Alright guys, welcome to another episode of live with the fork in the road. And I'm Kelly. I'm your wine Explorer here in Atlanta, Georgia and I am chatting with people who are shaping the southeast wine industry.
Hi, everyone. Thank you for pushing play today. I'm Kelly, your host of the corporate road podcast and my guest for episode 105 is Meaghan Odom. She's a sommelier, a consultant and most recently, one of wine unify's elevate award recipients as she is continuing her formal wine education journey. Originally from Richmond, Virginia. Meaghan currently lives in Mississippi, which makes her the first guest on the podcast who is based in Mississippi. She has a Master's in Health Care Administration while also holding several wine certifications. So we talk about a philosophy that we both share which is that wine is life - it intertwines with other things we do in life. And she's using social media as a tool these days to show up as her authentic self and showcase her own unique perspective while learning and speaking about wine. We chat about some of her key mentors and what it's been like navigating the process of establishing partnerships within the wine industry and applying for scholarships that opened doors to new learning experiences like the trip that she just went on a few weeks ago to attend Riesling Camp in the Finger Lakes. She's a mom, a communicator and a connector and I loved having her genuine energy and passion on this show. So thank you, Meaghan, and cheers to you. The next episode of the podcast we'll close out the month by dropping on May 30. So make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening right now to be the first to know when it's available. If you enjoy listening, please also give us a star rating or even write a quick review that helps other people find the show on these listening platforms. It's been a pretty huge week for a cork in the road LLC with our sold out wine and fashion pairing showcase at the Epicurean Atlanta hotel last weekend. Thank you to everybody who packed the theater with such incredible energy and to the featured designers for making the idea come to life and thank you of course to my partner in all things wine and fashion Donna of P. Sherrod, my co designer of the wine bucket handbag, for always bringing the best energy to our collaborations and shared visions. We paired for this event five theme looks to five wines and five dishes for some creative pairings and guests were able to shop the items and chat with designers after the show. You can find highlights on social media at acorkintheroad. And please stay tuned because it sounds like we will be heading back to the Epicurean for another one of these events this fall. I also sent out a newsletter to our email subscribers with the ticket link to our blind tasting competition with a twist coming up on June 4 at the oenophile Institute here in Atlanta, head to www.acorkintheroad.com to find the ticket link and also to sign up for the newsletter if you want to be the first to know in the future about upcoming events. The grand prize for this blind tasting event will be $200 cash plus an invite to be a guest on this show to recap the whole experience of competing but the twist is that none of the wines in this blind tasting lineup will be exactly testable. So think Fingerlakes Riesling, or South African Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. So a test of your palate skills and general knowledge of the world of wine. You don't have to compete though, because everyone that gets a ticket will get to taste all of the wines in the lineup. And you can choose to compete or cheer on the people who are competing while you sip and learn if that's more your speed. But we are so excited. And I hear that tickets are moving pretty quickly. So get yours soon If you plan on joining us that Sunday. I will have some other fun announcements to share in the next couple of weeks. So thanks for tuning in, supporting the show. Again, a huge cheers and thank you to Meaghan for being on this episode. And please don't hesitate to contact either of us about this conversation. It's always great to hear from listeners and keep the conversation going. Talk to you all soon. And please take care
thank you so much for being on the show. It's great to have you.
I'm so glad to be here. I've been so excited. When you sent me a DM I was like girl. Yes, of course.
Like
That is the energy I like when I reach out to people. So thank you for being enthusiastic and up for anything. We have a lot of common friends don't we?
We do. I'm so excited about that. So I knew you're good people. So yes.
How do you know so many people in Atlanta though, like you do. Everybody knows you.
I don't know. Usually like if I come to like a city or something or I know I'm coming to a state I will message certain people or I'll put it on my storytime line because I kind of want to see like how people are because a lot of times you can meet people online and then when you meet them in person, they're weird or they don't know how to talk to people or they're, you know, it's just like you feel very uncomfortable system. And so when I came to Atlanta, I met Chris and I met Randi and I met Dap and I met
I love that you put Dap h in here because he doesn't live in Atlanta, but he's here all the time,
always there. So I did that and then we kind of hung out throughout the weekend I met Mason and you know, like a couple other people, so we kind of like vibe, and everyone's like, Oh my gosh, it's a good group, you know, it was great. And then kind of went from there. So we all started following each other, of course. And then I started meeting more people from Atlanta. And then I don't know, I kind of, that's kind of like how I've grown. It's just like, I meet one person, and they're like, oh, you should meet this person. I'm like, Okay, and so you know, then it kind of goes from there, a connector and always looking for those common wine people, friends.
You're originally from Richmond, Virginia, but you currently live in Mississippi, and you are the very first guest on this podcast from Mississippi. Congratulations. Because I also know very little about the state of Mississippi. And so I have to start by asking you to tell us a little bit about the wine scene where you live in Mississippi, because I've never been there. But also podcasts with Mississippi knowledge. So tell me what's going on there for wine.
