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A podcast that spotlights the women reshaping the hospitality industry, breaking barriers, and carving their paths in the ever-evolving world of restaurants, food, and community.
speaker-0 (00:36)
like a dumb dumb dog.
speaker-1 (00:35)
but like so dumb. I'm
what
about like a huge like Saint Bernard that's like just no thoughts? Yeah.
speaker-0 (00:44)
Our best friends in the world are Bernie people.
And then I grew up with a Great Dane at my dad's house, which it was like a it it was like a we're going to the flea market today and we came home with a Great Dane puppy.
speaker-1 (01:01)
I love it. I love it. Great Danes are so beautiful and regal.
speaker-0 (01:06)
And she was wonderful. She was amazing. She like she was a huge dog. She was such a cuddlebug, very tender, very fun. yeah, we just love we just loved her. And so I did have this image of like, what if I had like two great Danes? Yeah. You know, what if that was my journey? I could see it.
speaker-1 (01:25)
Do you have animals? I have two cats. Okay. So I love animals. I love dogs. I love like pretty much all animals. But I know how I am. I'm a pretty like type B person. So so like a dog that needs to be walked every day, like is not my journey. Right.
speaker-0 (01:41)
With your current work and
career and
speaker-1 (01:46)
time
and I had one cat for a long time and then I like felt so guilty. I was like she is lonely she is depressed so then I got her I got my cat a kitten. You got beautiful and she has she is like quintessential like youngest child younger sibling like bothers my cat constantly like either they're best friends or they hate each other and I'm like I get it. I'm one of I'm one of seven so like
speaker-0 (01:57)
you're got a kitten, I think that's beautiful.
speaker-1 (02:14)
This is exactly how it is.
speaker-0 (02:15)
That is an important
thing for people to know about you is that you're one of seven siblings.
speaker-1 (02:19)
Yes. So we recently all got tattoos. Look, we all got tattoos. So I'm six, so mine is ⁓ the six little bubble is big.
speaker-0 (02:28)
So I'm
looking at Anna's beautiful tattoo on her wrist. And so there's seven spheres, seven circles on her wrist, and then her birth order is like a it looks like a full moon. So everyone has their birth.
speaker-1 (02:40)
Birth order. I guess I've stopped telling people I'm an only child. Did you choose to tell me? No, but I thought I've thought about it.
speaker-0 (02:50)
And so some of them are here. Where do your parents live?
speaker-1 (02:52)
Yes, I have three sisters here.
my dad I'm not sure. and then my No, it's fine. It's f my gosh, no, it's totally fine. ⁓ not everyone has great parents, so and then my mom
she mostly lives in Chicago with my eldest sister and her four kids. Okay. But she spends a lot of her time traveling. So she'll basically like be like like last year she's like, ⁓ I'm going to South Korea to go to Korean language school, like an immersion school. ⁓ so she did that for like three months. ⁓ my god. she's like has a master's in English. She was a teacher for a long time, and so now she's trying to write
speaker-0 (03:08)
Okay.
speaker-1 (03:30)
book so she'll be like ⁓ I booked two weeks in the Tuscan countryside and I'm just gonna write three yeah yeah yes so she's like I don't know I just like found this great deal on this like travel thing camp whatever so I'm just gonna go amazing she's like and I leave in three days I booked it this morning and it's like okay
speaker-0 (03:35)
So our dream. Mom is living, everyone.
I cannot
I cannot
speaker-1 (03:54)
Also I'm like it must be nice for her to have like seven kids who are like high functioning adults. Like she's not she's on the for it. Yeah. I mean after seven kids it's a little like earn flexibility. Yeah, exactly. ⁓ when there's a crisis, she'll be around, you know. Because there's family crises all the time. With with with seven kids, it's like someone always has to be having a bad time. I I you have siblings?
speaker-0 (04:04)
the
I can only imagine. Are you
I have a younger half brother who is eleven years younger. Okay. And he is an angel from heaven. Yes. Same household, but with such a big age difference. I really was more like a
speaker-1 (04:27)
Did you grow up with him? Well it's like this idea. Like in the same household.
speaker-0 (04:37)
babysitter than maybe more of a traditional sibling experience. But now since returning to the Raleigh area, 'cause I grew up here, but coming back here in twenty seventeen, now that we're both grown ups and like we're just closer in a phase of life, we're really starting to w not starting to, like we have found a much closer bond. I love that. It's really Raleigh. He's here in Raleigh. He is so amazing. I think he has
been on the planet before. Like he's very emotionally intelligent and very considerate and he is in IT.
speaker-1 (05:08)
He's an old soul. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love that.
Is he in the industry?
Okay. Great
place for it.
speaker-0 (05:21)
⁓
and he's he's just doing great.
when did you start when did you move from death and taxes to Poole's In July.
speaker-1 (05:29)
I moved in July. Yeah.
Okay. ⁓ yeah, so still under a year. yeah, I mean it's been amazing.
speaker-0 (05:35)
And then in that time the new Poole's has reopened Raleigh. And within that time, you've been given a little Michelin kiss on the cheek. So congratulations, that's so amazing.
speaker-1 (05:40)
Yes, renovation.
Yes. Yes.
Thank you. Yes. Very big you know, it's it's hard because I feel so new to this role. Like I'm sure I had a part in this I mean, July. Like I feel like I'm so new to like the Poole's family. Sure. Like sure, sure, sure. Everyone's been there, you know, like people stay for years and years. Yeah. And so
I feel very much like still the new kid on the block. Yeah. Like still trying to be like, hey, like I love you guys. I'm I'm new to the family, but I'm really cool too. Yeah. Yeah. so it's been a whirlwind, like just opening it in August. Like I know that people have a lot like Poole's evokes a sense of like nostalgia for a lot of people.
Tonight we're going on 19 years, right? Tonight? Not tonight, but 19 years open, 2007. I was gonna say
Which is amazing. Like it really think of like you know, like downtown restaurants that have been open for X amount of years and like not many kiss twenty. No. so I think it was like very much like a nice like Poole's is still around, people still love it, we're still doing the original vision, which is bringing this great food with this great hospitality at this sort of metropolitan setting.
speaker-0 (07:08)
Very metropolitan setting, but what I do love about Poole's, aside from the deep, deep Raleigh roots, is and I try to emulate this in my style of service. Like Ashley Christensen is definitely a friend, a mentor, but I just look up to her so, so, very, very much, and so many of us do. ⁓ we should say for if you are listening and you're you don't know what we're talking about, Anna is the sommelier at Poole's Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is the flagship location of AC.
restaurants, which is one of the restaurant groups here that we hear about regionally and nationally. So love, love, love, love that team and what they're doing over there. But this the rules of fine dining are followed with this very approachable and non-fussy way. It just feels so it's not casual, but it is not white tablecloth either. It's the beautiful
speaker-1 (07:55)
Exactly.
It doesn't feel like stuffy. It's very like come as you are. We're gonna like you're gonna have amazing food. Yes. Like I mean, we're not, you know, street food, but it's you know, it's again like you said, approachable, it's accessible, like you don't you don't walk in and you're like, ⁓ feel kinda buttoned up, you know.
speaker-0 (08:19)
No, no, no. It's
such a breath of breath.
speaker-1 (08:20)
Fresh
or enjoy a great meal, some great cocktails, great wine. Yes. And that's why I really like I'm so thankful to like be the sommelier at Poole's, because I think I try to approach wine in a very accessible way because I'm new to the wine world relatively. Like I started studying wine about three years ago, three and a half years ago, because I came from Shake Shack, which also kind of has this like fine dining mentality. One hundred casual.
speaker-0 (08:49)
Pass.
speaker-1 (08:50)
Yes. Yes. So the sort of bones of Death and Taxes where I was doing my studying felt very familiar, but in a little bit more of like a fancy celebratory way. Totally. Like you know, every night you have everyone's out for a special occasion at Death and Taxes. Yes. So it's really like creating that awesome experience for their day. But also moving to Poole's, like I also bring that to Poole's and it's great. Exactly.
speaker-0 (09:17)
And there's a place for that there. Like some
guests probably do want that. You know, they want you to like veer on that edge as opposed to leaning towards a more casual yeah experience. You probably have to read the room a lot.
speaker-1 (09:27)
Obviously.
