Download Otter for your meeting notes

Episode 122 - Braxton Parr | Otter.ai

Episode 122 - Braxton Parr

Kelly C40min

Kelly C

00:05

Alright guys, welcome to another episode of live with a cork in the road. And I'm Kelly. I'm your wine Explorer here in Atlanta, Georgia and I'm chatting with people who are shaping the southeast wine industry

Kelly C

00:22

Hello, welcome to the cork of the road podcast. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Kelly, the host of the show and also the founder of A Cork in the Road, LLC, a wine events and media company based in Atlanta, Georgia. My guest for today's episode is Braxton Parr, the supervising video producer for Wine Enthusiast, so he plays a key role in filming, editing and directing content that is published across all Wine Enthusiast platforms, I actually got to see Braxton work his media magic in person while we were on a trip to Italy in the fall of 2022. And I still use the tips and advice when I'm communicating about wine on my own social platforms today. So we talk about how his wine education impacts his ability to generate content ideas, and we also talk about his creative process and what inspires him these days in the world of wine related video production. Prior to Wine Enthusiast, though he produced content for companies like Nike and TV one, and even directed some political content for the White House. So he brings a wealth of knowledge about this industry as a whole to the world of wine. I love this conversation and I hope you enjoy joining us for a little behind the scenes look into the media side of the beverage industry, and it will all be credited to Braxton if you start seeing me testing out new cocktail recipes on my own social media platform. So fun. Coming up for A Cork in the Road, LLC, I'm about to head back to California and I have a full itinerary of visits with wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma coming up the first week of February so you can keep an eye on @acorkintheroad on Instagram for updates. I'll do my best to tell the stories of these producers that we meet and the places that we visit. This trip will be a beautiful combination of some business with clients but also celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, which is wild because we went to Napa for our honeymoon and we've been traveling for wine together ever since then. But when I get back from California, I'll be posting about several upcoming ticketed events here in Atlanta. So you can visit www.acorkintheroad.com for all those links and event updates. And you can also subscribe on the website to the monthly newsletter to be the first to know about all these spring plans that are in the works. One date that is available already as a save the date is the return of our signature Sip and Style wine and fashion pairing showcase in partnership with Donna King of P. Sherrod. And this year we're heading back to the Epicurean Atlanta's theater on Saturday, April 27 with a whole new lineup of local designers and a whole new menu of themed food and wine pairings. So stay tuned for that ticket drop and I look forward to doing some other really cool things as we continue kicking off 2024. Thanks again to Braxton for being on the show. And the next episode is coming to you on February 16, and we'll be talking all things champagne. So subscribe to the show wherever you listen to your podcast and leave us a review if you like what you hear - until next time, Im raising my glass to you, cheers, and please take care

Kelly C

03:05

so great to have you on the show Braxton Good to see you.

Braxton Parr

03:08

Good to see you too long time. No see. Thank you for having me.

Kelly C

03:11

So happy to see you. And it's a little wild to say but I guess I should say Good to see you since Italy. I think I last saw you in Milan on a bus. Right? That's where I first got to meet you. We were on a trip to learn about Grappa. But did you know anything about Grappa before going on that trip?

Braxton Parr

03:28

To be candid, I did not know much at all. But it was absolutely worth the trip.

Kelly C

03:33

Oh, I had the best time with you. We were laughing and sharing stories on that bus through the mountains and Trentino you had the best energy. And you also taught me a lot of photo tricks and tips that I actually honestly still use today. Yeah, you were really helpful with that you were there for footage of this whole trip though you were there to capture media footage,

Braxton Parr

03:54

it was an optional thing to do. I just did it just because that's what I love doing. It's kind of comes natural, but I was there to be there as a Wine Enthusiast representative and kind of just go along with the journey and enjoy and get to network and meet people.

Kelly C

04:08

And we did and then we got to drink some cool stuff to wine and Grappa which is very very helpful and I know that Italy was for work technically then but also fine and I did see though that you don't just travel for work you just got back from a major travel around the world. How long did that flight end up being to Japan?