Um, there's not much going on. Like there's a group of songs, restaurant managers and everything that are in Jackson, and we lived in Jackson. So I met a couple of those people through there. But they were already in the industry and knew a lot about wine and stuff like that. I call myself a wine baby. Because I'm still pretty new to the game. I've only been in wine probably like three years. So when I met them, I didn't know there was certifications and learnings. And there's a whole different I knew nothing about it, because we're in science and biology and nursing in healthcare. And I just drink because it's been a rough day. So I kind of got put on, they kind of embraced me. So a lot of them have been in the industry for a long time. And they were already Somms so I kind of learned from them. We ended up moving, we moved to Oxford, I'm still in touch with them. And I still go to Jackson a lot and you know, we hang out and everything. But in Mississippi wine can't be sold at grocery stores. And you know, you have your own liquor stores and everything they can price it how they want and everything. And it's not like we get a lot of variety in Mississippi. So a lot of the times when I travel, I pick up wine. I also can't get one shipped to me. So let me tell you how dedicated I am. I drive an hour and 40 minutes to pick up my wine from Memphis, Tennessee. Yes, it's wild. And then when we do travel, I try to bring back wine. When I went to Riesling camp I ended up checking in 24 bottles of wine. So after doing that, I really didn't have too many connections in Oxford, you know, I went to the local wine store and asked if I could work there part time or do some volunteering or something like that. And they were they did not want that. Um, I still have tried, and I have kids, like I can't work part time. I mean, I can work part time, like do certain things or volunteer. But like weekends, I can't do that I have to have a babysitter like I have a life,, you know. So it kind of just started from my page. I learned from that but no our wine scene is not popping, I think it might be for a different type of person. I don't look like everybody else that sips wine in Mississippi. So it is some of a culture shock when being here in regards to wine, but you know, just make it do what to do. That's all you can do.
Thank goodness for the internet connections of wine then. So you are part of a grander scheme of people who drink wine. And people have found you because of your energy and your education about wine. So you're not drinking or learning about wine alone in Mississippi, which is great. Well come back to Atlanta anytime you want. But you also said you're originally from Virginia and I think about the Virginia wine community and the wine industry there now wasn't like that at all. When you were growing up. Did you have a vineyard in your backyard because there are places in Virginia where that's the case was not the case for you?
No, I didn't really come from a wine drinking family. Just being Black we're not, that's not really something our family would drink. As far as like what we were raised off of. It would be like moonshine and things that we were able to make in wine wasn't one of those things. So as far as wine, it kind of came when I got older. When I was in college, I'm definitely an MD 2020 Colt 45 take shots of vodka kind of girl that taking shots of vodka has not changed MD 2020 and the Colt 45 has, I'm old. And so I never was raised up on that. I never knew anything about it. And so when I did find out about it, I was drinking like red cat, which is like this red like sweet kind of wine. It was okay, but I needed something else. Because you know, I like beer. So I liked like the seltzer. And I liked the boldness and the nuttiness and like but I didn't like how sweet other things weren't so crazy. My first wine date was with my husband - at the time he was not - and he took me to a place called Cooper's Hawk. And at Cooper's Hawk. I tried their wines and I was like, Oh my gosh, I really liked this. There's like so many different options and everything. So I was very excited. That was my wine journey. So now Virginia is poppin but again, I was never in the restaurant industry. I was never in hospitality. So again, I didn't know anything about it. And now you know you see more, It's great. But I didn't live in Charlottesville. I did go there for a couple of weddings and I drank then. But I wasn't like really interested in wine besides getting drunk and what is my highest alcohol content, and it wasn't wine.
But I'm just thinking from Virginia. And now you're probably like, Whoa, I was living in this state that's now embracing wine. But now you've embraced it in your own life. So, but you also hold now, several certifications. Can you tell me about the very first one that you pursued? What sparked you to take a formal certification?
