We welcome the iconic Howie Rubin to the show! Howie moved to San Francisco in 1975 in search of a good time at age 21, and ended up helping open up America's first wineries bar, the London Wine Bar. They served wines by the glass and had winemaker dinners back then, and he was bitten by the wine bug. He traveled to wine regions all over California and carved himself quite a niche at the wine bar, where wine was really coming into its own. 2 years later he worked a crush at Mayacamas Vineyards on top of Mt. Veeder, and he got a real education and appreciation for how much work goes into producing a bottle of wine.

Phase 2 of his career took place at the Breakers Hotel in Florida, where he lived for a year. He was one of 4 sommeliers on the floor and really tuned up his education on how to serve, how to sell, and how to learn about European wines. He tried to get the Hotel to take on some California wines, but they were resistant!

Howie then moved to Marblehead in 1980 and began what turned out to be a 43-year run on Valentine's Day 1980. He worked for 4 different owners over those years, and each one let him run the business his way, which is customer service comes before anything else. During the 90s he had a 2-minute radio program on wine, airing twenty times a week, talking about the trends and highlights of the wine business in Boston. He also hosted dinners with Daniel Bruce for the Boston wine festival and did that for many years.

When he was presented with the opportunity to open up Vin Fromage, he was ready for a change. The local community has embraced them, and the wine program has thrived and grown under his watch. The philosophy that worked at Bauers is the same there... always put your customers' needs first!

Learn more at:

https://vinaufromage.com/

https://www.instagram.com/vinfromage/

See more on the free Urban Wine Club app.

We welcome the amazing Julia Zuccardi of Santa Julia Wines to the show! There are many reasons why a winery chooses its name. In this case, Santa Julia was inspired by Julia herself, the first daughter of José Zuccardi. However, it also serves as a way to showcase their values, history, and the community they are part of.

As a family, the Zuccardi's are committed to the land and their people because they believe that the community that forms their winery begins with the growth of the vine and extends to the growth and progress of their team, always striving for a better world with more opportunities.

RSo, once again, Santa Julia is named for Julia herself. However, today she is very proud to say that there are many people who, day by day, make her winery a better place!

See more on santajulia.com.ar

You can also download the free Urban Wine Club app!

Alex is a Peruvian American who created SUYO with his partner Ian to reconnect with his roots and celebrate his culture by sharing Peru's beloved flagship spirit, Pisco.

He sees SUYO as a vehicle to share amazing Pisco, his home country, and the many stories that he's encountered on his journey.

There are 500+ pisco producers in Peru. The majority of them are small, family-owned and operated vineyards and distilleries that are unknown outside of their villages.

SUYO is a pisco discovery initiative dedicated to exploring our country, empowering small batch producers, and sharing amazing pisco with the world.

Every batch of pisco is unique. We embrace the distinctiveness of each vineyard and celebrate the unique flavors its terroir creates in every release.

We promote sustainable, non-intensive agriculture to ensure longevity of each vineyard’s life.

• SUYO Pisco Website
• Instagram
• Buy Now

As someone born and raised in the Caribbean, Marc has been a student of rum, and its place within a myriad of settings, his entire life. With this has come a deep sense of appreciation for both the heritage of rum, as well as the broader role it plays in the Contemporary Caribbean culture.

In the US, he believes that there is an enormous opportunity to further elevate the conversation around rum — not only by introducing a high-quality spirit to market but by broadening and challenging the current perception around the occasion for which it might be considered the spirit of choice for today’s consumer.

So, we’re here to bring you something different. And we invite you to join us on this journey..

Learn more about Ten To One Rum & Marc!

Hear more on the Urban Wine Club app >

SEE THE VIDEO REFERENCED IN THE PODCAST >

We sit with the founder of Stray Dog, Johnny Livanos, and discuss his vision and journey into developing Greece's first wild gin. As a Greek American growing up in the restaurant industry, Johnny walks us through a moment in his life after realizing how many exotic and unique herbs and botanicals grow in Greece that would be the perfect recipe for a stellar gin. Upon this eureka moment, Johnny went right to work sourcing his ingredients and assembling his team to create the brand, Stray Dog Wild Gin.

Stray Dog Wild Gin is a passionate supporter of animal welfare. A portion of all sales are donated to organizations and shelters in Greece that provide food, veterinary care and homes for stray animals.

Join us in getting to know more about Johnny and his amazing gin!

See more on the free UWC app.

The family tradition continues in this episode as we sit down with Yiannis Boutaris, the grandson of the legendary Godfather of Xinomavro, the elder Yiannis Boutaris.

The Boutaris' have been the visionaries and pioneers in Northern Greece's modern wine production to elevate and showcase its potential. We discuss the family's journey from farmers to world class producers and how the family took chances during times of uncertainty.

Yiannis fills us in on new acquisitions and projects in the pipeline that are super exciting. We suggest pouring yourself a glass of wine while enjoying this episode.

See more on the Urban Wine Club app.

Dimitris Skouras walks us through his family’s journey of building a winery in Greece and the regions they focus on. Their wines prove just how complex Greek wine can be and doesn’t fail to impress co-hosts Claudia and Fotios. Grab a glass and explore these fun and foreign varietals with us.

Explore Domaine Skouras.

See more on the Urban Wine Club app.

Dive into the history of Vallepicciola, the various regions of Chianti, and Italian wine labels with Alessandro Cellai and cohosts Fotios and Claudia. Alessandro has been making wine since age six (yes age six) and knows the ins and outs of Tuscany. If you’re looking for a deep understanding of Chianti and how to shop for Italian labels, this is the episode for you.

More about Allesandro: https://podere-la-villa.it/en/our-winemaker/

See more on the Urban Wine Club app: https://urbanwineclub.co/