Episodes
This week on the Swirl Suite, the hosts catch up and discuss upcoming travel plans. Glynis gives travel tips and [email protected] @SwirlSuite Sarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire
Published 04/26/24
The Swirl Suite went live at the Daze of Ros fest this past Saturday. Glynis and Sarita interviewed winemakers, wine professionals, and attendees. https://www.dazeofrose.com/ Guests: Tracey Love https://www.blenheimvineyards.com/visit Jodi Mills https://www.smvwines.com/ Karl Hambsch https://lovingcupwine.com/Andre Marable  https://www.thepacktravelclub.com/about-us Monique Samuels https://milaeveessentials.com/  [email protected]@SwirlSuite Sarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie...
Published 04/04/24
Published 04/04/24
TJ and Hadley Douglas are the Founders of the Progressive Wine Company and The Urban Grape, a full service beverage retail and e-commerce store, and gifting and events company based in Boston, MA. The Urban Grapes proprietary Progressive Scale, developed by TJ, has created a welcoming atmosphere for wine lovers to learn about and shop for wine in an accessible, customer-service focused environment. The Urban Grape was named the 2021 Small Business of the Year by the US Chamber of...
Published 03/28/24
Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English Language. These include the prestigious James Beard award for Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year, the Louis Roederer award for Best Consumer Wine Writing, the International Wine and Spirits award as the Global Wine Communicator of the Year and the Wine Appreciation Guilds Wine Literary Award. In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen  Americas Missionary of the Vine. Karen has...
Published 03/11/24
Known as an integral player in the establishment of natural wines in the country, Lee Campbell is an ardent supporter of sustainable vine-farming and traditional, low-intervention winemaking. Raised in the New Yorks Hudson Valley, they earned an undergraduate degree in American Government at the University of Virginia. However, she soon recognized that they were better off at the dining table than on Capitol Hill. Lees life-altering turning point came at the venerable Restaurant Nora in...
Published 02/29/24
"Reggie Leonard has made a notable entry into the industry, primarily through his co-founding of Oenoverse, a dynamic addition to the Virginia wine scene.  Affectionately dubbed as the "Virginia Wine Hype Man" by VinePair, Reggie's authentic approach and gregarious personality have earned him a well-deserved reputation. In his role as a Virginia wine ambassador, Reggie partners with the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, championing the state's diverse winemaking scene. Serving as a judge for...
Published 02/22/24
After finding himself laid off due to COVID in early 2020, Matt Harmon decided to pursue his love for pairing his favorite wines with food and began his own wine company. After entering the industry and spending a lot of time at local wineries, he noticed that something was missing in the environment. People who looked like him. Matt has approached the industry with a fresh outlook in which he hopes to make the wine industry less intimidating and more inclusive to everyone. And from his...
Published 02/15/24
Marcia is a local wine and spirits consultant from Silver Spring, Maryland. Creator of Bubbles & Bourbon, a tasting soiree experience. Duly knowledgeable and passionate of wine and spirits in the WSET programme. Proud member of the women in bourbon association, DC Chapter and recent graduate in the Stave and Thief Society of certified bourbon stewards at Moonshine...
Published 02/08/24
Pam Dillon is the co-founder and CEO of Preferabli, the leading B2B2C product discovery and recommendation software for the wine and spirits industry. Dillon has over 25 years of experience in the technology and consumer retail industries. A named inventor on 11 patents, Dillon was honored by Goldman Sachs as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs and by VentureBeat as an AI Entrepreneur nominee.https://preferabli.com/ @SwirlSuite [email protected]  Sarita @VineMeUpTanisha...
Published 01/31/24
After a 15-year career in teaching and coaching, Chris Puppione transitioned to a life of wine in 2012, taking a position in hospitality with Robert Mondavi Winery. In the years since, he has diversified his experiences within the industry by way of education and working in the vineyard, cellar, visitors center, marketplace, and boardroom. He was honored to serve as Marketing Manager with world-renowned importer Martines Wines, sharing the stories of over 50+ brands from France, Italy, and...
Published 01/24/24
Get ready to buckle up, because this episode of the Swirl Suite is jam-packed with juicy topics, including the NFL playoffs, the infamous Kat Williams interview, and the wild world of "dry January" where folks seem to forget about the sweet nectar of wine. [email protected]  www.SwirlSuite.com  @SwirlSuite Sarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire
Published 01/11/24
Rosalind Manoogian has spent more than two decades nurturing Fog Crest Vineyard into the business it is today. As the President and Proprietor, Manoogian is deeply committed to the business she co-founded with her husband James. The couple moved to the property in the mid 1990s, buying a sparse yet vast in size, aging orchard. What began as an effort to grow grapes to sell to other wineries eventually evolved into Fog Crest Vineyard, Sonomas only Black woman-owned vineyard. In addition to...