Well, I feel like I've done so much schooling. And when it comes to people that are kinda like in science, we like to understand the biology behind it. We'd like to understand how that happened, why it happens, and how can we build it. So it kind of came from that, and I learned that, oh, my gosh, there's a whole different world. And there's people doing certifications and stuff. So I had to really understand and get it wrapped around how to do things where things are is accessible, you know, things like that. So I did my research. And I went here, oh, I did this test. I did this test. And I'm like, I mean, it's hard. Like, of course, we're very nervous about it. So I applied for a scholarship, I was very nervous. Because, you know, a lot of times when you look at these applications for wind scholarships, they're like, where do you work? How long have you been in the industry? How do you do this, and I'm like, I don't have that, you know, I just have my regular schooling, like, if you want to know about that cool, but I feel like a lot of the scholarship applications, I think they need to be changed or tweaked a little bit to understand there's people that are really interested in wine. But in order for us to learn more, grow more and get more knowledge about it, you have to give opportunities to people that are unaware of some of the things that were around when we were younger, or at a different time in life. So no, and I didn't have anything to put in there for the industry. I didn't have a you know, and I got denied for a lot. But then one I got and I was very excited, because I was like, Oh my gosh, you see my worth, thank you. Thank you, you know, because scholarships and stuff and like with life and everything, kind of start expensive. Okay. wine drinking hobby is expensive. Money. Yes, you made a really good point, you use the word young, you know, when you were younger. But I always think about this in terms of those applications. And those entrances and the wine world that younger, doesn't necessarily relate to age, or actually let me correct myself. It shouldn't relate to age, right? Because younger in the industry can be at any age, yeah, chronologically in your life. And so those are the opportunities for people that have never been in wine to actually start learning about wine, right. And that's why I always call myself a wine baby, because it doesn't matter the age that I'm at, that's where I am in my level of success and the passion that I have for wine, it puts it in overdrive as to where I want to go in life, you know, so I finally got a scholarship, I took the WSET one and you know, I passed and then you know, a couple more things came up like American Wine scholarship, CSW, things of that nature came up and I was like, oh, hell, yeah, I can do this. And that's great. But at the time, when I had my page, I was just being myself, I honestly started the page at first, you know, it's gonna be like a family page, we move around a lot, blah, blah, blah, and workout for me, it just wasn't my thing. So really, during the pandemic, I kind of like revised it, change the name of it, and kind of just was myself just being authentic, I wasn't really sure how people were going to take it because you see influences when you first get on there, and they're holding the glass and they're standing a certain way, and they have makeup on. And this is so cute. I love this. And I'm not like that, I'm gonna keep it real. Okay, I don't do any of that. I don't do any of that. And so I wanted to bring that realness to the page. But at the same time show I do have the knowledge to back it up, like I'm not just on here, like trying to influence you to get you to buy some trash ass wine, like, I'm gonna give you like I call it straight sipping facts, because it's straight sipping fact, this is the information. And I don't want to steer you wrong. And I'm not going to tell you that everything is great, but I will give you the information about it.
Oh, but that's what I'm drawn to that Meaghan. Like, that's what I look for, especially on social media, where it's the Wild Wild West in terms of what people can put on there for wearing knowledge and wine education and wine communication overall, but I love your page. So I'm glad because that's how I first connected with you. But tell me about the handle because you did mention that you changed the name. It was very, very intentional. And I saw you talk about it recently, what's the meaning behind the handle?
So I
So I started my page off Odum's journey, which is my last name and it was kind of like our journey through life like me and the kids and husband and that is very, it was very vanilla. Okay. It was very boring. Like I would get a couple of followers and stuff like that but it was just like I was looking to try to you know, grow page and have a place where people can come and talk and figure stuff out and I have wine on there sometimes and everything like that. And I was like I'm too busy trying to look like somebody else and like our life is perfect. It's not fucking perfect. Like, it's it's crazy out here like I told you like be life-ing so I had to really just kind of get comfortable with mysel and just have confidence that people are going to like me for me. And what's for me is for me, and I'm just going to be myself, my husband's like, you just need to be just be yourself. Don't worry about other people and how they think of you and all that because you know, you're tiptoeing because you've got a job, or you tiptoe around because your parents are gonna watch her, I was like, fuck this shit, I'm about it. I can do it, I can't do it. So it didn't change to true one white trill being authentic, genuine and real wine because you know, wine is life. And then wife, because, of course, my husband doesn't want anybody sliding in my DMs. So you know, you've had to make sure you made that statement real. So it kind of came from there. And then after that I did 100% of everything I wanted to do, instead of worrying about what people thought of me, I know with being wine is very prestigious. It's kind of looked at, as, you know, very expensive, or bougie, or anything like that. And I'm like, I am to get up, okay, bougie and get up. And what I'm going to do is bring my flavor, which I definitely season my words to the TRILList, okay. And I do these things, because that's me, that's how I am at home. That's how I am with my friends and everything. So that's what I did, and it kind of flourished from there. And I really did not expect that many people to like me, which I am shocked every day shocked.
Oh, my gosh, the meaning of it and that your husband encouraged you don't come after my wife. All right. But now you've had some time of building that page and being yourself. And I've seen you use the word wine tellers, you'd like to classify yourself as a wind teller, can you tell me what that entails? To you?
Yeah, sure, in everything, and in every instance, in different points in life, you have somebody that's, you know, at a different stage in life. And at that time, they have wisdom, they have a lot of things that they've learned while being in certain situations. And I feel like a lot of times, we look to others to tell us and give us information guide us and help us in everything. And I'm the new age, like there's, you know, people that have been doing this for a long time. And you know, people have been, you know, experience and everything, people that won't talk to you people that will talk to you things of that nature. And I call myself a wine teller, because I'm giving you a story, I'm telling you about experiences, I'm helping you, but in wine. And so there's a lot of times where I'm telling you about events, or upcoming things that are coming up. But at the same time, I might just be, you know, just giving you some information that you never knew anything about. So I say the new and improved age wine tellers, because we have a lot of people that are new to this, but true to this. And so because you know, it's about wine, I mean, that's, that's what we're talking about. And we're able to give that information to others help others elevate. You know, it's just like a wisdom thing, like people that are entering and now they don't have the same information that I had. So you know, that's what I am. And so I feel like people like you and me and Randy and gone. And you know, so many people like that. And it's like, oh, yeah, we are the wine tellers of 2023. And more continuing on this beautiful journey of line with other passion. Everything that we have, we're elevating, we're growing, we're gaining more knowledge, we're meeting each other, we're building circles, we're breaking barriers, going through glass ceilings, and it's like, you know, that's a good, that's a good group to be a part of, like gang gang, bitch.
you know, that you included me in this description as well.
