How to Start Your Own Wine Shop - Part II

Part II of our interview with Alyssa Becker, owner of Brooklyn wine shop, Donna Da Vine.

SwirlSavvy: When did you open the shop?

Alyssa: We opened halloween of 2008. I couldn't have picked a better day of the year. People love to let loose and enjoy themselves on Halloween and my neighborhood is so great about coming together and enjoying as a community. For our 1 yr anniversary this year we'll be having a killer tasting to mark the occassion.

SS: What were some of the initial challenges?

A: The hardest part for me was getting the liquor license. It's a long process and you never know until your finally called before the commission, about a 6-8month process(and that's a conservative estimate) whether or not they'll grant you a license. It's a nerve wracking situation...but lucky for me people on the commission saw my vision and knew that I would be an asset to the neighborhood and granted me my wine license. THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SS: What's challenging now?

I think what's always a challenge for me is sticking to that initial vision. When customers come in they have all kinds of special requests, suggestions...etc, and I love to hear them because it helps me give them what they need. But the hardest part of my job day in and day out is staying true to my vision, my taste (which is really off the beaten track-and what brought the customers into my shop in the first place) and balancing that with what customers really want and what makes them happy. Every day it's a juggling act, but with 400+ frequent buyers on my list it seems like I'm making it work. And I hope to continue to keep that balance between the wines I love and the needs of my customers.

SS: What do you like best about running a neighborhood wine shop?

A: What else...the neighborhood, and the people in it. I love knowing pretty much every customer that walks in the store- their kids names, their dogs names and what the last bottle of wine they purchased was . I grew up in brooklyn and I've chosen to raise my family here in Boerum Hill - I love being an integral part of the neighborhood and sharing my first love with the people who live here.

SS: If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

A: Nothing else worth doing...no matter what I would have found a way to do this.

SS: How many hours a week do you work?

A: 24/7. Owning your own place is beyond a full time job, Even if I'm not at the store- I'm out tasting wine, updating our website or placing orders with my distributors (usually while I'm trying to entertain my 5 month old). But I wouldn't have it any other way.

SS: What advice do you have for others who dream of owning their own wine shop?

A: Patience is key when starting your own business...especially a wine shop. It's a lengthy process so don't lose faith. And drink a lot of good wine along the way.

How to Start Your Own Wine Shop - Part I

Do you dream of owning your own neighborhood wine shop where you know all the customers by name and can pick out the perfect bottle for them because you know their tastes. The picture is completed by your chocolate labrador lounging peacefully behind the front desk. Learn what it really takes to turn that dream into reality with SwirlSavvy's two-part interview with Alyssa Becker, owner of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn wine shop, Donna Da Vine.

SwirlSavvy: What did you do before starting a wine shop?

Alyssa: Believe it or not I was a corporate bond trader on wall street for 4 years and then went to work for Bloomberg's financial technology firm for 8 yrs. I didn't really take the most direct route to opening a shop, but I'm not going to lie, being surrounded by a couple of thousand bottles of wine is a heck of a lot more fun.

SS:What's the philosophy or style of Donna Da Vine?

A: I'm all about small production, unusual wines. Strange grapes...off the beaten path regions....vineyards no ones ever heard of ... wines with production of less than 100 cases..if it's something funky and delicious I'll bring it in. Of course I'll always carry a chilean sauvignon blanc, or a california cab, but my babies are the diamonds in the rough...the dark horses of the wine world that most people don't know about. That's where my heart lies.

SS: How did it get that name?

A: I was looking to name the shop after my mom, donna, since she was the one who inspired me to really go out and do something I loved for a living. And my husband came up with donna da vine because it means woman of the vine in italian...we thought it was fitting.

SS: What kind of wine experience did you have before starting your own shop?

A: I have come to wine in kind of a roundabout way. I took my first wine class for my 21st birthday with a man named Willie Gluckstern ("the wine avenger") and I fell in love...with wine,not Wilile :). From that point on every opportunity I had for a vacation meant me traveling to a wine region to taste(everywhere from tuscany to tasmania). I took classes at the IWC ( certificate and advanced cert classes), took classes at UC davis, moonlighted evenings and weekends at a wine shop on the upper east side and at vineyards in napa and sonoma. I was fortunate enough to befriend some winemakers from the barossa who allowed me to work part of harvest with them, as well as with some fine people out in california. I did this all while working a full time job. When my mom passed away 2002 it was the catalyst for me to leave wall street and make my love my profession.