I do. I'm very nosy, as people who I've trained have told me. ⁓ they're like, I love that you're not afraid to ask people about themselves. And I'm like, I'm like, yeah, like you're here, like we're gonna spend a couple hours together. tell me are you have you been here before? What are you up for? Are you from Raleigh? Like, I'm not detecting an accent. Like, tell me where are you coming from? Who are you? Why are you here? Great, let's eat, you know? I love it.
But it is very like nice to be to like also feel like there are there's this wine list that like represents this environment as well. Like it's not we don't we do some classic bottles because that's what people like, but also like I think our wine list is like very
fun and a little bit like cool kid wines, which I really love. I think it is. And I am like
always out to find the weirdest wine. And not weird in like a natural funky way, but like let's look at like a Savion Blanc from Italy. Like you don't see a ton of those. ⁓ but the ones I've tried are amazing. Yes. So or let's, you know, look at in ⁓ indigenous Italian varietals for the whites because those are amazing. so yeah, so I like being able to like play around with the list. It's very playful, I would say
speaker-0 (10:56)
I love your approach to building your or I love how you've done it at Poole's actually. It's small your wine list is smaller than I thought it was going to be.
speaker-1 (11:05)
Really?
We're looking to expand. So I mean
speaker-0 (11:07)
But I but I but I love that. I think that's a f a flex to have a a very ⁓ intentionally curated list that doesn't necessarily need to hit every single region in the world. Right. I have been on a jour- ney at Glasshouse Kitchen. It was the first wine program that I ever built. Yes. And I still to this day have imposter syndrome about it. Like I've never done this before. Am I doing it am I doing it the right way? Am I doing it good enough? But what what I what I envisioned in the beginning.
speaker-1 (11:24)
amazing.
speaker-0 (11:37)
And it sounds like you do this too, is I did want to touch on some of the like greatest hits, right? So that they were there.
speaker-1 (11:44)
have a California cabernet on your list.
speaker-0 (11:47)
We have
⁓ the Enfield from Water Horse Ridge. Mm-mm. Which is wonderful, beautiful, right? and there are definitely some greatest hits I think that we've missed. in the beginning I did too too much like I tried to have everything. Yeah.
speaker-1 (12:00)
Okay,
you're just trying did you just try to like hit every region every single
speaker-0 (12:04)
region that
anyone would ever know or be looking for. And also what what
speaker-1 (12:10)
Did you ever
have North Carolina wine on your list? Did you? That is the question I get asked the most. They're like, Do you have any North Carolina wine on your menu? I'm like, but
speaker-0 (12:18)
Didn't you used to have Jones von Drehle at Pooles? Not on my own like before at Poole's there was a
speaker-1 (12:22)
Not in my not in my time. I really feel like the Tobacco
SKU But I think our beer list also goes like so local that if like you're looking for something local and I'm not opposed to North Carolina wine. I'm very uneducated in ⁓ North Carolina wine, so I'm not gonna like sugarcoat that. But if something comes along and it's from this region and it's great and par gets gonna go well with the mac and cheese, like let's do it, you know.
speaker-0 (12:50)
That is something that you said to me that I was like, duh, when I first met you in the summer. You said, I because I was asking you, how are you approaching this new project at Poole's? And you said, Well, I'm thinking about like, okay, what is the style of the food here? And then what wines are going to complement that? I feel like that sounds so basic. But when I approached it at Glasshouse Kitchen, I I was just
speaker-1 (13:08)
Thank you.
You want varia and it's hard because you want all the variety. People to have something that, you know, if someone's looking for a New Zealand Savillon Blanc, like they're gonna get a Savillon Blanc. Yeah.
speaker-0 (13:16)
I wanted variety.
But then I also d I wanted to I wanted to make an experience available for the adventurous drinker and the more ⁓ conservative drinker. So like I one of the favorite examples of this is like I love a Chardonnay moment, but by the glass, if you want it easy, I'm gonna challenge you. So by the glass we had a Chardonnay from Bulgaria. ⁓ which was
speaker-1 (13:44)
So good.
Honestly, that sounds amazing.
speaker-0 (13:46)
Delicious,
like still, you know, all of the things you love about Chardonnay, but very, very mineral and very light and very food friendly with a lot of different dishes. And at Glasshouse Kitchen also we whereas Poole's, I feel like you do have sort of an anchor in southern cooking that brings fine dining and playful elements to it. Ours at Glasshouse Kitchen was much more global and eclectic, and so it was kind of hard to it was hard not to go crazy with the wine list at first. I just very much admire how you've done it.
at Poole's, I really look up to you a lot. ⁓ I really do. I really look up to you as a wine friend.
speaker-1 (14:20)
I know.
I really have also imposter syndrome. Like sometimes I'm like, I can't believe people are trusting me with So So I think it's pretty good. I think there is there I mean it's yes. I the creative sort of puzzle part of wine tasting is my favorite part of it. Yes. ⁓ along with like finding weird stuff and then seeing people enjoy it. Yes. but
speaker-0 (14:29)
But your palate is so good. Your palate is so good.
speaker-1 (14:53)
I really, again, very new. So when I was taking my level three, I was like, I'm waying over my head. Like, I don't think I'm gonna pass this.
speaker-0 (15:00)
I know I remember that feeling too. And for those who are listening, the level three in the W Set program, Anna and I have both been through W S E T, but did you also go through
speaker-1 (15:10)
I didn't do CMS, you know. Okay. I just did WSET It really like a few years. So much information. And I I went in, I was like, great, I'm just gonna learn how to like blind taste wine and that's gonna be it. And that was not it. There was so much theory. I was a deaf and tax
speaker-0 (15:13)
Me too. Yes. So way in over your head, like the and it really is kind of like
Were you coming so you were at death and
but were you coming to wine education with a specific goal of becoming a sommelier or were you coming to it from a place of like, I have been bit by the bug and I just wanna collect every bit of knowledge I can
speaker-1 (15:45)
Neither. Okay. ⁓ I was really coming in it because when I started Death and Taxes, I also felt very out of my depth and like I was behind everyone because I didn't come from fine dining. I came from corporate management. And so I went I started taking these courses to have an edge. Okay. And to sort of be like
like I need to be better at my job and I got the people thing, right? I can serve, but like wine, I know a little bit, but like if I can learn more, then I can have an edge at work. Were you serving when you first came on? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. and I think it's just a bit of my like competitive nature. That really drove me. And then I was like, I actually like really love this and this is like very fun. And it's so
I feel like it's so rare to like learn a skill later in life. I feel like most people find one thing that they do for their job and then just like do it. And so I was like, almost like being a student again. Which I love. and it was so great and I loved it. And so I was like, Okay, I'll take level one. I was like, all right, I'll take level two. And then I was like, All right, I'll take level three
speaker-0 (16:44)
I love that
speaker-1 (16:58)
I mean I loved my education. I had the same instructor all three courses. Sarah Mollock, she's amazing. She's did you have her? I did she was amazing. And I never thought my palate was that good until we were taking level three. And anytime and you know, I'm not like the first one to shout out, I'm a little more low key. I'm like, everyone should have a chance to to speak, right? ⁓
But like when no one could figure it out, she'd be like, Anna, what do you taste? And I'd tell her what I taste and she'd be like, spot on. So that like really helped my confidence ⁓ going forward.