For sure, but it's an energy about bringing more people into this space by telling people the information that they need to continue their own exploration as they start discovering more wines. So who inspires you what type of social media content are you drawn to?
Wow, I'm actually drawn to mine. You go through your stories you like she was lit. Like that was really good. Like, girl you were you were on one. Um, there's so many people that I look up to, it's hard to like narrow it down to like one. I will say that everybody that I follow is intentional. Like I follow them for a reason. Because I do like their page and I enjoy their content. I remember when I followed you and I was like, Oh my gosh, like she's bomb. Like look at her podcasts and stuff. She knows so much like she's having these parties without me and can I move to Atlanta or can I come visit? Like what's the you know? And I'm like, you know your little stalker I'm like, Hey, girl, this is great. I love this. I'm so there's so many different ones, my mentors pages that I I definitely love to follow them and see what's going on. And because people seem to come off as certain ways like because they have all this, I guess power. They've done this for a long time. They have all this recognition and certification and stuff, but they're like real class people. And they talk and speak just like us and they drink like us. They you know, it's normal. So I pay attention to their pages a lot. But I am drawn to a plethora of pages that I like to follow that kind of put me in a good mood and it helps me to learn because I'm learning from you as well. Like it's not just I feel like oh listen in on the beyond. No, I continue to learn to grow to gain knowledge and everything and I feel like it's really important to follow like Minds, but also to follow people that are elevated so you can learn from them and not always be stuck in the same spot continue to learn and grasp onto things.
So you're looking for things that bring you a new perspective, I do the same thing. When I'm scrolling through, I'm drawn to people that are looking at things that I thought were just kind of a done deal. If they're making a new spin on it, I get really excited, especially in the wine world, because it's yeah, always evolving, people are bringing a new, fresh perspective, I get really excited about that. And now I'm thinking about the page that you have built in the platform and the connections, you're now working with several wine companies and doing wine events and all these things. What do you enjoy most about establishing those types of working partnerships?
It's surprising. When people email me or you know, slide into my DMs or something, I'm like, I get nervous and anxious and excited, because at first I'm like, Are you sure? Did you really? Are you sure it's me, like, Are you sure you weren't the right person. And so I get excited about those things, I do enjoy a lot of the partnerships and a lot of events, because it helps me to learn more, you know, if I was to do something in the future, it's always good to make those connections. Because, you know, giveaways come up, or things come up, and you know, you're able to reach out to that person. So I always like to build good relationships with the people that reach out to me and work with me, one thing I don't like, is a lot of bigger wine companies will reach out to you, but they want you to do something like for free. And I'm just like, I'm your walking billboard, I can help you. But at the same time, I know that if I was somebody else that you would pay them. And so you know, I don't want just, you know, give someone I mean, that's real sweet and everything real, I love it. But there's certain boundaries, when you get to a certain, I guess to a certain level, not saying that I'm like, all the way the ship, I feel like I'm gonna ship and all the way to shit. And so I feel like in certain situations that you should be compensated as so, you know, that part I don't enjoy. But the other things I enjoy, I enjoy, like going to events and meeting people and networking and building those relationships, because that helps you go further down the road, I noticed that before when I used to go to events, people really wouldn't know who I was. So I would come and you know, I would be mistaken for the help. Because that's what I was called one time and or, you know, a waitress or pouring something up or night and they wouldn't talk to me, I went to a champagne event that I was invited to and the person was talking and stuff like that. He was like, putting up ice and everything he because the ice had melted. So I came over to help him. I'm just being nice coming over to help you with, you know, and he thought that I worked there. He was like, Oh, can you get that other person? I was like, I don't work here. And then when somebody introduced me, and they told him my name and stuff, he's like, Oh, my gosh, come sit down. Let me teach you all about this. AH no I don't want to learn about your work, because I see how the respect is not reciprocated, you know. And those are the things that it kind of toggle between or you go to an event and people you know, when you see similar faces and stuff like that you kind of come to them and introduce yourself and stuff. And sometimes people don't do that. They just ignore you until somebody they feel that they respect introduces me and then they're like, oh, okay, and I'm like, side eye bombastic side eye.
Well, you can't go back and how that made you feel you gave us a little bit of insight of how that feels in that moment. And thank you for sharing that because that feeling doesn't just get erased by the next kind gesture you already
Right. Right, exactly. So, you know, it's pros and cons to everything. Yeah.
And that's what I was thinking about, as you were describing that now you are working with different companies, or that companies now are approaching you. What do you look for before agreeing to a partnership or a collaboration? Do you have things that particularly are very important to you, when you are deciding on agreeing to an event or an opportunity?