Braxton Parr

04:27

Oh my goodness gracious. Man. When I tell you it was one of the longest flights I've ever been on it was I kid you not the trip there was 21 hours long. It builds character I will say that being in a in a plane that log it definitely builds character but it was so worth it. Actually a childhood dream to go to Japan. And that's what it was based off of. So I had been planning this trip for like over a year and I literally planned everything to the tee.

Kelly C

04:56

What was it about Japan that always made you want to go If this was a childhood dream, and then you actually made it happen by the way, congrats on actualizing the dream.

Braxton Parr

05:05

Thank you. Honestly, I have always loved the food. I love the cuisine. My favorite food is sushi. I've been eating sushi since I was a child. And I always wanted to try it. And the sushi there was phenomenal. And honestly, you could go to a restaurant and get as much sushi depends on what restaurant of course, but you can get all you can eat. And it would literally be like 20, no more than 20 bucks, you'd be like, Wow, and the sake was great, too.

Kelly C

05:35

I was gonna say, what were you pairing with the sushi? Because I know, just from being on a trip in Italy with you. We both like food and beverage. So what were you pairing when you were having this amazing sushi?

Braxton Parr

05:47

Honestly a lot of special __ Sake, I was drinking a lot of sake and every once in a while I would have a glass of wine. The places that I went to didn't really have too many wine options, but they definitely had a lot of sake options. So I just went with the ladder.

Kelly C

06:05

What was one of the biggest surprises for you, you if you've been thinking about this trip for so long? Did anything surprise you? When you actually got there? Maybe it was different than you expected or over exceeded your expectations? Like any surprises along the way?

Braxton Parr

06:20

Sure. The biggest surprise for me, I really think it was just the pricing of their food and just how accessible things like wagyu was. And especially even with just the sushi pricing that really threw me for a loop because in the States, we pay a pretty penny for sushi sometimes, but it's for me, it's 100% worth it since it's my favorite food. But that was the biggest surprise.

Kelly C

06:42

So now you're spoiled. And now you're gonna go to your sushi restaurant down the street, you're gonna be like, why is it that much?

Braxton Parr

06:48

right, is that question? I think it just gave me a new appreciation for everything. When it came to, you know, sushi or wagyu. And yeah, I've been a little spoiled by my trip.

Kelly C

06:59

I love that. Well, we know you sometimes go to Italy, we know that you travel for fun and make your childhood dreams come true. I've learned this already on the show. But what what does your official title I guess we should jump into what you what you do for work when you're not on travels. What is your official title supervising video producer? What does that entail?

Braxton Parr

07:21

So it really ranges based on what industry that you're in what a supervising video producer is. But I guess I can just kind of start with what Wine Enthusiast is. First. It's a commerce and media company based in Valhalla, New York. And they started in 1979. And they focused on commerce primarily at first. But eventually they made their way over on to the magazine side, the media side, the print side. And that has really evolved since then Wine Enthusiast we so all a variety of things on the commerce side, whether that's wine, cellars, accessories, for Wine, wine, glasses, a lot of different things. And then our media side, as I mentioned, we have the magazine where we have a lot of great editors and writers, people contributing to the magazine for the art of science for wine, and just educational things and all that good stuff. So we're I come into all of this as the supervising video producer, I manage the strategy for video and a video team between these two different departments and departments all across the company. And I produce I film I edit, I do a little bit of everything. But honestly, it's one of the most cool jobs I've ever had. This is always something new to do and something to learn. And it's really fun.

Kelly C

08:42

I think as someone who has a knack for creativity, having a job like that that's evolving, and maybe everyday is not exactly the same. That's probably a pretty intriguing part about that role.

Braxton Parr

08:54

It really is. And something that I really appreciated about Wine Enthusiast upon bringing me on board their mission, it has always been to make wine more accessible to the masses, people that may not know that much about wine, but get them educated and get them up to speed where they can contribute to the conversation. And that's something that I really appreciate it because that's the reason why they brought me on board. When I initially came on board. I always loved wine. But I truly developed a deeper appreciation upon being on board. And I feel way more educated than I was about two years ago than I am now when it comes to wine.

Kelly C

09:31

Well you can learn a lot in two years about wine. Really, it's so cool that you got to come in and learn about wine, but you also had a really strong baseline in video production and media. So what are some of the skills that you think that you've picked up in those two years? Specifically working at Wine Enthusiast? Did you have any gaps that you realize you filled so far?

