MJ’s guest today is Master Sommelier, Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, and star of the upcoming CNN TV series “Nomad with Carlton”... Carlton McCoy. Carlton is one of the youngest people and second African American to earn the title of Master Sommelier. Carlton worked in revered institutions such as Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit and Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak in New York. Carlton was named President and CEO of Heitz Cellar in December 2018. Carlton supports each e...
Aug 02, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Season 2Ep. 34
MJ’s guest today is a living legend in the world of wine and wine educators, Kevin Zraly . Kevin Zraly is best known from his time as the wine director for the Windows on the World restaurant and founder of the Windows on the World Wine School on the 106th and 107th floors of NYC’s World Trade Center. After the loss of the restaurant in 2001, Zraly continued the wine school for another 15 years at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan, ultimately educating more than 20,000 wine lovers over the cours...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Season 2Ep. 33
MJ’s guest today is second generation sommelier, restaurateur and the U.S. Ambassador for Charles Heidsieck Champagne, Philippe André. Many of you may know him by his IG handle Nique Somm. Philippe first developed a passion for hospitality and wine education growing up in the fine dining restaurant business. He answered his professional calling working as the Wine Director at his family’s highly esteemed French-American restaurant, Oceanique in Evanston, Illinois. There he managed a cellar of ov...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 37 min•Season 2Ep. 32
MJ’s guest today is owner and Chief Bubble Officer of La Caravelle Champagne and Founder & President of Bouquet Ventures, Hospitality Consulting - Rita Jammet. Rita and her husband André Jammet owned and operated the iconic New York French restaurant, La Caravelle. The New York Times described La Caravelle as a “French Legend and a Paris in Manhattan experience to food enthusiasts and the A-list of American society.” After closing La Caravelle restaurant in 2004, and pursuing her passion for...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 31
MJ’s guest today is celebrated sommelier Marquita Levy. Marquita was featured in the New York Times article written by Eric Asimov on Black Wine Professionals. She was one of the consulting Sommeliers for the Wine & Spirits October issue Black Rising Stars. Marquita discovered her passion for wine while waiting tables to support her dance career. When wine became her main focus, she retired from dancing in 2002. Marquita received her Vinification/Viticulture certificate and pin in 2004 from ...
Jul 05, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 30
MJ’s guest today is Author, Sommelier and Restaurateur, Victoria James. As the Beverage Director and Partner at COTE in New York City and Miami, she recently received a second James Beard nomination for "Outstanding Wine Program." Victoria has worked in restaurants since she was thirteen, falling in love with wine so much that at age twenty-one she became certified as a Sommelier. She has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in NYC including Marea and Aureole. Victoria’s name has ...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 29
MJ’s guest today is managing partner of Tribeca Wine Merchants (TWM) - Ben Aneff, a proud Native Texan turned New Yorker. TWM has been called a “renowned Burgundy specialist” by Wine Enthusiast , and named one of “America’s Best Wine Shops” by Food & Wine Magazine. Having come to New York for graduate school in music, Ben’s first job in the wine world was a part-time position at TWM. His interest quickly exploded, and he was lucky to be in a place that gave him the opportunities and exposure...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 28
MJ’s guest today is esteemed Somm, wine educator, restaurateur and disabilities advocate - Yannick Benjamin. Yannick is a proud New Yorker from Hell’s Kitchen. Born into a family of French restaurateurs, he has worked for many highly regarded restaurants throughout NYC: Le Cirque, Oceana, Jean-Georges, Atlas, Felidia, and Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton. In 2003, a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. However, his passion for wine drove him to quickly adapt, outfitting his wheelchair...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 27
MJ’s guest today is Master of Wine, wine educator, columnist, and co-author of the iconic book Wine for Dummies Mary Ewing-Mulligan. Mary was the first woman in North America to become a Master of Wine. She is also the president of The International Wine Center (IWC) in New York, an independent wine and spirits school founded in 1982. At IWC, Mary runs the academically rigorous programs of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust® (WSET®), the world’s largest wine-education organization. She has co...
May 31, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 26
MJ’s guest today is President of the Legendary Import and Distribution Company Skurnik Wines and Spirits, Harmon Skurnik. The company began with just a handful of relatively unknown estates in 1987 and has since grown to represent over 500 estates, most of which are family-owned and operated. Harmon has been a partner in Skurnik Wines & Spirits since 1989 - from tasting, to buying, to managing the business and its employees, Harmon is an integral part of the company's success. He and MJ talk...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 25
MJ’s guest this week is Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross, the creators of LEGEND Imports. Jane and Jonathan share a combined six years of work in Australia’s most renowned restaurants, and nearly 40 years in the wine industry. Jane has worked at many prestigious restaurants and bars, such as The Violet Hour (Chicago), The Catbird Seat (Nashville), Eleven Madison Park (New York) and Attica (Melbourne). In 2018, Jane passed the Master Sommelier exam, becoming one of only 35 women in the world to do so...