I want to make sure they support women, not just primarily women, but make sure you support women, diversity and inclusion, I want to make sure that the wine tastes good, because some people will reach out to you and it's like, oh, I want to try it first before I'm marketing to my people. Because if people don't let me know, they're gonna be like, Girl, I went by this and this, this ain't it. And I will feel really bad. And because I'm so you know, very honest, I be like, no, no violence, my facial expressions and everything is just, you know, some of those things I look for and definitely wouldn't work with somebody that is a different type of supporter of what I'm looking for. So I try to stay aligned. And you know, like, what I like and what I think is a good fit. If I just kind of get bad advice from them, or if they're telling me, I want the exact wording, I want this this then I can't do that. Because if I can't be myself, then my audience is not going to respond. I have to be myself. I can't have like, digitize like, robot characteristics in my content, because that's just not me. Like, I'm not gonna do that. So that's the only thing that I would say is definitely one of my guidelines when it comes to working with partnerships.
So glad you have those boundaries, you better have those standards, you're not gonna let me be myself well, then goodbye. closed door, because that is what your whole page and your education journey is built on is being authentic to yourself. What have been some of your favorite projects that you have done recently? Can you tell me about this full circle moment? Because I have a feeling that might be one of your favorite collaborations?
Yeah, my first date with my husband, well not my first date, but my first wine date was at Cooper's Hawk. And I think a lot of times, like when people look to Cooper's Hawk, they're like, oh, that's just like commercial, like, it's just wines. And, you know, it's not good and everything like that, because, you know, it's a big company. Their wines are actually like, really good. There's some wines that, you know, I'm not a fan of, but there's a lot of ones I am a fan of. So, one day, I was messaged by, like this person in PR, he asked me if I could interview somebody, and I was like, I don't do interviews. That's not my style. He was telling me, oh, well, it's Emily Wines. And she has a new wine with Cooper's Hawk, blah, blah. And I was like, Who is it? Okay. And so I was telling my friend, this screenshot to my friends, and I was like, This person wants me to interview this person, and I don't even know who she is. And they're like, fangirling, and I'm like, what? Oh, my gosh, you have to do and I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. And of course, you know, I asked my husband, I was like, hey, and he was like, Okay, well, you know, it might be a good opportunity it is with Cooper's Hawk. And, you know, he looks it up and I, you know, I'm finding out all these things about her. I was like, Oh, she's a boss, okay. And I was like, Okay, I'll do it. I was so nervous before this live because I had never conducted my own IG live. They sent me the bottles and the wines that she made, I tasted it, and I was like, Oh, this is good. Okay. And then we were getting on in the Live and I was so nervous. I was like sweating. I took like three shots before because I didn't even know what wording I was gonna say I had and I had a list of like question and then I just ripped it out. I was like, I can't, I just gotta be myself. We ended up clicking. And I didn't know at that time that I had won the scholarship from Cooper's Hawk. And neither did she. I thought they contacted me to give her the Live because I had won a scholarship with Somm foundation. That wasn't the case. Not even one of us knew. So basically, they reached out to me and I said, Why don't you reach out to my page. She was, like, I found that you want and I'm gonna be your mentor. She like, no, I really loved your page. I thought you're great. I loved everything about you. And I was like, Oh my gosh, did she just tell me that she found me on my own like, so it kind of went from there. And now not only she my mentor, but she's my friend. I've gone to Cooper's Hawk, and we've taste tested, and we test together. Like we have a lot of things coming up. And Cooper's Hawk is definitely right beside me all the time. And we do have some projects coming up. So that's how that kind of happened. And I think a lot of times people will be like, Well, how do you know, Emily? How are you her friend like, I can call her at anytime. And just, you know, I think people think there's hierarchy, right? So there's certain royalty in like wine and stuff. But she believes in me, and she helps me and I also then got another scholarship from Cooper's Hall to take my some tests and it you know, it just keeps going around with them. They did a couple of marketing things I helped them with. So yeah, that's kind of how it happened.
Thank you, husband, for bringing you on that first wine date. Maybe that''s where all of the story began. And you didn't even know what was ahead. But that's pretty cool. That's really unique, full circle situation. And I'm glad that you found the mentorship and friendship in the same person to help you navigate this beautiful, wild, crazy wine world that we all live in. And I know that the most recent thing that I saw you do that I've been so excited to hear more about in terms of events and learning about wine, I saw that you got to go on a trip to the Finger Lakes and you met one of our former podcast guests who lives in Atlanta.
Yes, yes, yes. I just poured myself a shot because it's about that time. In my wine glass, baby. It just Yes. Oh, and this is a vodka from Mississippi. Actually, I didn't say they make wine but they do make some good honey vodka. So we're gonna have to, I'm gonna have to bring you some.
This is wonderful. So you got to meet Jade Palmer who was also at this Finger Lakes camp. But how did this opportunity come about for you?