Braxton Parr

09:52

I think it really falls on to my wine education. I am certified with my WSET one. And for those who don't know, that's the Wine Spirits and Education Trust Wine Enthusiast offered a course with their want to do this academy. And I took level one of that, and I passed. And now I'm actually on to level two next month. And I feel that has been the biggest game changer for me when it comes to what I produce. And, you know, it's really an interactive learning experience for me being able to produce while I am learning at the same time in some scenarios, and it makes me do my job that much better having the certification

Kelly C

10:30

Oh and you're gonna just exponentially grow in that knowledge because you're surrounded by it. And all these people share that passion for continuous learning about wine, how great

Braxton Parr

10:41

there's always something to learn, too. It's like you think you know a lot. But then there's new concepts, new things to always be learned.

Kelly C

10:46

And you come in with an eye for how to communicate interesting ways of learning about wine, you're, again, accessibility to wine, you're part of that through your skills of video production. So what's your favorite part about this world of content creation as it relates to wine? You live in it every single day? So what's your favorite part about that world?

Braxton Parr

11:06

That's easy - tasting the product! No. It's great. Well, that's the easy answer. But I would say one of the biggest things would be just meeting the people. I've met a wide range of people. I've met people that have started their own wine companies, I've met winemakers and talking about their process, when it comes to harvesting grapes. And when it comes to just everything, a part of the production process of making wine. And it's been really inspiring for me, in terms of just as a creative and giving me new ideas of how can we contribute to the conversation of why of what already exists? And how can we uplift these stories. So it's something for me that that's the biggest thing that gets me going with my job. And just continuing to do that is something that brings me a lot of joy.

Kelly C

11:55

I saw the joy on your face when we were in places in Italy, watching the full production of Grappa which a lot of us hadn't seen, we didn't know that distillation process. And all of us on that trip, we were trying to share out this knowledge to our respective audiences. But I could tell that you always had a unique perspective, unique angle, you got the right shot every time. So I think that your eye for how to showcase this world of wine is really interesting. And you're bringing a lot of background into that space. But are there any aspects now as you've been working directly in wind media that you think you'd like to see improve as a whole?

Braxton Parr

12:35

I think the main thing would just be getting more people involved, that were maybe you were like me two years ago that haven't interested in wine, but don't know that much about it, or maybe even people that don't know anything about it, and getting them in the conversation as well. And showing that wine isn't the scary thing. It's not this thing that you know, that's really fancy, or, like upper class, or just, it's really for everybody, and everyone should be able to enjoy the experience of wine and pairing it with food and just being able to educate themselves around it. So I think that's the biggest thing that I would love to see more of with wine content creation. And that's something that we've been really aiming for with Wine Enthusiast in order to get to, you know, get that message out.

Kelly C

13:20

I have some personal favorite videos that I've seen on the Wine Enthusiast platform. I've even message them to you like Braxton, is this is you. And you're like, Yeah. And I'm like, Okay, I knew it. So I have some personal favorites. But I want to hear from you, as you're seeing your work showcase on a platform like that. Are there any favorite videos that you've produced that stick out to you for any particular reason?

Braxton Parr

13:45

Yes I have so many, it's hard to pick between some, we actually recently started this one little mini series of how to pair where we're pairing wine with, you know, foods that may be unconventional or things that you know, that would actually be good together. Like we dropped a video recently of a wine and popcorn video when it comes to pairing and it performed really well. And it just it was really fun seeing people's comments and just seeing the people that we kind of, you know, who were inspired or who had helped. So that was really cool. I've also produced videos around products around wine, which is also really cool, too. I think one of my favorites is our 32 bottle cooler video that it's an unboxing video that I produced. And that the inspiration for that video came from like an unboxing video of a Furby that I saw on tick tock and I was like, Oh, this what if I did something on a big shiny black box like this cooler and make it around wine. And I shot the video and it has been one of our highest performing commerce videos for over the past year now. So I think those at the moment are kind of my favorites. But there's too many, too many videos to count.