May 17, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 24
If you follow MJ on IG you know that he is all about balancing wine with wellness. When Lisabeth Danneels & Emily Gold of the Fine Line Podcast: Balancing Hedonism and Health reached out to chat he was all in! In this convo you'll learn even more about MJ and his unique path to wine podcasting. The ladies and MJ share great hacks for staying fit and healthy while living your best wine loving life. ENJOY! Check out their podcast https://anchor.fm/finelinepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
May 07, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 23
MJ’s guest today is German wine lover, expert, avid vinyl fanatic and best known to listeners by his IG handle Soil Pimp, Robert Dentice. When not toiling away during the day financing Biotech companies he can frequently be found visiting the world’s greatest vineyards and winemakers - particularly in Germany. His wine collection is primarily focused on Germany and could easily be one of the largest and deepest collections of German wine in the U.S. Robert formed Source | Material to share and a...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 2Ep. 22
MJ’s guest this week is Chef Michelangelo Wescott. He is the chef and owner of Gypsy Apple Bistro, a French inspired restaurant located in the foothills of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. They were listed as one of Eater’s 38 most important restaurants in New England. Born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in the early 70s, he and his brother were raised by their parents (both immigrants) in a community surrounded by food culture. In 2016 he overcame a battle with stomach cancer and is currently...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 21
MJ’s guest this week is Pascaline Lepeltier. Growing up in the Loire Valley and detouring from a master’s in philosophy and a career as a university teacher, Pascaline began her obsession with wine at the two star Michelin-rated L’Auberge Bretonne. Promoted to the position of Beverage Director for the Rouge Tomate flagship in New York, she moved to Manhattan in 2009. Currently, she is a partner with David Lillie in Racines NYC , one of the top wine destinations in the US. She oversees a 2000+ wi...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 20
MJ’s guest this week is Stefan Cartlidge. Stefan comes from an esteemed family of Northern Californian winemakers. His father Tony Cartlidge, co-founded Cartlidge & Browne Winery in Sonoma, CA in 1980. In 2011, his father sold his share of that winery with a goal to continue working in the wine business but this time with his family. In 2014 his family purchased the 36 acre Dancing Crow Winery. After several years in Northern California, Stefan now represents the family’s wines on the East C...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 19
MJ’s guest this week is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Burgundy and a member of the famed Wasserman family, Paul Wasserman. Paul was just a year old when the Wassermanns moved from Philadelphia to Burgundy. He moved to Los Angeles in 1994 where, because Burgundy was frowned upon at the time, he worked as a sales rep and was eventually hired as the French, German, and Austrian wine buyer for Woodland Hills Wine Company. It was there, he became known as one of the country’s foremost sp...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 18
MJ’s guest this week is Eric Asimov. Eric has been the NY Times Chief Wine Critic since 2004 after having covered wine with The Times's tasting panel and in his Tastings column for the Dining section. His weekly column appears in the Food section. He is the author of “How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto,’’ as well as “Wine With Food: Pairing Notes and Recipes From The New York Times,’’ written with recipes by Florence Fabricant. Since creating the 25 under $25 column in the Times in 1992 Er...