Okay, I told you about one mentor, the three that keep me grounded, keep me on track that are great people overall, that we've all become friends. And I usually see them like once every three months, which is crazy. So I have Emily, I have Anna Christina, the wine director at Wine Enthusiast, I think she's like another title too but I don't know. She's great. And she's also with Sommation. And we talk a lot she pushes me to great lengths to learn about different things so I can do things for myself because I don't know what she sees. I mean, it's crazy. And then I have _____ a wine marketing company that is in three different locations and they do stuff all over the world. And so anytime something comes up, they're hitting me up, they're like, hey, you need to do this, you need to do this, do this, find out this or whatever like that. And then that's me, like forwarding it to Randy and stuff, like, you know, like, Here, here's some other stuff to do. Because I want to keep everybody informed, because I want everybody to come this is everybody's journey. So now you're on the list, I'm gonna have to start some new stuff, too. And then I also work with STW productions, which is a wine event Corporation, and they do events all over the world, and like a lot of events in New York and LA and everything like that. And she also touched base with me for Riesling camp, so there's three people that told me about Riesling camp, and it said that, you know, you have to be, you know, working in the field, you know, all these different things. I'm like, I'm gonna try. We'll see, when I got the confirmation email. I was like, what? Really? Y'all let me cool, okay. And then it's like, what's your background? What's this, and I'm like, I was a little nervous to give you my bio, but I did it and they still accepted me. So um, I was really excited to see Jade on there, because we have connected on Instagram so many times, but we never got to meet in person when I came to Atlanta that one time, she wasn't like around everybody else. She used to reach out to me and be like, you know, asking me questions about wine and stuff like that. And I'm just so very proud of her. She's so wonderful. And she has, I mean, she's just a light. I love her. And so I knew that when I got to Riesling camp, we were gonna be lit. We knew it. We knew it. It was just meant to be. So I had already messaged her, and I was like, Girl, it's about to be a time. Okay? Riesling camp was just amazing. It was amazing. Now I've been to Pinot forum and other different opportunities and everything like that the most amazing experience from when I got there to when I got picked up to the hospitality to the winemakers to, I mean, it was excellent. It was, it was coffee at every stop, which we definitely needed reasoning second, and then, but we had so many good experiences, it was very nice to have everything like very organized, we had snacks, we had drinks, you know, and we were able to kind of just like bond and we bonded with a lot of people that we were there with. And I'm glad it was a small group things 24 or 25. Other places it was like 60 or something like that. And it's like this is way too much. It's overwhelming. Everybody was sweet and nice and caring, wanting to really know each other and they didn't look at me at first like an influencer or something like they really have respect for me just like the respect I have for them. And just being around the winemakers and the vineyards and just learning so much more about the production, the growing the soils, I was just nerding out and it was just a wonderful feeling to be able to be yourself, but at the same time show that background of scholarly information that you have and to gain more from it. I fell in love with Heron Hills winemaker because he's so amazing. His name is Jordan. He picked me up from the airport, and he took me back and we had a great lunch a great time. I learned so much from him. He's amazing. And then also Lakeland. Oh my goodness, the winemaker love him, Okay, love. His wife love her too. And their daughters like family loves like, Y'all know that, like we're family enough. So you don't have a choice. They sent me so much wine. They're wonderful, beautiful inside and out. And they make some killer as wines. Like I was just like, ah, it was just a wonderful experience. And I think that anybody should try to go and if you don't go to the camp, I will absolutely give you a list of where to go when you're up there. Because let's plan another trip. I think we should do it another way.
You've got all the knowledge now to send people to your favorite places. And not only if you didn't go to the place you tried so many different wines. How much did you know about the region and those types of grapes before going up to the Finger Lakes.
I knew a little bit but now I have a whole new perspective about Finger Lakes. I mean I knew they were amazing before but now that I've actually been there and talk to people and stuff like that and tasted. I mean, I tasted some incredible heartthrob wines. It was just amazing.
Give me an example of one because I'm like, what are some that shocked you?
_____ wines I had never heard of them. Every one I tasted from her. Her and her husband are the winemakers. I was just shocked. 680 sellers. They had wines that I had never even heard of their grapes and stuff. I was like, Who was it? Oh, that's a grape. I thought it was a personal thing. I did. You know, it was like, wow, I don't know what this is. But this is fire. They make some killer roses. I know. I know. They're known for Riesling, I mean, the Riesling is bomb. Yes. But the roses... we had a rose dinner and it was just...and the sparklings that they make. I mean Dr. Frank, fourth generation winemaker, his granddaughter, great, great granddaughter, I guess it would be yes, her name is Meaghan. And we spell our names the exact same way. So we instantly bonded and I have some Creamant from her.
I saw that people were getting bubbles and pet Nats and all that kind of stuff, too.
We got to disgorge our own and we got to take it home. And then I got a special letter from her. So I was very excited. And I was just like, wow, this is like what life is supposed to be like and I'm in Mississippi like I need to. I need to get my life together girl.
Give us five years and Meaghan is gonna be posted up in the Finger Lakes. But I also heard got to blend your own wine if I'm not mistaken. What did you make?
