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Kansas City. Historically it was known as the Paris of the Plains, basically ignoring Prohibition in the early 1900s and becoming an a thriving bed of speakeasies, jazz and culture. Kansas City’s history is beyond colourful. I have lots of family living in Kansas City, including a number of siblings, so it really is a home away from a home and I escape to Kansas City whenever I can -  which is far less often than I would like. Sown in amongst Kansas Cities rich tapestry of jazz, bourbon and colour is a rich current of wine lovers. There are a number of terrific wine bars in Kansas City -  you walk in and are met with passion, knowledge and service – hallmarks very typical of the US hospitality and service scene. My family owns a house in a little slice of paradise called brookside. It’s a charming neighbourhood dotted with Tudor  cottages forming part of the Country Club District, the largest contiguous master-planned community in the United States. My dad used to talk to me about Underdog Wines, a fantastic boutique wine shop in Brookside where he said the quality of the wines was equalled by the passion and the service – there was also an uncanny number of Australians. So I decided that I was going to go and check it out for myself. I had said I wasn’t doing any podcasting on my holiday, but I just couldn’t pass this up. I walked in and I met Ryan Sciara, the owner of Underdog whose mission is to run a wine store that champions quality and the little guy, ala “Underdog”. I also met Chris Knowles. Now the funny thing about Chris is that Chris is a fellow Queenslander, who had an adventure that not only formed his love of wine, but ultimately led him to the Midwest where he has been for some time, – as you can tell from his exotic accent. Ryan and Chris not only share the Underdog story, but also their own stories and their perspectives on the US wine scene. A massive thanks to Ryan and Chris for joining me. 

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