speaker-0 (17:34)
I would have been totally intimidated if I was coming on there as an employee
speaker-1 (17:42)
Wine
list is insane. It's bonkers. And my brother was a sommelier in DC. ⁓ so he shifted hard shift to the military. ⁓ But he was a Yeah. I didn't expect to say that. So now he's in the army in Germany. he actually ran their like such an international sibling Yeah. Dynamic because she led
To Paris. Yes. She's like it's her lifelong dream. Are you gonna go visit? yes. I told her every quarter I've already been to champagne, but we should go again. Let's go again. Look, try to keep me away from a wine region, you know. Yeah. But yes, we can we can go. I told her like, hey, just so you know when, you know, you're settled or you know, maybe just when you have a place to live, I I'll be there. Okay. Like fabulous. Like two days in a row off, I'll take a red eye. You know how nice you've got a l
speaker-0 (18:14)
Champagne can we
Landing pad in both places, right?
speaker-1 (18:40)
He's in Rammstein.
So I mean pretty close to that is not my city. They're probably German.
speaker-0 (18:44)
Is that the name of a heavy metal band also? ⁓
speaker-1 (18:56)
So his brother was Somm D. So he was Somm in DC. Yes. And so, you know, I like went to him because he's a Somm. I'm like, I'm starting the same job. I feel like very overwhelmed. And he's like, just learn the wine list. Like it's so easy to learn a, you know, 10 page wine list. So I'm like, all right. I guess I'm learning this wine list. But then I'm like, okay, it just feels like I'm reading gibberish a little bit. Yeah. So that's sort of what led me to like talking to Kat Robinson, who's the
speaker-0 (19:21)
Bad.
speaker-1 (19:25)
Beverage director at Ashley Christensen restaurant who's amazing. Like, talk about a palate. Like I put her up against the experts any day. Yeah. and she was like, Well, if you want education, like Vitis House is here in Raleigh, like that's where I did some of mine. So you could, you know, do that. and I was like, Great, sounds good.
speaker-0 (19:48)
I
had the same experience where I I took level one and somebody did prepare me. They're like, Once you take level one, you're gonna wanna take level two
speaker-1 (19:56)
⁓ no
one told me. ⁓
speaker-0 (19:59)
I didn't kind
of want to take level two and I was like, okay. And at for for me at the time.
I am a wine lover. I had been interested in wine for a long, long time. And then we jumped into restaurant ownership. And I was having very much imposter syndrome, truly. Still do. I just like I think I'm gonna end up saying this over and over and over during this podcast that imposter syndrome never goes away. Just never goes away. You level up, you level up around your imposter syndrome, but it is probably just gonna ride shotgun with us forever. Yeah. And you bet you learn how to manage.
speaker-1 (20:23)
I agree.
speaker-0 (20:32)
But also.
speaker-1 (20:34)
Also I think
that's like a testament to also like I think correct me if I'm wrong, you're probably very similar in where you like always surround yourself with people who know more than you. That's where I want to be. So you can learn from them. Literally Person in the room? ⁓ I want to be in a room full of wine experts and I want to be the the worst one. Yes. Yes. So I think that's do you feel like you like have people like that that you're like
speaker-0 (20:45)
To be the dumbest person in the room. I want to be. I do not want to be the smartest person.
speaker-1 (21:04)
learning from? Do you feel like that's a goal?
speaker-0 (21:07)
Well, I in wine at this moment I don't. which is why I do miss our champagne tasting group. So in twenty twenty five I did organize the Summer of Bubbles and I did a very limited ⁓ champagne tasting group because I was pursuing ⁓ a champagne certification at the time and it was really fun. And so I I was so thrilled that you guys were up for it. But I intentionally picked or I asked people to join who I thought had better palates
than me that I could learn from you included. And I learned so much and it it was such a fun project. I'm really, really glad that we did that. But since that has concluded, no, I really haven't. Okay. I haven't
speaker-1 (21:43)
Yeah.
For the listeners, Sara's an amazing teacher, honestly. And also she made us these cute little binders that I still have and still look through mine when I was telling her when I w when I'm going to sleep at night and I can't really sleep, I try to name the seven decisions.
speaker-0 (22:04)
Determine
house style and champagne. And they are
speaker-1 (22:08)
And they are varietal breakdown, dosage, malo versus no malo oak versus no oak, aged versus youthful. Is it oxidative and reductive? and then use of reserve wines. Boom! Yes
speaker-0 (22:24)
She crushed
it. I would always forget one.
speaker-1 (22:27)
It's always
the oxidative and reductive. That's the one I always forget. Well done. Thank you. Well I mean I mean also credit to your teaching. ⁓ well. ⁓
speaker-0 (22:31)
Yeah.
do I do love a teaching moment. Yeah. Actually one of the th the things in my idea bank that I can't get rid of is tea teaching ⁓ and ⁓ having a wine school can I
speaker-1 (22:48)
tell
you something? Yes. ⁓ so before as I was doing my sort of certifications, I started putting on these little wine classes like off the book like
It started with like my like my sister and her coworkers wanted to do a wine tasting like best deal under twenty dollars. Great around Raleigh. So I just searched around Raleigh, found bottles under twenty dollars, got them together, did like a little food pairing, and just taught them about the wines. I also did like a fun. ⁓
speaker-0 (23:00)
For friends?
speaker-1 (23:20)
Yeah, like my friend and her neighbors, they wanted to do like, how do you tell if a bottle's cheap versus expensive? So I I got bottles from the Death and Taxes wine list. And then I also bought bottles just cheapest I could find at Trader Joe's that were like same same region. That's it. That was same varietal and did that. and then I did like my sister and her friends one Christmas wanted to do like niche grapes.
So and I mean, they're not like very like to you they wouldn't be niche. Yeah, yeah, but to most people. So we talked about, you know, the seven noble grapes and then we're I was like, Okay, if you like a Pinot Noir, why don't you try a Trousseau? Mm-hmm. So I say I tell you this to say that like it doesn't have to be like so official. It could be you just like, Hey, do you wanna learn about wine? Why don't you come to like, why don't we meet at Raleigh wine shop and I'll teach you about
speaker-0 (23:49)
To must
speaker-1 (24:14)
these three varietals. It could be just to get your you know, just to get you just put yourself out there.
speaker-0 (24:20)
I get to scratch the itch with the glasshouse staff. Okay. So I d I still do some wine training there. I used to do actually, this is something I wanted to ask you. How have you approached continuing education with your front of house team? Because I find that
speaker-1 (24:29)
Okay.
That's great question.
speaker-0 (24:41)
This moment, there are a lot of folks coming to the industry post-COVID who do not have very much experience at all and really are new to wine. Very, very new to wine. So I'm finding that I'm having to go back to wine 101 a lot, a lot, a lot because otherwise I can't. It's like trying to teach someone something in Mandarin when they've never even heard the
speaker-1 (25:04)
Yeah.
Is it the same? It's the same. Okay. But I think what I do, because I think it's easy to sit everyone down and give a seminar. But how are they gonna use that in their night to night, day-to-day interactions with guests with this wine list? So what I really do is I sort of tack on these very like sort of sneaky lessons into my wine tasting. So if there's a new bottle going on the list.