Um, I mean, as my husband would say the wine was wine-ing. Oh, it was - we went to Cornell. And it was wonderful experience, we had a little tasting before, like a versatility tasting, which was cool. And then we went and made our own wines. And we had a certain amount of wines that were at each table. And we had to mix those and kind of figure it out and taste and see what works best and everything like that. It was very hard. You know, I always look at winemakers as scientists, but like, there's so much more. It's just, it's really hard to do that. And for something to taste well in the bottle to be preserved to taste better outside the bottle. It's just so many layers. I mean, there's levels to this shit, and you know about it, you read about it, you learn about it. But doing it is a whole different thing. And it's like I had an ultimate higher respect for everything that they do. Not that I didn't respect them before, but it was just elevated. And I was like, I don't know how y'all do this. They're like, It's hard, isn't it? And I was like, child. Yes. And then you have to go and pick everything to know. That's, that's not my ministry. But I know it's yours. So I'm just gonna keep following you. Okay,
so you're gonna be the taster at the end of the line is what I'm hearing once the finished product is there. Meaghan's like, I got this, I will analyze it for you.
I'll help you in any way that you can - I can pair it with trap music. Okay, I got you.
This is so great. What are these trips do for you? When you come back? Does this affect your ability to talk about wine? What did these trips do for you,
um, they help me to learn and to consult and help me to teach others. I like to find creative ways to teach others and that's why I use my page a lot to make, you know, content that's very relatable. I always say that it's palatable, because you know, we're always talking about our palate. Like, I'm making sure that we're doing a palate pop, because I want to, you know, make sure we don't stay along those same lines, you know, you want that palate to pop, okay? You want it to torqu-ulate and percolate. So you learn different things to be able to do those things. And I feel like when I go to these trips, I'm like, so excited and like, oh my gosh, I can't wait to go back. And you know, so many different things that I come back and I go to the store you trying to look for some things, you know, they're like, Oh, we don't deliver to Mississippi. Of course you don't? Do you deliver to Tennessee? Oh, Louisiana. And I'm like, Oh, God, that's another trip. So I feel like everything that I get from other places. I want to drink it. But then I'm scared. Because what if I don't get it again? And I kind of hold on to things I probably shouldn't I probably shouldn't eat live it up. But I hold on to things. I'm scared. Like, what if I don't get it again. And they kind of remind me of the experience too. And I feel like it's kind of going away for a while. I know sounds crazy. But I don't get many opportunities like this. And when I come home and tell my husband about it, and my kids don't care, they just, you know, they help me in my tasting notes, they smell they know how to hold the glass, they know how to open a bottle, like you know, I feel like I'm doing wine education here in the house. But when I tell my dad and my family and stuff like that, because they just thought I was an alcoholic. And now they're really realizing I'm not just an alcoholic,
a professional, a buyer and consumer, I appreciate you connecting it back to the access and the barriers that when you do these trips, now you just keep seeking those types of experiences. But you might not be able to drink those types of wines by return. So has this trip in particular to the Finger Lakes, made you interested in going to another region to explore it that depth?
um, anywhere else. because I still haven't been to like Napa, or anything like that, you know, and there's so many other regions that we don't know about, or we do know about that we don't have, like, I want to go to Oregon, like I want to go to Washington State, like I want to go to Texas, and then we want to go out of the country. And it's just hard to be able to do those things. So like when the opportunity arises, then that forces me to be able to take off from my job and stuff like that. And then you know, because when you're thinking about booking a trip, and you're thinking all these things, it's just like so much to do, and you kind of put it on the back burner, because there's other stuff and priorities and you know, like adult shit, I hate being responsible, but have to be so when stuff like this comes up, it forces me to like, get out there, girl, you can do this. Come on. It's like thrill seeking. So it's like a little happiness to my life journey. And it helps me to learn a lot. But I do want to take more opportunities to learn more about different regions and, you know, get to get out more tests. Otherwise, I'm like, Look at what I'm missing. Like, what am I missing? I'm missing so much and I want to be able to like live to others and learn and you know, that's the goal.
So basically, I'm gonna see you start going to all these regions because I know the energy is there. The interest is there. I'm like, Where in the world is Meaghan? She's out there in the vineyards learning about these wines and bringing it in. Because I do think it's important even though you're saying you don't live in a place where the wine scene is as it is in some other places. You are able to still project with the portal on the internet. If you have that knowledge you might inspire people locally, those minimal opportunities, you still can make the most of them which is very exciting to have you bring that knowledge back to where you live, but you have said that you're a mom, you are a wife. What do you think your kids are learning from This wine journey that you're on,
um, they're like, do you want mommy juice?