Kelly C

15:03

We have to thank a Furby for some of your success here, this is pretty good, I had no idea. That means you're watching outside of the wine world for that type of content that that sticks out to you. So you mentioned a few things like comments are performing, but what kind of results let you know, personally that you've produced, let's say, an effective video for a project that you've been assigned to? What are some results that you're looking for?

Braxton Parr

15:28

That's a great question. I think the biggest thing for me, that's the most rewarding is seeing a community created under the comments where people are engaging with each other, and it's positive, and people are sharing it. I think that's the best takeaway from me, that knows that we did a good job, you know, like this, people are getting it, people are getting into wine, and you can literally see it in front of your eyes.

Kelly C

15:53

Ok so building that conversation, if there's a dialogue, that sparks from something that you've produced, you like that chatter, you'd like to have that conversation. But you also are bringing video skills to this world. And there are those kinds of baseline technology, lighting, sound, all of that, do you think there are certain components that need to be included to be a successful use of video for wine?

Braxton Parr

16:19

That is another great question. Honestly, we're all video producers with these iPhones or whatever smartphone that you happen to have, of course, lighting, audio, and all of that helps. But you can really anyone can really just start now. And it's, it's just a matter of figuring out, you know, how you deliver your messaging. And usually this point in time, your hook is one of the most important parts of getting people to engage with your content. So it's video, it's, again, it's great to have high quality stuff that can help you stand out even more in some scenarios. But it doesn't always matter,

Kelly C

16:57

So more about that hook bringing people in, we all are out there with a little window to our worlds. You're absolutely right. So as you're as you're exploring your world, and you're out traveling in Japan, or Italy, or wherever you are, what is the creative process like for you for coming up with concepts? Like where do you get your inspiration? We know you're trolling tick tock for Furbies. But other than that, where are you getting inspiration?

Braxton Parr

17:22

Well just I really follow the algorithm on TikTok and other social media platforms, but it's something that just comes organically comes natural. Sometimes I have an idea. And then I'm just like, I wonder if there's something out there that exists already like that. And then I'll just kind of scour social and see, okay, it's there, or it's not, or somebody's doing something similar. How can I contribute to the conversation too, but I would say there's that but on the Wine Enthusiast as fast, but for my job, I have a great team are on the social team, the whole team is great. But we have our editorial team, our writers and people that I'm collaborating with and working to create stories around wine for video. And then for the social side, you know, we're constantly looking together to see what people are talking about around wine. And we're developing content to, again, to make sure that we're contributing to the conversation versus just, you know, repeating the same thing over and over again, that we already the most people may know. But yeah, just trying to make sure that we keep it fresh when when in terms of what we're delivering for people

Kelly C

18:28

Those conversations, those meetings must be fascinating. I'm like, Oh, just to be in the room to listen to the creative process. That's got to be really neat, because everybody's bringing their own field division, right? You that room and say, Hey, I saw this, but can we take it the next step further? Can we add something unique, a new perspective, and you get to be part of that room.

Braxton Parr

18:48

I know, it's so fun. And also just the members of our team, we all come from, like really different backgrounds, like I have co workers that, you know, colleagues that have worked as bartenders, and then we have a variety of tasting members of the tasting team. And they come from all different types of backgrounds as well, wine and beyond. And it just helps really the the melting pot of different ideas that we're getting on a daily basis.

Kelly C

19:15

And then you get to translate that using your skills of video communication. I mean, I do I do think that's a really neat place to sit where you're getting all that background feeding into a new concept, a new channel of talking about wine, we know because we both study it like there's so much that you can learn and soak in. But you always have a focus and a new angle to share out to a new audience. Exactly. So as you are looking around your world and getting inspiration, who do you look up to in video production? Industry? I know you haven't always worked just in wine. Is there anyone in particular that you feel is leading the way on this video production and communication for for our world in 2024?

Braxton Parr

20:01

Okay, I'm not trying to sound like that guy. But I honestly really just follow the algorithm like I mentioned. It's something where I see so much interesting content that's well produced from people just on the ground doing it themselves. And I get so much inspiration from just seeing these new content creators, this young generation, even just creating their honestly my biggest inspiration, and I just want to make sure that I keep raising the bar as I see the algorithm raising the bar,

Kelly C

20:34

just giving everybody hope for their own voice and putting it out there in the universe. Braxton's watching, but as you're watching that, do you see any current trends that are happening right now? Like in that world of content creation? Maybe not even with wine? But do you see anything that really sticks out to you, that you that you hope continues into the future?