I try to like add sort of an additional small blurb, like simplest terms possible.
so we put a pet nat on. So I took that opportunity to be like, Hey, this is in simplest terms, this is how champagne's made. Two fermentations. Yeah. In pet nat, one fermentation, all in the bottle. Yeah. You know? And it's like, yes, it's literally the most elementary thing you can know about champagne versus sparkling, but it's like that's probably something most of my staff didn't know. For sure. Or like
⁓ we just went over we just did sort of two burgundy varietals Mm-hmm. So, you know, people will come in and be like, I want a white burgundy. It's like how many of your how much of your staff is gonna know what that means? You know? Well at least maybe now.
speaker-0 (26:17)
a lot of them at least Yeah, now it could
be like well I know Chardonnay's gonna be one of ⁓
speaker-1 (26:23)
Or Pinot Noir. Right. That's that's it. For white. Yeah, yeah white burgundy it's just Chardonnay. Yeah. But like if you are coming in and you don't know any of that, or like why well you said this was Burgundy, but this says Borgogna. Yeah. And like what's that about? And I'm like, it's the same thing.
speaker-0 (26:41)
Can I tell
you something though? If anyone is listening to this and you happen to have a background in classical singing like myself
speaker-1 (26:47)
Which my gosh, blew my mind when I heard you talk about I had no idea that you were like an opera major singer. What? Okay I I just want to backtrack way back. Okay, how did this happen? How did I Like you just like in col you just have just been singing your whole life and like where were you in an opera? Like have you done opera?
speaker-0 (27:01)
How did I major in music?
speaker-1 (27:10)
I know you speak it operatic Italian and German, which is incredible. It blew my I was listening to your podcast with Mal. Yes. And you said that and I was like, what?
speaker-0 (27:21)
Yes. So it wasn't like a like a I got to college and I spent my first year exploring majors and I decided, ooh, I'm just gonna choose opera. Like I'm gonna interested in biology. No, it wasn't like that. I d I did ⁓ I was very serious about it in high school. Starting I had been singing in choirs ever since I was very, very young, but then right around the age of fourteen, someone recommended you should really get serious and take voice lessons if you want
to and I was very lucky to have musical parents who are very supportive. Yes. So both my parents are trained classical musicians as well. So it was wonderful. I found a wonderful voice teacher who encouraged me. It was very powerful. I cannot overstate how impactful it was to me to in high school have someone who was not a parent indicate to me that you're special and you have a skill that's really special and worth pursuing.
speaker-1 (27:55)
I love that. Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
speaker-0 (28:20)
And it was classical singing that I was really interested in. So cool. And yes, I did musical theater. And I I love, love, love musical theater and consider myself a theater kid for sure. But kind of around 16, 17, you decide, like, okay, is this just for fun or are you gonna keep going into college? And I decided to do that. So when I was evaluating college as a senior, I was looking for conservatory and music programs. And you audition and you, you know, you really want to find a connection with a good voice teacher, more so.
than any other criteria to select a school. But I did end up going to UNC Chapel Hill, which I never, never, never thought I was going to do because I thought that was so uncool. Because everyone goes to Chapel.
speaker-1 (29:02)
Hill.
That was my dream school when I was in high school. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Chicago. One Tree Hill had a big forest. Yes. ⁓
speaker-0 (29:15)
I do so get it, like out of state. It is very competitive and very sexy.
speaker-1 (29:19)
is very sexy
to go to UNC Chapel Hill. Yes it is. and and
speaker-0 (29:24)
That's
like coming from such a place of privilege too, this whole conversation even so I do acknowledge that, but ⁓ it felt at the time as a seventeen year old like a very mainstream.
speaker-1 (29:34)
You're
like, what I'm gonna stay in the state I grew up in.
speaker-0 (29:37)
Yes.
And to be like, it's only like twenty miles away, but it it I was dumb. And once I got there, it really was the right school for me. I found a wonderful teacher. ⁓ Yeah, so I studied in college. I I'm so glad I had that time. I have struggled my entire professional life with
this identity of being a professional artist and not having singing be the thing where I make my living. I've s but it is true. I am a professional singer.
speaker-1 (30:09)
really struggled with that. Yeah.
It's not too late.
Right. It's not too late.
speaker-0 (30:17)
And you can be a professional artist and not make your full living from it. That so yes. But all this coming back
speaker-1 (30:26)
Okay,
sorry. Yeah, I I was just so curious about this. And I was like, I need to ask her about this because I'm like Love it. Yeah. I know you had your little ⁓ Christmas gals. This Sleigh Belles
speaker-0 (30:33)
⁓ I do still sing.
Yeah.
Fun
initiative which will continue. Love it. And then I did do a recital in 2024 that I raised money for for the Southern Smoke Foundation. Love it. So I will continue to do things like that. I I must. If I don't have something on the horizon, I just disintegrate and become a sad sack. So it's very important to have like something on the horizon that's musical. But a requirement to pursue a degree in opera is you have to take classes learning how to pronounce these languages.
So I had to take an entire semester learning how to pronounce German, an entire semester learning how to pronounce Italian. This is not necessarily learning the language. This is pronouncing.
speaker-1 (31:19)
It's just pronunciation.
And French, I'm assuming. French it's
speaker-0 (31:23)
Italian
and German were the three we were required to take. And then you do end up singing some Spanish repertoire. Some people, if you get crazy, you end up learning some Czech, some Russian repertoire. You're not required to do diction classes in that, So bringing to the table this ability to like look at a word in French German and a
speaker-1 (31:43)
Italian.
speaker-0 (31:46)
pronounce
it and have some context for it has been extremely helpful in this field. I never thought I would be able to use it again.
speaker-1 (31:55)
Honestly.
So I know Spanish, but my sister ⁓ is fluent in French. So French comes a little bit easier because I've just heard her speak it. So it's a little bit but
Italian is where I really struggle. Like German is, I mean, German is German. German is German. German is German. It's phonetic, you know. Italian, I am always like, I have no idea. So that has been a big obstacle for me. Like taraldigo. I was like, this should be taraldago to me. My little Western accent. Taraldago, but taraldigo. So I was had to teach this varietal a couple weeks ago. So like literally, I was just like turaldogo.
Just over and over for like thirty minutes. but again, like if you don't speak Italian or you have never seen the word Borgogna like
speaker-0 (32:47)
It's like, how are you supposed to know that? Yeah. You're not. and it it does feel very, very intimidating from the outside looking in. I really am a big proponent of if you feel interested in wine education, if you're in the industry or not, you should do it. You should do it. And more importantly, you can do it. You can do it. Anyone can take W set level one and enjoy it.
speaker-1 (33:05)
Yes.
It's so fun. It's very low key It doesn't feel like a class. It feels like a very long wine tasting.
speaker-0 (33:15)
Okay. ⁓
Yes, and you don't have to be special to take to sign up for the class. You don't have to be in the industry. You will learn so much. I I really want to remove that barrier for people who feel like they are interested in it and like are not cool enough to do it or are not because I feel the restaurant owner. You know.
speaker-1 (33:22)
I should.
way. Yeah. And I was like Yeah.
Yeah. Well and I think the thing about wine is it's like it seems like this very posh thing and, you know, I always thought like the most expensive ⁓ wine must be the best. And I'm like, I've had a lot of expensive wine that did not live up to my expectations. ⁓ so it's like how do I realistically like how do I sort of
speaker-0 (33:48)
Next one.
speaker-1 (33:59)
⁓ explain that to these to the staff who it's like it is their first time with like a wine list this deep and they don't understand what like what a light bodied red versus a full body red is you know like one of the questions one of my staff asked me probably my first my first weekend and I'm not laughing at him because again learning moment he was like hey so ⁓ these people were really looking for a light bodied red so I told them the Zinfandel would be great for them. And I said
I'm so glad you made that recommendation. Unfortunately, Zinfandel is a full bodied red. Do you want me to go talk to them? And he's like, Yes, please. Yeah. But then, you know, but then I was like, afterwards, I like told him, I'm like, hey, I sold them a Beaujolais.
speaker-0 (34:36)
And one tell you.
speaker-1 (34:44)
This is the flavor profile of a Beaujolais. When we talk about light bodied red, this is what they mean versus like a full bodied red as infidel or cabernet would be that. And then just took him through the list. Like if someone's looking for a light bodied red, these are the three lightest. These are the three boldest, and everything is sort of in between. Hopefully not. Right there's like the
speaker-0 (35:02)
probably never forget it.
