Jones, it's the latter, and it’s the reason why she’s at the forefront of efforts to change that through her writing, speaking, wine education, and more.  

Shakera says that agency, visibility, transparency, and hiring practices are going to play a massive role if any change will take place in the industry. She also emphasized that everyone should try to become an ally to drive inclusiveness in the wine industry into reality. 

Find out more about Shakera Jones of BlackGirlsDineToo as she talks to Alexi Cashen about how diversity can get a more stable footing and attention in the drinks industry, what it truly means to be an ally means, and what industry players can do to make the industry itself more welcoming to people of color.

Meghan Caiazzo is the Executive Vice President of Sales at Palomar Beverage Company. She is a fervent entrepreneur that owns and runs four distribution companies in Texas, Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona. 

Meghan is also a Certified Sommelier and Sales Maven with a simple philosophy, ‘find the best customers, and sell them the best wines.’ 

From her experience as a former server at a restaurant and now the owner of four wine companies, Meghan Caiazzo knows and embraces the power of culture in growing a wine business. For her, a company is only as good as its people and the culture that binds them. And with a strong culture comes the need to take risks for growth and expansion. 

But expansion is risky. How do you embrace the risk of expanding and achieving sales success, especially when it means going into a new city and entering an entirely new market? Meghan has done it more than once and she is more than happy to share her recipe for success. 

Tune in to this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast as Alexi Cashen interviews Meghan Caiazzoof Palomar Beverage Company about culture, risk, and sales success in the wine industry. Meghan discusses in depth how she's pivoting wine sales during this COVID-19 pandemic, the industry's outlook, how women can get more involved in the wine industry, and more importantly, how they can thrive in it.

Aaron Sherman is the co-founder and CEO of SevenFifty, the beverage alcohol industry's innovative marketplace and communications platform that helps importers, producers, distributors, and retail buyers connect and do business in the modern world.

Aaron also runs SevenFifty Daily, an online magazine about the business and culture of the beverage alcohol industry.

If there's one thing to learn from how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the wine industry, it is that the wine industry needs to be more open to technology. The industry needs to embrace and welcome innovation to make them more adaptable to sudden changes. One company that dared to implement technology solutions to help wine importers, distributors, producers, retailers, and consumers connect and do business is Aaron Sherman's SevenFifty. 

Aaron Sherman says they are starting to see a rise in off-premise sales even for independent retailers who previously didn't know anything about selling online. And with this innovation, new trends are starting to emerge in the industry that stakeholders might want to consider taking a look at.

In this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast Alexi talks to Aaron Sherman of SevenFifty about his company’s ongoing innovation in the wine industry and how they are actually leading the pack. They also talk about SevenFifty Daily, Aaron’s online magazine about the business and culture of the beverage alcohol industry and the benefits of utilizing strategic partnerships in order to grow a business. Stay tuned.

Harmon Skurnik is the President of Skurnik Wines, an importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits headquartered in the heart of New York City. Harmon has been the President of Skurnik Wines since he joined his brother, Michael, at the company in 1989 to run the now 33-year-old successful fine wine and spirits importation and distribution company.

The wine industry is grappling with a massive drop in business since the outbreak of COVID-19. While companies struggle to get a respite from that by pivoting their businesses to focus online retail sales, there is still the 25% tariff on wines imported from Europe to contend with. With seemingly continuous challenges posed against the industry, can wineries and other industry players still survive?

For Harmon Skurnik, President of Skurnik Wines, what businesses need to emphasize right now are three things: integrity, opportunities, and resilience.  He also encourages everyone to learn more about the tariffs imposed on the wine industry in order to make informed comments and join in the conversation on the USTR website before July 26

Join Alexi Cashen on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcasts she talks with Harmon Skurnik of Skurnik Wines about his company’s success for the past 33 years, how the wine business is pivoting in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and why it’s important for stakeholders in the industry to take part in the conversation about tariffs that are imposed upon them. Stay tuned.

Melinda Kearney is a wine industry veteran from Napa Valley. She founded Melinda Kearney Wine Marketing in 2002, and in 2008 she founded Lorenza Wine Company with her daughter, Michele Lorenza Ouellet. Together they make the perfect pink true rosé.

You could say that wine found Melinda Kearney. With no formal training in winemaking, Melinda made a switch to wine while she was already well on a path towards becoming a real estate professional. 

Today, 12 years later, Melinda has leveraged a short stint as Director of Operations in a winery to build Lorenza Wine Company with her daughter Melinda. 

Listen in on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast to hear from Melinda Kearney of Lorenza Wine Company as she shares her incredible story of a mother and daughter banding together to serve and create a brand that produces dry True Rosé - with love.

Ben Aneff is the Managing Partner at Tribeca Wine Merchants, one of America's best wine shops. He is exceptionally passionate about terroir and feels a few places showcase this more transparently than Burgundy. 

Ben is also a fervent voice against wine tariffs. He serves on the board of the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR), and he is also the president of the US Wine Trade Alliance (USWTA).

As the US wine industry continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the last thing it needs is to be brought on its knees by section 301 tariffs. Ben Aneff, President of US WIne Trade Alliance, says now is the time to speak against these tariffs in order to potentially save the US wine industry.  

So how can you help? According to Ben, you can start by understanding what the section 301 tariffs are, why they exist, leaving a comment on the USTR portal when it reopens.

Join Alexi Cashen on this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast as she speaks with Ben Aneff of Tribeca Wine Merchants about how the wine industry is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discuss updates on tariffs against wine imports and what you can do to make your voice heard in order to help save the US wine industry. Stay tuned.

Nadia Dmytriw is the Founder of Floraison Selections, a company that imports and distributes wine cider and beer. Nadia got the inspiration for the company after the wildflower super bloom in her native California.

Nadia has been working in the wine industry for two decades. Her passion for wine led her to work in various aspects of the wine trade in France and Russia before returning to California. She worked her way up to Managing Partner in her previous company, Joli Vin Imports, and spent nearly a decade representing many of the growers with whom she works.

"One night, from bottles, sang the soul of wine," wrote French poet Charles Pierre Baudelaire in his poem The Soul of Wine. Nadia Dmytriw read it and became love-struck by the magic fluid locked in a bottle. She had never tasted wine before and knew nothing about it, but life had plans for her. Little did she know that would be the beginning of her journey in the wine industry. 

From landing a job at a prestigious chateau in Bordeaux, France as a wine novice to becoming a wine consultant to the U.S Embassy in Russia, Nadia has had a far-reaching hold on all things wine. Today, she is back in the Bay Area as the founder of Floraison Selections, an importer and distributor of wine, cider, and beer. 

In this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast, Nadia Dmytriw of Floraison Selections shares her inspirational stories with Alexi about her journey in the wine industry, the pillars that she holds on a pedestal for her wine business, and how she's kept her company afloat and pushing through the downturn caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Stay tuned.