Braxton Parr

20:54

I think the biggest trend with video that I've seen is literally how videos are getting shorter and shorter. And maybe that's great for people with ADHD like me. It's it's they're getting shorter and shorter. And it's the times are just changing in terms of that, because when I initially started, everything was landscape. It's like how you see it on the movie screen. It's everything is landscape. And over time, things have just gotten shorter and shorter, and Tik Tok is trying to do some things to incentivize people to create longer form content. And that's, that's pretty new. But it's something where they're trying who's to say that it's going to be effective. But if it does, that will be probably a game changer for when it comes to monetizing for that platform. Specifically, I think that's the biggest trend, though, is this videos, they're getting shorter and shorter, and people are really focusing on their hooks in those three to five seconds.

Kelly C

21:48

And then the video is six seconds long. And it loops. I've seen that a lot like, wow, okay. But there is a world where those longer format videos provide more opportunity to start that dialogue. And you said that that dialogue is a marker of success. So if we need longer than six seconds, then we have to find a way to communicate that.

Braxton Parr

22:10

Absolutely. And that's something that I'm eager to keep pushing forward with wanting to do this. And even from our personal brand, to getting back into long form content. Because sometimes you need more than just, you know, 15 seconds to break down something for one that may be a little bit more complicated. Or when it comes to my personal brand, just breaking down things that are you know, that are a bit more intricate in terms of you know, my interest

Kelly C

22:36

Well you're saying that people have these handheld devices to share their worlds. So what is one thing that you think all of us creators or people that want to have a role like your - wWhat's one thing that we could do that would maybe instantly improve the quality of videos that I'm producing at home? Like, do you think there's one thing that can make something better than it has been?

Braxton Parr

22:58

Sure, it, I think it comes back to the hook. The hook is such a game changer. And I think the biggest thing I could recommend for people to do if you're struggling trying to find a hook for your content, see what's out there, look up your what you're trying to produce, like see if there's anything else that's already out there. Or it could be something not even related to what you're doing it maybe remotely related maybe. But see what people are saying in those first three to five seconds that's makes you stop your scroll, and kind of just think about how can I get inspired based on what this person said? And how can I kind of emulate something similar for my video, and I will tell you, you will get that much more of an effective response with your video in terms of viewership and engagement. Okay,

Kelly C

23:43

let's give everybody one hook that they could try. That's new. What's what's an example of that?

Braxton Parr

23:50

Put me on the spot.

Kelly C

23:53

It could be as simple as POV

Braxton Parr

23:57

Yeah POV is a very popular one. And the thing is, it doesn't actually always even have to be text on screen. Sometimes a hook can be a really strong visual shot. It can be something like if you have a slow motion, pour of wine, and there's like a beautiful scene behind the glass. Really, it varies on the audience. I think that's the thing.

Kelly C

24:19

You had a really good hook I felt for one of the videos that stands out to me it was what's a day in the life of working at Wine Enthusiast. It was in the office and you it was showing people in their cubes or in their setting. The first tagline was, what's it like to work at Wine Enthusiast, and just something as simple as that was like, Oh, tell me more. And then I watched the whole video,

Braxton Parr

24:40

right? No, exactly. And literally the open shot of that too was just like the doors being opened into Wine Enthusiast and shout out to our social media director. She that idea performed really well for us. And it was something that was effective in terms of you know, messaging that and make people interested in Wine Enthusiast. You can ask some When a question, for example, for my personal brand, I shot a video of Have you ever tried apartment on Espresso Martini? And then I'm like, I'm doing it, I get right into it. And then I feel like it gathered a lot of engagement and comments just for that video specifically. And I feel that's because of the hook. And also it had a bit of that shock factor, a parmesan Espresso Martini, not everybody, you know not, I feel like the average person would be like, Oh, I don't know about that one. But it's actually pretty good, don't sleep on it

Kelly C

25:29

I did see a picture of that. And it was covered in a mountain of Parmesan cheese. And I kind of was like, tell me, tell me where you're going with this Braxton. But okay, I'm on board, I'll give it a try for you. But how does working in the wine industry compared to other industries in which you've worked, because this isn't your first gig in this world

