On a blistering hot August morning in 2007 I left the Tribeca office of a wine distributor with a paper portfolio, one bottle of wine, and no accounts to speak of. I was over-dressed, under-prepared, and downright scared. Since then, I have made every mistake possible selling wine & spirits. I have failed miserably and succeeded valiantly. I have killed it, and been completely shut out. I have been up huge in sales, and I have been down low enough where I had to re-think everything. Sales in one of the most competitive markets in the world has taught me patience, resilience, and humility.

Over the years I have noticed that the moment-to-moment interactions ocurring in the trenches of New York City restaurants & retail that can dramatically alter the landscape of the beverage industry are largely passed over for the obvious. The tectonic shifts in the wine and spirits scene that begin quietly as the notes & rests accompanying the melody are often forgotten.

I want to put a spotlight on these subtleties from a multitude of angles and, through this, endeavor to understand the changes in the industry paradigm.

My goal is to focus on the actions that spark the trends, the reverberations, the history, the beginnings, the ends, the roots: all from a street level perspective.