Top Chef in Your Own Living Room - The Celebrity Chef Game

It's not a secret, I've always wanted to be on Top Chef or the Food Network. The only issue is that I don't cook...well, that is. I'd like to shout my own catchphrase ala Rachael Ray and EVOO while smiling at the camera . So until the Food Network takes me up on my fabulous idea to air wine segments (I'm out here waiting, with reel in hand, Food Network!) I'll get my satisfaction with this fantastic at-home game. Celebrity Chef! The Game is the perfect way to live out your culinary dreams. It's like a combo of Cranium and Top Chef - both of which I love. Celebrity Chef! is a board game created for people passionate about food and have crushes on chefs (shout out to Tom Colicchio and his wife expecting their 2nd kid!)

The object of the game is to become a Celebrity Chef,. You have to in over fans and achieve milestones like cookbook deals, television shows, own restaurant empires, get love from the press, and get the most coveted cendorsements. The player with the most points wins the game and is crowned the Celebrity Chef.

Check it out for your next game night as a prelude to the Top Chef Masters finale

celebritychefthegame.com

Anu & Swirl Events in the New York Post!

Hello readers - got some great news. I'm in the New York Post today, on page 37 in the @ Work section. Color photo and all! If you don't have the paper around, check it out here. The article talks about how my volunteer work at Sakhi (sakhi.org) lead to me starting Swirl Events. Check it out and thank you all for the support.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04062009/jobs/the_giving_season_163116.htm?page=0

With glass in hand,

Anu

Interview with Windows on the World Wine School educator Kevin Zraly

Kevin Zraly is probably the most famous wine educator in the world. He's beginning his 33rd year of teaching the Windows on the World Wine Sc hool and has had over 19,000 graduates come through his class. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin at the NY Wine Expo last weekend. He tipped me off about a new book he's starting to write called "The Final Ingredient" about the Dos and Don'ts of understanding your food and your wine and why they work together. Look for the upcoming 25th Anniversary Edition of Windows on the World book. Here are some quick tips from Kevin Zraly:

Kevin Zraly's Quick Tips on Food & Wine Pairing:

1. It's all about the sauce and the way it's cooked - not just the main ingredient.

2. Ban scented candles and flowers from your dinner parties where the wine is the star.

3. Broccoli and asparagus are the hardest items to pair with wine, keep them off the plate for a wine dinner.

Kevin Zraly's Top Wine Values by Region:

1. Argentina for Malbec - best value for a big bold wine

2. Chile for Cabernet Sauvignon - the best value for Cab

3. Italy for Soave and Valpolicella - it's not what we once thought it was

4. France for Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux - all the big Bordeaux taste at a fraction of the price

5. Australia for Bordeaux blends (aka Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot) - it's not just for Shiraz any more

The Perks of a Wine Job

Are you considering careers in the wine industry? When you picture someone who works in the wine industry, do you imagine her sitting on a porch, swirling a glass of red while gazing out at the sunset? Or do you assume I have a glass of wine in hand while I write? Umm…well, the second is often right, but the first a rarity. Don't get me wrong, there are perks aplenty when you run a wine tasting party company like Swirl Events. For example, I have three inviting bottles of Rioja that were sent to me waiting to get reviewed and I can expense "research" trips to Bordeaux. Teetering on the edge of perk and work is a trade tasting. Those magical invites find their way into you inbox and implore you to come and taste their portfolio's 58 wines in 45 minutes in the middle of the day or morning. I went to one such trade tasting last week for "Jenny & Francois Selections", the infectiously smiley team importing natural wines from artisanal, small winemakers in France who use organic methods in the cellar as well as the vineyard. More on that later, but onto the trade tasting. First, I stewed over my uninformed high school decision to learn Spanish over French. Why can't I pronounce St. Aubin correctly? Then I focused. I had 45 minutes to assess wines from 12 different winemakers, each with a selection of 4-8 wines. Swirl, sip, spit, make notes…repeat…over and over. Keeping your taste buds intact is challenging. Swishing water through your mouth a must or you end up with teeth only Barney would approve. And then be ready to go on with the rest of your work day. I agree it's better than formatting a ppt deck all day, but not as glamorous as you might think, n'est-ce pas?