Braxton Parr

25:49

it can be slow paced at times. But when it picks up, it picks up. And it can be a very high stakes. Because when it comes to producing some of the content that I've done, we're talking about people's life work, you know, when I'm working with whether it's a winemaker or someone who started a company, these are people that you want to make sure you do a really good job and helping tell their story. Because of all the blood sweat and tears, they put into, you know, making their company from the ground up, you feel that to yours, like I have to produce, I have to do a great job and make sure that I help them accomplish their mission. So I would say overall, it can feel slow pace at times, but it picks up, it picks up. But I've worked in a variety of different industries, whether it was working in politics at the White House, or working for Nike or different companies. And I would say that this is probably one of the Yeah, it's the slower pace. But again, it it'll pick up on you.

Kelly C

26:53

Nike and the White House and wine, you're living on three sides of a triangle, my friend, that is so cool. So as you've been exploring all these other industries, your baseline is the skills that you're bringing in to whatever that industry is, and you're adapting. So if there are other people that don't know anything about the wine industry right now, but they're listening to you, or they're or they have a curiosity about using media production to apply to an industry, what advice would you give to people who are building their resume, you started off, and you've gotten to this point, which explored a lot of different industries before that, that what you would recommend or what type of advice for young video production folks,

Braxton Parr

27:33

I will say start now, just because we have everything at our fingertips with these smartphones. But I will say that what companies, even companies like Wine Enthusiast, what we like to see is consistency, and people consistently putting out video or things that show how passionate they are about it. And essentially, it's just something where if you're showing these companies what you're doing, they're gonna be looking for what they're missing in their own company. And that's something that people are trying to break into this industry, what they can do, just especially if there's, you know, there's no quote unquote, experienced, you're doing it yourself, that's the best experience you can get

Kelly C

28:15

your portfolio, it can be online, your portfolio can be these social media platforms. So good, and actually really encouraging, you know, an open book, and it lets people take a chance, maybe if they know that people can actually get recruited from those types of postings, then it's encouraging to hear and you'll keep going.

Braxton Parr

28:34

Absolutely, absolutely. That's, that's how it's been for me. And that's what I'm trying to get, you know, I'm trying to keep up with my personal brand and keep posting to be consistent, just to you know, help get the messaging across for wine enthusiasts through my job, trying to get people to be more open minded, and what they what they drink, or what they happen to eat. That's something from you know, my personal brand that I'm really striving for.

Kelly C

28:57

That makes me excited because you're in a world in Wine Enthusiast where you already mentioned, you had access to pursuing formal wine education. So as you're building a knowledge and wine in addition to continuing your skills in video, what does the wine education aspect bring to the ability to do your work? Have you noticed that the more you learn about wine, what has changed for you anything? Oh,

Braxton Parr

29:24

yes, easy - new ideas. I get, I get so many new ideas from just learning about it. And my knowledge was pretty limited. But after passing level one, for my WSET, I felt that much more equipped to come up with new ideas. And I'm excited to get to level two because I can only imagine what ideas I'm going to come up with next. So I want to keep furthering my education not really sure where to go after my WSET two but you know, just gotta keep it going.

Kelly C

29:56

Oh my gosh, do you remember I'm just curious now because I I loved watching You asked questions about wine in Italy, you were so excited you love the sparkling wines. I remember being in Trentino. And you're like, I love sparkling. This is so great. So looking back, can you remember the earliest memory that you have of like a wine moment, a wine experience,

Braxton Parr

30:17

one experience for wine that actually changed changed me and my taste, but would actually be from that Grappa trip that we were on to this day, I kicked myself because I can't remember the specific name of the producer of the bottle that I liked. But it was the Chardonnay that was just so smooth and buttery. And it was just phenomenal. It was like it was a little citrusy. It was just right. And I was just like, this is one of the best arginase I've ever had. And since then I have become a Chardonnay guy through and through. I've been going on my my tour of buttery Chardonnay is to choose from and yeah, that was definitely a game changer for me.