There's no learning experience like you
know, being in front of someone and like having to be on the mic in the moment and being like, Fuck, I don't know. I don't know. Let me like make it make something up. Not not saying that's what they were doing.
speaker-1 (35:15)
Yeah.
Honestly, that still happens to me sometimes. Sometimes guests come in and they're looking for a specific region and I'm like
speaker-0 (35:27)
You can't know everything.
speaker-1 (35:28)
I'm not
sure actually. I I mean, and I'm like, well, we don't have anything from that specific sub region. I do have something from this general area. Yeah. And then I'll go back and I'll look and, you know, exactly where it is in relation to the to the region they're looking for. So I can go back and be like, hey, this is a little more west or this is a little more east or south, you know. But wine is a lot of geography. I know. That was one thing that I didn't for some reason did not expect it to be. And I don't
I guess I'm okay at geography. I'm a lot better now. Yeah. yeah, for sure. but also it's I learned so much just like
do just introducing new wines, looking up new wines, like scouring, you know, distributors' books and being like, well, I like this varietal. Let me like look up the region it's from. Let me look up like the winery it's from. Like Poole's has a big push towards biodynamic and organic production.
speaker-0 (36:29)
So you said
you're working on expanding your list of Poole's. I'm curious what you are looking forward to in year two of this role.
speaker-1 (36:38)
Yes. I am really looking forward to more education with my staff. With your staff. For me. I mean with my staff as well. Like I love teaching. I love like sharing knowledge. You know, I'm like again, I can't know everything. So someone sometimes asks me a question and I'm like, I think it's this, but I'm gonna look it up and get it back to you. and you know, I'll give you a little bit more information.
speaker-0 (37:00)
Such an important skill,
I think, in any industry ever. You can't know everything all the time. It's okay to say, I don't know.
speaker-1 (37:08)
Let me find out. Let me find out. Yeah, let me find out is my like go-to. Like someone asks me something, I'm like, let me find out for you. I or I say, can you ask me again in 60 seconds? And then I get on my phone. A ⁓ good drink. A good drink. ⁓ So I am really looking forward to growing the list. I think that
speaker-0 (37:15)
Really?
speaker-1 (37:31)
there's a lot of gaps that I really wanna fill with some really fun producers. Like I was in Chile November and that was amazing and I Chilean wine is so cool. Like I'd love like a pais on the on the list or
like a Cabernet Franc from that area. But in North Carolina you have a little bit more limited allocations of sort of these regions. So it's hard to find good wines that's not gonna be available everywhere, right? Like you don't want to go to three restaurants in Raleigh and they all have the same I know thing on their buy the glass list.
speaker-0 (38:06)
A Tetris game,
isn't it? It is. That's actually something else I wanted to ask you about to not to like squirrel us continuing to answer your your two question, but did you at any point feel like you got a crash course in just the numbers behind a successful wine program? I mean, it's isn't it crazy like
speaker-1 (38:24)
It is it's
speaker-0 (38:24)
It's crazy.
Like the the inventory versus cost versus profit margin versus playing with how to price something appropriately so that it will move.
speaker-1 (38:34)
Right.
I think that ACR in general is we are all figuring this out together. Me and the Somm at Death and Taxes and Kat Robinson, like we are all figuring this out together. This is like a new position for the company. the somm at Death and Taxes, she took her position in November of twenty four. That sounds right.
And so I took my money in July. Yeah, a little over a year ago. But like this is like completely new territory. So I think Kat Robinson has so much experience, like being a beverage director, being a sommelier. But what does that look I mean, it's gonna be different from every single restaurant you're in. And it should be because every restaurant is different. You don't you can't have like a copy and paste because that's not gonna work at Yeah. So ⁓ no. Yeah, yeah. I don't it's something I'm still figuring out, you know. Obviously I track the numbers
speaker-0 (39:15)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (39:24)
regularly and ⁓ but it's it's sort of just like we're gonna try this.
speaker-0 (39:31)
Just a lot
of I have found that to be very overwhelming in terms of managing a wine program and I'm always looking for advice on how to better wrap my head around it. Just the the sheer volume of data available and what to pay attention to. And especially in my world, I've got five thousand other things that I'm also tracking. ⁓ but it is important to me to look at like
Are we pricing this bottle correctly? Like in general, things that are much more well known I price higher. Things that are less known that I'm excited about, I price lower to make that attractive. I'm generally looking at, you know, for a an average profit margin, but within that you can like toggle all kinds of you know.
speaker-1 (40:14)
Totally. And
I agree. And I I think it like that's a great way to do it, right? It's like you're pricing certain things higher and certain things lower and it it kind of all comes out equally because they're gonna be attractive to different people for different reasons. I think that's like a great
place to be. Yeah. I mean we we do that with our buy the glass list, you know? Like I have a Rioja on, like Rioja is not cheap. Right. you know, it's sort of like maybe pricing things a little bit higher and another buy the glass list so that I can keep the Rioja at a respectable level. I'm not charging twenty five dollars a glass.
speaker-0 (40:49)
Nights are you there?
speaker-1 (40:51)
I'm there five nights a
week. I'm not always a sommelier on the floor though. I do a lot with the bar program. So I'm behind the bar a lot. I will serve sometimes when they need me. I have a hand in the bar program as well, which kind of like scratches my creative itch a lot because I am a person who needs to create something in my work to be happy. Yes. and so
speaker-0 (41:13)
if it's not gem
art
speaker-1 (41:15)
It's gonna be a cocktail. It's gonna be a
cocktail, literally. So I again no one asked me to do these things. I just like, you know, I get with the bar team a lot and I'm like, hey, cocktail changes. Let's talk about it. And then, you know, I'll tell my managers, like, hey, let's start talking about cocktails. Like rolling out different things, like bouncing ideas off of people. ⁓ you know, I'm like
They're like, We I have this idea. I'm like, Great, try it. Bring it to me and we'll tweak it before it goes to the people who say yes or no.
speaker-0 (41:45)
What do you
guys do when for a Somm when you're not there? Is there sort of like a deputy?
speaker-1 (41:52)
A deputy somm Yeah. No. No. ⁓ but that's comes into like empowering the team to like be confident in like selling their bottles. every server for the most part has two or three bottles that they always gravitate towards. And so I come in ⁓ after a day off and I look at the fridge, the Eurocave or the wine is kept I'm like, Why did we sell three of those cruise monkey jackets last night? I said it's
speaker-0 (42:10)
I'm
Must
be jacket.
speaker-1 (42:17)
So good.