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 17
MJ’s guest this week is Kerin Auth Bembry. Kerin is co-founder of La Luz Selections based in New York City and LA. A wine broker and veteran in the Spanish wine industry, Kerin has conducted several classes regularly around New York at Murray’s Cheese, the Astor Center and the American Sommelier Association. Kerin has participated many times on the New York Times tasting panel and has been quoted in other magazines such as Wine and Spirits , Fine Cooking and Culture . MJ and Kerin go off the rai...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 16
MJ’s guest this week is Lyle Railsback. Lyle is co-founder, with his brother Eric, of Railsback Frères Winery in Santa Ynez, California. Named by Wine Enthusiast as a “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker”. Lyle did National Sales for legendary Wine Merchant, Kermit Lynch for twelve years. MJ goes deep with Lyle as they discuss the wine, life lessons and of course great bottles that came from working for such an icon. There is much to geek out on in this episode including a discussion about “the grapes of...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 15
MJ’s guest this week is Bruno Almeida. Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, this rock drummer turned sommelier has worked at legendary NYC restaurants such as Gusto Ristorante, Pao, Inoteca, Corsino, Balaboosta, Locanda Verde and Dirty French. Until the pandemic, he was the Wine Director and Sommelier at iconic Tocqueville. MJ and Bruno discuss the history of colonization and its effect on Portuguese wine over the centuries. He brings in two delicious Portuguese bottles that blow MJ away. And be...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 14
MJ’s guest this week is Audrey Frick. Audrey worked for famed restaurateur, Bobby Stuckey at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. She worked her way from the back office and polishing room to the wine team while studying to earn the Advanced Sommelier credential through the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is also a contributing Editor at JebDunnuck.com covering the wines of Italy, specifically Piedmont and Brunello. Audrey and MJ have a candid chat on how deep self work helped her move thr...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 13
MJ’s guest this week is John Kapon. John is the third-generation chairman of Acker, America’s oldest wine merchant, which has sold fine and rare wines since 1820. He led the firm as it became the largest fine and rare wine auction house in the world. A leading fine wine expert and master taster, Kapon is the author of The Compendium: Tasting the World’s Finest Wines (Vol. I), an insider’s glimpse into the exclusive world of fine wine. MJ and John’s relationship goes way back to the 1990’s when M...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Who would Andre Mack most like to drink a bottle of wine with? What turns Shakera Jones on? James Molesworth’s least favorite word? Amanda McCrossin’s favorite curse word? Jordan Salcito’s favorite sound? (hint, it's adorable!) And will Lee Campbell answer any of these questions for MJ? This is Before the Pour a super fun BONUS EP that is a mixed tape of candid moments with most of our guest from Season One. Listen to MJ and your favorite guests warm up and cut loose before each show. We bet you...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 11
MJ’s guest this week is fellow New Jersey native, Madeline Maldonado. Madeline was the manager and sommelier for James Beard Award winning Chef, Jonathan Waxman’s Restaurant, Jams. From there, Eataly called and she served as Beverage Director for a 400+ bottle wine list. She is currently bringing her journey through beverage, wine, and hospitality as Beverage Director to the fine Italian restaurant da Toscano in New York’s West Village. MJ and Madeleine discuss the secrets to being a phenomenal ...
Dec 26, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 10
MJ’s guest this week is Lee Campbell. Lee is an ardent supporter of sustainable vine-farming and traditional, non-interventionist winemaking techniques. After working in some of Washington, D.C. 's and Manhattan’s top culinary and vinous establishments, she hopped the East River to Brooklyn, and became the Wine Director for the Tarlow Restaurant Group - which included Diner, Marlow and Sons, Roman’s and Reynard. She presently represents the burgeoning Virginia producer, Early Mountain Vineyard. ...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 9
MJ’s guest this week is seasoned wine expert, importer and hip hop lover Robert Bohr. Robert runs Grand Cru Selections which is based in NYC and works with some of the most passionate winemakers on the planet. MJ and Robert discuss his journey from a small, working class town in New Jersey to a multi hyphenated success story throughout the wine and restaurant business. These two Jersey natives also dive deep into early 90’s hip hop love and how Robert brought that love to his restaurant ventures...
Dec 04, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 8
MJ’s guest this week is Maverick extraordinaire André Mack! André is the former sommelier at Thomas Keller’s world renown restaurant French Laundry. After that he was head sommelier at Keller’s Per Se in New York City. In 2007, André started Maison Noir Wines. He and his wife started & Sons Hospitality Group which includes & Sons Ham Bar, & Sons Buttery and Vyne Yard in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. MJ and André discuss how he started, where he’s going and the legacy he’s crea...
Nov 27, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Season 1Ep. 7
MJ’s guest this week is Jordan Salcito. Jordan is a sommelier and was manager at Eleven Madison Park. Her wine program at Momofuku had been named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist multiple times. In 2017 it was awarded “Most Original Wine List in the World” from World Of Fine Wine . She is the host of the podcast “Opening Up with Jordan Salcito”. Jordan is the Founder of RAMONA, an organic Italian wine spritz that can be delivered by the can right to your door. Jordan and MJ discuss her expe...
Nov 20, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 6
MJ’s guest this week is Amanda McCrossin - Amanda is a sommelier, media personality and host of the Wine Access Unfiltered podcast. She is also the creator and host of the IG/ YouTube Channel show SOMMVIVANT. As the former Wine Director at PRESS restaurant in Napa - Amanda worked with the world’s largest collection of wines from the Napa Valley. She shares her insights from working in the epicenter of one of the most famous, world class wine regions in the world. Join MJ and Amanda as they take ...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