Kelly C

31:01

Oh man, I wish I would have seen that moment. I don't know if I was in the room when this happened. But I love when I see people have the outside world disappears. You're so you're so focused on the glass. I wonder. I wonder if I was even in the vicinity of this moment?

Braxton Parr

31:15

You were! I think you were on the other side of our table though. It was at this this restaurant that we all ate I can't. I wish I could remember because I would buy that bottle in a heartbeat. If I found out what it was.

Kelly C

31:27

I actually like that it's a mystery mythical bottle.Let's leave it as a mystical creature and but it changed you and it allowed you to now go on this Chardonnay exploration. I really love that. What excites you about the future of working in the wine industry as a whole? There's so many kinds of current events, topics happening right now issues arising? Is there anything that excites you about being a part of this industry?

Braxton Parr

31:52

I think one of the things I'm most excited about is just the people that we're seeing getting involved in wine. And it gets me excited because I am seeing more of my family members and people that I never thought would ever talk about wine or look to me to talk about wine, asking me about for advice. And that makes me excited. I think that has a big role. When you see people like let's say Issa Rae For example, She recently started her own Prosecco Prosecco line. And that I think that's great. It's like, I had some of my own cousins reach out to me about it. And like, oh, have you seen this? And like, Yep, I've seen it. I was like, Great, let's have a conversation. And then we talk about it. And it's honestly, it's, it's really, it's just really great to see just the way that this younger generation is making. And I'm really excited to see where the where it starts to head.

Kelly C

32:46

You're part of it, you're now getting the texts from family and friends, are you getting the text that are the pictures of the wine list at a restaurant, and like, which one?

Braxton Parr

32:56

I get those, and I'm just like, hey, like, I'm not a Somm or anything, but I can I can, I can help you I can, I can help you, you know, at least get close to what your what your palate is looking for.

Kelly C

33:06

You're bringing people into that space, if you have that energy that allows people to ask you those types of questions. You're doing something right about bringing people into the space.

Braxton Parr

33:15

Absolutely. And I think the best part about it, it's it's creating that community, it's bringing me closer with friends, starting conversations, and that's what wine is all about. And that's something that by now, I'm really excited to keep getting better at so I can keep having these conversations.

Kelly C

33:30

And you will because I saw you get excited about wine so many times just being honest with you. You said that the Wine Enthusiast office is in New York City, but you don't live in New York City. You're in my old stomping grounds. You're in Virginia, DC, all of those things.

Braxton Parr

33:45

Yes, exactly. I work remote. And every once in a while I head up to the headquarters to just check in with the team and also to produce some, some videos at the office.

Kelly C

33:55

So what is the wine scene like around you right now?

Braxton Parr

33:58

the wine scene at DC is great. There's a lot of wine bars, and we get our wine from everywhere, like all over the world. So going into wine bars over here, you're gonna have a lot of wines to choose from. So definitely a plus for wine bars. But the DMV in general, there's wineries everywhere. Oh, actually, speaking of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia is actually best wine region of the year for the wine Star Awards by Wine Enthusiast, which is a huge deal. This is one enthusiast 24th gala for the Wine Star Awards. And it's something where we honor our local producers, regions and all of the above in the spirit industry and just making sure that people are getting recognized for the great work that they're doing. So the fact that it has won and got nominated. It's such a big deal. And I definitely got to plan a visit out there sometime this year.

Kelly C

34:51

you absolutely should do it I can't wait for you to go there. And what a cool thing for Virginia. What I remember living there is that in DC even this was 15 years ago, I was so impressed by the access to Virginia wines. Even in the middle of the city, you still have access to it. You can also drive every wineries. But yeah, you get to have those on the wine list!

Braxton Parr

35:12

No, absolutely. That's even from Maryland some wines too, but I would say Virginia, they're really known for it because you have a ton of wineries.

Kelly C

35:20

I can't wait for you to go to Charlottesville. I can't wait to get some Chambourcin, and get some Viognier, get some Cab Franc. I can't wait for you, Braxton.. So as we're thinking about things ahead, I can't help but ask you if there's a project already on your calendar that you're looking forward to this year or any travels? Is there any teasers that you can provide us of what you're looking forward to in 2024?