Published 12/14/23
Featured on the cover and named to the 2022 Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker list of innovators who are changing the way we experience wine, Maryam Ahmed is a social impact entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and community builder who is making waves in the world of food and wine. https://www.maryamandcompany.com/ https://www.instagram.com/maryamandcompany/ Follow Swirl Suite https://www.swirlsuite.com/ https://www.instagram.com/swirlsuite/
Published 12/07/23
This Throwback Episode is with Erica Crawford in 2018. She had just released Loveblock wine. The recording took place at Rake's Progress at The Line Hotel.  Erica Crawford is co-founder of Crawford Wines and owner of organic wine producer, Loveblock Vintners. After serving a non-compete post their sale to Constellation Brands, she now focuses on organic farming and deep sustainability, producing wines under the Loveblock brand. https://www.instagram.com/loveblockwine/...
Published 11/30/23
Check out the Swirl Suite's Thanksgiving episode with Leslie Dabney, The Vineyard Mom. Leslie Dabney, also known as The Vineyard Mom, is a successful television and live event host, blogger, and social media influencer. She has hosted TV cooking segments on ABC affiliates, FOX affiliates, and many other stations. Leslie has a popular published cookbook, Take Me To The Vineyard, where she shares her fresh ingredient recipes with suggested wine...
Published 11/21/23
Get to know the ladies of the Swirl Suite on this "after dark" episode full of wine and random questions. 
Published 10/13/23
Tune In: Street Somm premieres on the Tastemade streaming channel on September 25th at 7:00pm, airing weekly through October 30th. The Tastemade streaming channel is available across all popular streaming platforms, including YouTube TV, Samsung TV Plus, Apple TV, DIRECTV, The Roku Channel, Comcast Xfinity X1, and more. Street Somm is also available on-demand in the Tastemade mobile and TV apps and ad-free with Tastemade+.https://www.tastemade.com/  Follow The Swirl Suite:...
Published 09/26/23
Davon D. E. Hatchett, a/k/a/ "The Bubbleista," is a brand strategist and trademarks, business, and wine law attorney turned champagne and sparkling wine educator; luxury wine, food, and travel freelance writer; digital creator; on-camera personality; and wine lifestyle entrepreneur. She's the creator and curator behind the lifestyle website and blog TheBubbleista.com, where she muses about wine, food and wine pairings, unique cocktails, travel, entertaining, and aspirational inspiration for...
Published 09/14/23
VinBohme (pronounced vin bo-HEM) is owned and operated by two Black women from Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA. The concept of Vin represents our love of good wine and Bohme describes the easeful lifestyle that we all deserve. We offer select wines and items that make for a warm and inviting home. Our business is based in Washington, D.C. Roberta (the interior designer of the owners) and Monique (the certified Sommelier) came up with this idea during the social distancing phase of the...
Published 08/31/23
Nol Burgess is an East Coaster living in Northern California wine country. His goal is to promote diversity and inclusion in wine, food, and travel with a focus on the places, the product, and most importantly, the people! Follow him on Instagram @mrnoelburgess and at noelburgess.com Follow The Swirl Suite: [email protected] @SwirlSuite www.swirlsuite.com Sarita @VineMeUp Tanisha @GirlMeetsGlass Leslie @Vino301 Glynis @Vino_Noire
Published 08/24/23
Director of Winemaking & Operations  BARRA of Mendocino/Girasole Vineyards and Redwood Valley Cellars A graduate from UC  Davis, Randy Meyer launched his winemaking and brewing career with the  renowned F. Korbel & Brothers where he spent more than 20 years honing his still wine, champagne, and brew master skills on brands such as Korbel Champagne, Valley of The Moon, and Russian River Brewing. Following his time at Korbel, Randy served as Senior Winemaker for M. Draxton, Inc. as well...
Published 08/17/23
Michael Whaley is the founder and owner of Still Point Imports, a boutique wine import company based in Memphis, TN focused on supporting producers in South Africa and France led by women and people of color. Michael began his career as an elementary school teacher and later founded and led his own school. With a background in educational equity work, launching an import business to help elevate underrepresented voices in wine was a natural fit. Since 2018, Michael has also served as an...
Published 08/09/23
Michael Whaley is the founder and owner of Still Point Imports, a boutique wine import company based in Memphis, TN focused on supporting producers in South Africa and France led by women and people of color. Michael began his career as an elementary school teacher and later founded and led his own school. With a background in educational equity work, launching an import business to help elevate underrepresented voices in wine was a natural fit. Since 2018, Michael has also served as an...
Published 08/09/23
Brothers Stuart and Charles Smith are the vineyard managers and winemakers of Smith-Madrone Winery. Also in the family attic is the Fetherolf family, German farmers from the Palatinate region, who came to America on the Good Ship Thistle in 1730. The name for the winery came as a tribute to the Smith brothers who pursued their dream and to the Madrone trees which distinguish the property.In May 1971, with a partnership of family and friends, Stuart Smith bought the 'terroir' which today is...
Published 08/03/23