I was like, Jack was here last night, wasn't he? And they're like, he was. I'm like, I know. I'm like, all of our gruener is gone. I know that Jack was here, Which is great. Like they're comfortable with it. It's a crowd pleaser. They generally all have a light bodied, a full bodied, and a white.
speaker-0 (42:35)
Is such a great
tip for you if you're in any front of house role and you're intimidated by wine and you are like, how am I gonna tackle this massive knowledge? But one light, one medium, one full, that's your go-to, that you personally can speak to speak to or interested in. that's such a great piece of advice.
speaker-1 (42:52)
In my opinion, I think that when you have a wine list, like sort of everything should kind of go with the cuisine. Yeah. what I tell my staff is there's not a super wrong answer to like what will be good with our meal. Right. Most of if not all of it will be good with their meal. But you have to find out what they like. Yeah. Right? Like, but if you have something, if they're like, I I don't love a Cabernet, but like Pinot Noirs are kind of hit or miss for me, okay, go middle of the road. You know, find out what what's your favorite.
if you were choosing something within those parameters, what would you choose? And they're like, well I really like the the Combier Syrah. It's unoaked Syrah amazing.
speaker-0 (43:31)
Fucking
less. Yeah. That is probably one of the best Syrahs I've ever so good. I can't find and I like can't find it as a shopper.
speaker-1 (43:34)
It's so good.
I'll get you some I got you. No no worries. No worries.
speaker-0 (43:44)
No, I
I found it one time at Seaboard Wines and it was like a l like a transcendent.
speaker-1 (43:51)
Also, but I would say like that's not like a typical Syrah. It's very approachable. It's not super black pepper. And people love it. People who want something, you know, that's a little more full-body but not quite a cabernet. I'm like, boy, do I have a thing for you? so I think that that's the way I sort of empower my team to like conduct wine sales when I'm not there. And they're all very successful.
People don't shy away from the wine list, I would say, at Poole's. Like they are very much like Can I take something off your plate so you can go talk to to my guests? And I'm polled many, many times a night, which is amazing, which I love. It is it is, absolutely. Also, I again very nosy. I love being a part of like people's night out. You know, because I love my nights out. So I'm like
speaker-0 (44:29)
Probably want to be
speaker-1 (44:40)
If I'm selling wine, if I'm opening it, I'm like, what are we doing out tonight? Have you guys had this wine before? Or like, great to see you guys you know, I took that bottle that you love off of our list, but I have this amazing replacement. Give it a try. If you hate it, no worries. Perfect.
speaker-0 (44:55)
Have you ever thought about doing a wine club?
speaker-1 (44:57)
Like at Poole's?
I haven't. Have you done a wine club before?
speaker-0 (45:02)
not I've thought about it for years.
speaker-1 (45:04)
What what would that look like? What does that look like in for you? Like when you say wine club, I'm like I mean I'm part of wine clubs at wineries. Yeah. Or like Raleigh Wine Shop does it, Saint Pierre does it.
speaker-0 (45:16)
Right. And I have done a bit of a study on like what wine clubs are available here locally and what the price points are. I am just curious if it would be an interesting way to engage the customers at Glasshouse Kitchen specifically who are wine.
people who then we could cultivate and then when we do wine specific events and wine dinners, we know to target them first. And also have it be not that it's gonna be a huge revenue stream, but yeah, like have it be some sense of a monthly recurring revenue stream for us. We already have bottles. I don't I think monthly at the t at the start is not necessarily sustainable, but ⁓
speaker-1 (45:58)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (46:01)
You come up with a theme, you select the bottles, you you know
speaker-1 (46:04)
I have never thought about that, but I love the idea. Especially quarterly, right? Like you're like, great. And you can even just tie it to the seasons. Yes. Exactly. Romantic like Vitis House like romantic reds so you probably couldn't use that. But you could do like cozy reds. Summer you do great roses, great whites, a chillable red, you know, fall, you're like doing some like fun orange things. I love the idea. I think
At the moment that feels a little daunting.
speaker-0 (46:30)
daunting
and I am not on site nearly enough to own it and make it happen and I don't want to make anyone's life a nightmare. ⁓
speaker-1 (46:37)
How often are you on site? ⁓
speaker-0 (46:42)
Ideally once a week, but it feels like in the days and the depth, the deepest depth of flu season, I'm there like never. Like it never. And I hate that because when I am in, it's like I'm having to spend most of my time there recalibrating on like okay, like what's going on now because I'm just not there every day. But I can't be there every day. We have a bar manager at both locations.
speaker-1 (46:47)
Holiday.
Really feels like no.
Do you have beverage directors? Okay.
Do they fab manage the wine list as well? I mean fabulous. Right. I think in the slower months, like it's a great time to like lay the foundations of that and tell them your vision and say, like, hey, why don't you come up with sort of a proposal for me? Because it doesn't have to be the same across both restaurants. Like they're both uniquely theirs.
speaker-0 (47:31)
It would probably just be at Glasshouse. At Wye Hill we do have a beer club. Which makes sense for the Wye Hill customer and the Winehill brand. ⁓ but it it's just something I've been chewing on. we have done a patio wine event series at Glasshouse Kitchen that has been very successful. We do it once a month on the courtyard starting like from March to November and they sell out
speaker-1 (47:35)
Okay, good.
speaker-0 (47:55)
Every time. Love it. And it's very casual. You come, it's a guided tasting with me, but like you bring your glass up to my little station, you get your pour, and then you go off and you mingle. And then when you're ready, you come back for your next pour. And I have a story and a journey and like you I'll take you on it. And I just thought last year, well this would be fish in a barrel for a wine club. The people who are coming to these events more than once.
But it just seems like a lot to manage. Listeners, if you have any advice on a restaurant, wine club, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
speaker-1 (48:28)
You know, also
like Figulina just started doing a pasta club. Right. Which is I feel like something that I haven't seen around Raleigh very much. like a take home pasta club, I'm like genius. Genius. Genius.
speaker-0 (48:44)
But what go ahead.
speaker-1 (48:45)
Do you
find do you find that I know that listening to your other podcasts, you feel like you are a very like big person concepts person? Yes. And I feel I and I understand because I'm also that way. I'm like, I have great ideas. I do not I don't want to execute that. Do you have an executor? Do you have someone that you can be like, hey, I have this idea for a project?
speaker-0 (49:02)
I have so many
speaker-1 (49:09)
Can you give give me Okay.
speaker-0 (49:13)
It depends on the idea, right?
And sort of like where it lives. no, but also not no. Okay.
speaker-1 (49:19)
Like was this beer club your idea? Mm.
Collab?
speaker-0 (49:27)
⁓ it it was it was definitely a shared effort with ⁓ our previous director of brewery operations. I think the team appreciates my ability to think creatively and outside the box, and it's also like it's my greatest strength and my greatest downfall because I'm not afraid to try things, but I would say one out of ten of my crazy ideas does work. So nine out of ten of them are a flop
speaker-1 (49:51)
And is that because you're doing it or because you've just delegated to the right person?
speaker-0 (49:56)
I think you'd have to be willing to try a certain number of things and be willing for them to just not work out for a variety of criteria. I think when they don't work, it's because I didn't fully understand who it was for. I didn't fully understand what it would take to go through with it, and then I didn't fully understand what it would take to keep doing it. And oftentimes the keep doing it is just not a priority given whatever else we have going on. And so that's the reason why it doesn't work. But one time I
speaker-1 (50:26)
Exactly, and it works. ⁓
speaker-0 (50:28)
But that's
like a classic founder entrepreneur.
speaker-1 (50:31)
But also I think like if you are that big idea person, there is also a match to that that is the executor that likes doing that, that has that mind to like keep these things going. So I think maybe it's just finding the right person. Yes. And the right time.
speaker-0 (50:44)
the right time the
right time for them because our team is very talented and very busy I have to pick and choose the right moment and pick and choose the right idea to make sure that they're bought in and it's also doing something for them. It's not just me like spewing my which many times it is like I have this gr I have this great new idea for this whatever.
speaker-1 (51:04)
if you feel passionate about it and I it's something that you really believe in, I I believe that it's probably gonna work out. Right? Like it
speaker-0 (51:11)
have learned to do is I have to sit if the idea keeps knocking on my door for twelve months. Okay. Because I I mean I could come up with a new business idea I do it all the time. But that's part of the reason why I feel the urgency to get things started. This is kind of fucked up, but like I have to get it started or I'll lose it.
speaker-1 (51:18)
That's good one.