How old are they
five and 14, yes, the gap is real, but they still fight. And they're still a lot to deal with. So that's where I got my pairings from. So usually typically people will pair like different foods and everything like that. And I usually pair wine with life because life is wine. And so because my wife is about, like, I pair it with like, so things that are happening with my kids and my family and everything like that. And I don't always get time to like cook a nice dinner and sit down and eat. It's usually their scraps or Chick fil A their goldfish or you know, we made spaghetti or anything like that very simple. You know, my child has practice, we had two times baseball this week. And that pairs very well with this Zinfandel. Because I need something to refresh and helped me to hydrate ever sitting on the sun and sweating from every crevice and crease that I have, you know, things like that, you know, my daughter has a pagent And so we're drinking champagne to celebrate, but we're also taking tequila shots because I got pissed off because I didn't like the people that fot picked stuff like that, or how my husband left me and so I need like a big body cab because I'm feeling really alone. And I'm feeling like you need to come and get your kids. But I need something strong to be able to numb the pain. Okay, so things like I do. I just, I'm just very different. I'm very outspoken I'm just, I want to make sure that people know that. Like, you don't have to be a certain type of way to be able to enjoy one and to be able to learn and to understand. And I think I like to bring that to life when it comes to you know, drinking from the bottle. Yes, I drink from the bottle. Yes, this might be $100 This might be $20. It doesn't matter. I've already poured a glass. I've already got my tasting notes. I'm drinking them because I enjoy it. And I want to enjoy my wine after I geek out over it.
Imagine that- you want to enjoy your wine. How dare you? How dare you? How dare you that what a crazy concept. You just said a lot of things with pairing wine in life that are super relatable to so many people having kids practices, having a full time job during the day like right, all of these things are happening around and I do enjoy how you talk about wine is life and how it intertwines with all these other aspects and all these other things that impact you and your day to day schedule.
Daily life is just you know, it's it's a lot you have some days are, you know, great. Some days are regular some days are shit testing, you know, it just depends on what's going on. And then that's I think that's where I get a lot of my content from just dealing with daily life and making it words, I make up a lot of words, but they seem to stick chronic crazy, you know,
it's gonna resonate with somebody, you know, well, so if you could, I think I think I might know the answer to this already. But I do not want to assume so I'm going to ask you it anyways. Because I think you've kind of alluded to it, I have a feeling that I might know where this might go. But if you could improve one thing about the wine industry now that you've been engaged with it over the past couple of years, what would it be? What can we strive for going forward, that would make you very happy to see in the wine industry as a whole,
um, acceptance, accepting of other people that may not look like you, that may not sound like you that may not have the same environment or the same growth process. Everybody loves to sip a little, not everybody, but most people do. And it kind of brings people together to be able to talk about things because I wasn't raised up around that. And I know that sounds crazy, but I have kids. And because I have kids, I want to teach them things that will kind of help them and grow. And wine is a big deal. And it might not seem like it. I think a lot of people that think okay, you just drink and everything like that. But when they go to a restaurant, and they are becoming lawyers, or doctors or networking or trying to get a hold of somebody or something, they will have the education and background to know what wines to pick how to spark a conversation about wine, like because you can start with wine, but it can go into so much more it can flourish into relationships, it can flourish into meetings or network, it can get you a job, you have no idea what it can do. And I think a lot of people just kind of look at it as like, Oh, this is good juice. This is you know, something to get me lit or something like that. But it really is a conversation starter. And can really like improve something in your life and you're not really sure. So I tried to give them some type of background and information as to how they're able to connect with others. And I think wine is a big connector. And if you don't drink wine, cool, you know, but something's gonna someone's gonna ask you something about it, because it's not known that a black person will know too much about wine. And that's why I think in rooms I am identified as something other than somebody that would have the knowledge and the background about that. I want them to come in the room prepared and ready for anything that comes up. So not only will they be able to speak with their knowledge, their name, their background, their education, everything but they're able to have small conversations and be able to take those conversations and kind of grow from there. So that's what we teach our kids we try to raise them right and do things right but they think it's funny now and I do have a Reel video about them making fun of me about like how I drink and stuff which is very relatable and funny, but they do understand like how to hold the glass How to pick out certain things. Is it rose red sparkling or anything like that? So I think people only think that you know, okay, well, you're just drinking. But there are, like I said before, there are definitely levels to this. And I think it'll help them in the long run, actually,
and improving that acceptance so that wine can be part of someone's life in lots of different ways. And that you shouldn't expect someone to be included or excluded from a wine situation for a preconceived idea. I think that's absolutely key what you just said, and I really appreciate that perspective. Let's keep pushing that forward. Let's go let's keep bringing more people into wine. I love this. And you mentioned connection. So how can people connect with you? What's the best way to find you and learn more about what you're up to?
You know, follow me on Instagram under @TrillWineWife t r i l l WINEWIFE. I also have a trill parenting page because like you can't be trill and like not have like trill kids because they're, yeah, they're definitely just like this. So we have that page. So it's cultural parenting. And then I think I get on Tik Tok sometimes, but it's just like for fun and she like shits and giggles. So it's under mix Millie me GZ . I believe. But yeah, you can contact me any time I'm around, you know
And in a very authentic and welcoming way. And you do that very, very well. So thank you so much for your time today. I can't wait to see what you do next, you're going to explore some new region, and I'm gonna be cheering for you 100%. So thank you so much for your time today.
Yes, thank you for having me. You were amazing. I just wanna let you know that I think everybody should follow you in. Definitely listen to all your podcasts.
Oh, I didn't even pay you to say that. Thank you. Free advertising. You're the best. I will talk to you very soon. My friend. Cheers. Yes.
Thank you. Cheers.
Thanks for tuning in to the 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.