Braxton Parr

35:42

Absolutely, I think I can definitely go in with my my personal brand about this. I'm really excited to keep trying out different cocktails and weird drinks and things that people may not think of trying. I'm looking forward to documenting more of my travels and creating vlogs and things like that. But I think my biggest thing to my point earlier is I want to show people that I'm trying out all these new experiences and different things to help them be more open minded. So with that said, I definitely would love to at some point to pivot into wine, and eventually get them on the wine train, and just educate people. And I think that's what we're headed with this year. And I'm looking forward to keep creating, keep keep it going.

Kelly C

36:30

And you're bringing those worlds together. So cocktails, wine, and travel, we can come to you for your personal take on that.

Braxton Parr

36:39

Absolutely anything drinks and travel, please come to me.

Kelly C

36:42

So what are you drinking right now? Are you are you coming home and you're you're having a glass of wine? Or are you making a cocktail like what's your what's your oh my gosh, it's the weekend? What are you opening? What are you making?

Braxton Parr

36:53

Honestly, you probably will catch me mostly with a glass of wine. Usually on Friday after work, I always treat myself to a new bottle. Maybe not always, but a lot of the time I'll treat myself to a new bottle of whether that's like a Pinot from South America, whether that's a Chardonnay from Cali, it kind of ranges. But you know, when I'm not feeling lazy, I will eventually make myself a cocktail every once in a while I'll try and make myself something random with whatever ingredients I do happen to have. I have a round, that's kind of like my go to for the most part, just a glass of wine. It's easy. It's also exciting, opening a new bottle, like you never know what you're gonna get if it's a new one. So it's fun.

Kelly C

37:30

Well if you make cocktail recipe videos, and you post those, I will be looking because one of my goals for 2024 is to explore having my own at home bar situation. So my husband got a bar cart. That was that was the first step where do we put all this stuff. And then I got to start thinking about ingredients I just want to have around the house for those kind of just baseline entry level cocktail mixing. I'm very new to this. But that is something I'm kind of excited about exploring.

Braxton Parr

37:59

Oh let's go. Kelly, I am going to be looking, I'm going to be watching you and we're looking for your content. You've inspired me to even pick it up for myself, because I've had friends and family say that oh, you should try making cocktails on camera for video too. And I'm gonna say yeah, I don't know about that. I'll try it and see what happens. But, you know, like, it's worth it. It's worth a shot. Never know,

Kelly C

38:20

I won't be starting with piling my Espresso Martini with parmesan cheese. I probably won't start there. But I will absolutely try it for you just at least once because it was really cool to see you make something like that.

Braxton Parr

38:32

Oh, please try it. And then you have to report back to me. I would love your thoughts.

Kelly C

38:36

So amazing. Well, I'm not going to be the only one who wants to connect with you and have these conversations and create that dialogue. We know that that's a lot of the reason why you put these things out into the world. So if people want to know more about your work, your personal brand, all of that, what's the best way to connect with you?

Braxton Parr

38:52

So first, if you want to see him our work with Wine Enthusiast, you can just go to our Instagram, Twitter or tick tock handle at Wine Enthusiast or you can just go to the website at wineenthusiast.com But if you want to find some of my work, you can just go to my Instagram @braxtonzparr or my tik tock which is BraxtonZparr as well.

Kelly C

39:10

I have not explored Tik Tok nearly as much as I probably should. But I know you're doing great work there too. So I'm gonna check that out - so fun Braxton. Well, I'm delighted to have this opportunity. Thank you for being on the show. And for sharing this. I was excited about an episode where we kind of dive into this world that everybody who works in wine knows that the social media and that the video worlds of wine exists. So thank you for giving us a window into that world.

Braxton Parr

39:37

Oh, thank you so much for having me. This was really fun.

Kelly C

39:39

so good. Well, hope to see you soon. Maybe back in Italy. Yeah?

Braxton Parr

39:43

I'll catch you soon.

Kelly C

39:44

Cheers to you.

Braxton Parr

39:45

Cheers.

Kelly C

39:46

Thanks for tuning in to the a cork in the road podcast. Coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia, and interviewing people who are changing the wine world in the southeast and beyond. You can find more about a cork in the road at @acorkintheroad on Instagram and make sure to check us out on www.acorkintheroad.com See you soon guys cheers

00:0000:00