Yeah,
yeah, yeah.
speaker-0 (51:33)
No,
no, if you lose it, then it really isn't meant for you. If it keeps knocking on my door, like the wine club idea has been knocking on my door for over a year. Yeah. And I think it's probably worth pursuing, depending on, you know, all the other priorities. And ⁓ I totally derailed our
speaker-1 (51:36)
It'll
speaker-0 (51:50)
what you are looking forward to train of thought in your second
speaker-1 (51:55)
Glad because
I feel a little bit like that's something I am also figuring out. So basically January to February, most people's year resets January 1 in their brain. My birthday is February 12th. So that's when my year resets. Girlfriend, ⁓ my god, happy birthday! Thank you. It's happening. It's happening. so I feel like I really take like January to February to like
speaker-0 (52:12)
Hmm.
speaker-1 (52:17)
map out my yearly goals. So people sort of do it in December. But industry snow I'm not doing that. Yeah, but while you're recovering, I that's when I really like plan out my year. So I love learning. also I think a weakness of mine is I don't think I market myself very well. I think I am a little
speaker-0 (52:24)
recover?
Yeah.
speaker-1 (52:39)
Not shy. Mm-hmm. Obviously. Obviously. I think it's just very hard for me to like market within my field.
I just get very sort of timid around strangers that are not guests huh. Like put a guest in front of me and like we're best friends. Sure. But if I'm in a room full of wine professionals, I just shy away a little bit. Maybe it's the imposter syndrome in me. So I would really like to come out of my shell and really make more connections with the wine professionals of Raleigh. Okay. And being in the industry, it's a small industry, it's a small town. Yes.
So I do know a lot of people, know of a lot of people, but I would really like to get to either know them better or meet new people that maybe I've like seen around but haven't really connected with. Cause I'm a connector. Like I love connecting with people. It's my favorite thing. So that's a big goal. That's what I'm looking forward to. I also would love to just keep l learning. I'm not sure in what capacity I'm thinking about doing French Wine Scholar. You should do it.
I know, but I'm also like, should I just start diploma? That's a lot.
speaker-0 (53:44)
You can do both.
Your diploma is gonna take you five years to get. Your French wine scholar wine scholar you'll do in a month. So and these bits and bobs, this is my philosophy. Bits and bob the French wine scholar was so helpful. I did that before level three. ⁓ cool. So there are certain topics like champagne, you just have to learn over and over and over again. Because
speaker-1 (53:51)
Two and three. ⁓
Yeah.
Yes, tell me.
speaker-0 (54:12)
Each time it's like the the cup of coffee gets stronger and stronger and stronger. So do French Wine Scholar first. It will totally serve whatever unit it is. I think it's unit three wines of the world in your diploma. Yeah. I know you are gonna do your diploma at some point. Yeah. I know you are. It might not be right now.
speaker-1 (54:32)
I don't think it's
right now. I have I think it's gonna happen I have if I'm thinking like big dream, I would love my sister's already in Paris. I would love to just move to Paris and just do it. Just do diploma. Like just be there to do my diploma. That's my dream. And I think it's an I think it's I like Exactly. Yes. And that way you're like I'm like, I'm really struggling with
speaker-0 (54:46)
Dream my jaw's on the floor.
Like a study abroad year but yeah of your dreams as a grown wine professional.
speaker-1 (54:59)
Spanish wine. So you just like hop on a plane to Spain. Yeah. Naturally, you know.
speaker-0 (55:02)
A week.
Damn, if you could when you do that.
speaker-1 (55:06)
Yeah.
I think it's possible. obviously I'm a little bit I need to f I want to get comfortable in my role. Like I just got in my role. Yeah. last year I don't think I took that Bordeaux tasting event that we met, yes, where Sarah just invited me. She's like, Hey, I met you five minutes ago, but I love
speaker-0 (55:16)
This is this is like long, long term long term dream.
speaker-1 (55:29)
your highlighter, who is it? It was Fenty by Rihanna, obviously. ⁓ and would you also like to drink champagne with me every Tuesday at ten AM at the rest of the summer? And I said Count me in. That was a fun event. It was a fun event. That was like right when I got my offer. ⁓ that's right. I was like on a high that day. I like but it was amazing. But a lot of faces like like for example, that was a great place to like market that I was like
speaker-0 (55:38)
And I'm
⁓
speaker-1 (55:57)
I am cr like crippled with fear. ⁓ or maybe just nervous tension, not fear. But I think I'm a little bit more comfortable now. I just want to keep learning about wine, whether it's French scholar, I'm like looking into, wine events around the world in twenty twenty six that I'm like
can just go to, right? US based New York has like a wine expo. I should just go and just sit in seminars and just keep learning. Even if they're all like on a smaller scale. It's not this huge daunting takeover. And great way to make connections, great way to just learn more, not be the smartest person in the room.
speaker-0 (56:20)
Thanks.
I think that's really great. That's I think that's really, really
speaker-1 (56:38)
So I think great
a big goal for this year is to find more creative ways to learn and further my education.
speaker-0 (56:47)
I have always wanted to go to Vin Expo in Dusseldorf. yeah. Have you heard of that one? Yeah. I I agree a domestic event is much more feasible for me in this era of life. But I I you keep me posted. Yeah.
speaker-1 (57:01)
What about you? What
is your like could be wine-based, could be not? Like do you have big goals going into twenty twenty-six?
speaker-0 (57:08)
Yes, but the theme of the year of twenty twenty six, and this is very hard for me 'cause it's against my nature, it is to be a good steward of the things that I already have.
speaker-1 (57:20)
Okay.
speaker-0 (57:20)
Actually
I I'm wanting to sort of put a pause on the new idea generation because at this point, seven years into entrepreneurship, I'm like, okay, cool. I know I can have a new idea and I know I have the ovaries to like go for it and figure out be successful it in one out of ten cases.
speaker-1 (57:39)
Honestly,
it's such a good ratio. Like one out of ten is like yeah. That's a we're still here. Exactly. But this
speaker-0 (57:47)
Year, I want to focus on being a steward of what I already have, and that means continuing to.
Advanced financial literacy in the business. That is an area that my husband Chris has always overseen. And I always just let him because my zone of genius was in marketing and storytelling. But over the last three years, I've really challenged myself to become more financially literate, and it's been a great experience for me. I love it. it's very empowering. Knowing your numbers is very empowering because it they speak the truth. So that's one. I am excited to launch this podcast and make
speaker-1 (58:17)
Yes.
speaker-0 (58:23)
It for real when I did the trial last year. I was like, I don't really know if this is something that I'm gonna like, but I'm very passionate about letting other women in the industry know they're not alone and to be able to have them hear their own experiences reflected in others. So excited for that, and then carving out enough time for singing.
speaker-1 (58:47)
I love
it.
speaker-0 (58:48)
Because life is short and there's a lot of very serious, heavy shit going on and it is vital that we continue to make art in the ways we know how to make and find joy in it.
speaker-1 (59:00)
Make art and find joy.
It's everything feels awful. Yeah. In the world and finding a little piece of joy is what vital. Yeah.
speaker-0 (59:10)
I don't have any wine I don't have any wine specific goals this year. I decided to just sort of put a pin in that for now, knowing I could come back to it whenever. Yeah. So I wouldn't be surprised if it's wine that comes knocking on my door this year. You're like you I'm just
speaker-1 (59:23)
I'm gonna
take a break. Actually we need you in Dusseldorf.
speaker-0 (59:27)
Seriously. But I gotta be like.
speaker-1 (59:32)
⁓ so if you could give like one piece of advice to like women starting out in the industry or in wine, what do you think it would be?
speaker-0 (59:41)
B.
my god, I have the same question for you! Okay, the one piece of advice for women starting out in the industry. I I I'm gonna go back to my imposter syndrome thread that I was pulling earlier. Everybody has it. Everybody's trying their best. maybe that's not true. Maybe everyone's not trying their best. As I said.
speaker-1 (59:43)
Okay.
I don't think anyone is like, no, I'm not gonna try my best today.
speaker-0 (1:00:07)
Everyone has imposter syndrome. Don't be afraid to ask the question. That's what I want to tell young women. Raise your hand and ask the question. And it's okay to be afraid of asking the question, but feel the fear and do it anyway. And just go for it. Self-care, find your sliver of self-care that really, really, really rejuvenates you.
And hold fast to that. So vital. and then you are not what you do. ⁓ my god.
speaker-1 (1:00:33)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (1:00:39)
You are if you are if you are pursuing this as an owner or an operator, it's so easy to tie your sense of self into the thing you're building and to how successful it is or or whatever. And there's just so much that's not in your control. You're really not what you do. I've keep choosing vocations that where I have to learn this over and over again. Like singing. Yeah. You are not your voice. Yeah. You are not worthy because you are a good singer or a good enough singer, because that's like not even an achievable
Designation. So that's what I would say. What would you say?
speaker-1 (1:01:12)
I I've been in the restaurant industry since I was eighteen, a little less than half my life. I think what I would tell me starting out
Is to take pride in your work. I think that there's such a stigma around the food industry particularly that there that it is not a career path for people. Like I had a high school teacher tell me that, like, what, you're just gonna be in the food industry forever? And just made me feel completely worthless. So I think there is pride and joy in this work. And
speaker-0 (1:01:46)
And o honor professionalism
speaker-1 (1:01:49)
there's definitely been sort of a renaissance on the food industry being more respected. Like no matter where you are in the food industry, you are hopefully doing something that really brings you joy. And so I would say like find the joy in what you're doing. Period and have pride in it.
speaker-0 (1:02:06)
Period. Period.
But A C's been a big proponent of that too.
speaker-1 (1:02:11)
She has. She has. But you know, I've only worked for corporations, which is a little different. That's great. but even when I was, you know, at the highest level in the corporate restaurant world, I was still like, I just like not very proud of what I'm doing. Mm. And I think it's so important to know that you are in an industry that is based on personal connections and
speaker-0 (1:02:16)
Which is different.
Be proud of it.
speaker-1 (1:02:37)
Creating memories for people, for yourself. And whether it's a 20-second interaction or a two-hour interaction, that matters a lot.
speaker-0 (1:02:46)
Especially now. Yeah, especially now. And it's not gonna go away.
speaker-1 (1:02:49)
one of the oldest professions in the world. And I think it was when I went to France, my sister was saying like how you know these people who work at these cafes and restaurants, they like become a part of your family. Like generations come to this restaurant. And I'm like, that's amazing. again, the respect. Like you deserve to be respected.
speaker-0 (1:03:03)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (1:03:08)
No matter your position. I would also say that rest is so important. this goes back to your self care thing. Like I'm a person who I am constantly like, I need to go, I need to be the best. I need to work eighty hours a week to prove whatever this is. Yeah, whatever this burnout is real. And so take rest. Like rest, recharge. Everyone needs it.
speaker-0 (1:03:32)
What you do for rest? I need to I really do seriously prioritize sleep.
speaker-1 (1:03:33)
I sleep a lot.
I sleep, but also I just I spend time with people who fill me up, like my family, Bennett, who's my nephew who I adore. I adore all my nephews, to be clear. ⁓ But you craft I craft, yes. I am I am not an artistic person. I'm a creative person is what I say. so I just love anything where there's colors and you're not really building, but I'm obsessed with gem art.
speaker-0 (1:03:51)
Craft.
I it is innate to humanity to be creating stuff not for it to be good or the best, but just for the act of creating it and putting it together.
speaker-1 (1:04:07)
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
speaker-0 (1:04:16)
It's wonderful. Yeah.
speaker-1 (1:04:18)
I did have a question for you. ⁓ yes. This is my favorite question. If you could only drink one white varietal and one red varietal for the rest of your life, what is it?
speaker-0 (1:04:27)
Anna Okay, white is Alsatian Riesling.
speaker-1 (1:04:32)
It it's only vr it's a varietal, so you can have any reason. Any okay, just Riesling. Okay.
speaker-0 (1:04:37)
But also if it's from Alsace that's too. That's the best red one? Mm-hmm.
speaker-1 (1:04:40)
It's best.
speaker-0 (1:04:45)
mean it's probably Syrah. I love that. Not only is it my namesake I love expressions of Syrah from all over the world. I do love that it has an umami-ness to it. I love that it's full bodied like me. Yes. Full bodied and unapologetic
speaker-1 (1:05:04)
Takes on many different forms.
speaker-0 (1:05:07)
So I'm a unicorn,
like I I love it. Has a thick skin? That's very poet. That's a great question.
speaker-1 (1:05:14)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Poetic. Yeah. That's what I would say.
I agree with you on Riesling. That would also be mine. It would it I mean, right, you have it dry, you have it sweet, you have it sparkling, you have the best of all all the worlds. All the worlds. And then this limits my drinking ability significantly, the red I'm about to choose. Okay. But I stand by her. Okay. And that's Cabernet Franc.
speaker-0 (1:05:40)
I'm not mad I
speaker-1 (1:05:41)
I That's a raspberry
capsicom. Sometimes you can find some with like a like a little effervescent such as dances on your tongue.
speaker-0 (1:05:52)
Great food pairing wine.
speaker-1 (1:05:53)
Yeah. With that.
Yeah. Great food pairing. ⁓ also the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. I don't know if people know that. Yeah. But Cabernet Sauvignon would not exist without Franc. Without Cab Franc. So yeah, I just I think it's amazing. But I love that question because I think it's so fun to hear what people's I love that question.
speaker-0 (1:06:14)
Maybe I should ask that to all the wine people that come on.
speaker-1 (1:06:17)
Okay,
well that's my question. This was amazing. Honestly we could we could go on for many more hours.
speaker-0 (1:06:22)
Anna, I adore you.
I asked zero of the questions that I really But that's okay. That that just means it was a good conversation. And I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your time. If you are in Raleigh, you can go hang out with Anna at Poole's Diner. If you are not in Raleigh, you can fly to Raleigh and hang out with Anna at Poole's Diner. But otherwise, where can they find you on the internet?
speaker-1 (1:06:30)
Yeah.
Thank you for having me.
you can on the gram. I'm on the gram. It's my personal Instagram, but feel free to follow me. I'm gonna toot my horn this year. It's Anna underscore R E underscore, which Anna Edwards is a very common name, people. Okay. I was struggling for the username. I post my travels. I post wine I drink. I have recently tried
speaker-0 (1:06:57)
Two short horn this year.
Straight.
speaker-1 (1:07:15)
starting some real slash TikToks. you can be with me at the ground floor while I work on that. but I also have this idea starting February twelfth, which is my birthday, every wine bottle that I drink, I'm going to post it as well as my favorite memory while drinking it.
I just wanna like sort of immortali like I d I drink I drink I drink wine with people I enjoy, I really love, and I just I want sort of a record of
speaker-0 (1:07:47)
That
yes, and then it will do it will document that for you. What a beautiful use of social media. Well, thank you, my dear so much.
speaker-1 (1:07:51)
Use of
Thank you. This was amazing. So great to see you. Bye.
Bye.
speaker-0 (1:08:00)
Thank you.