Welcome to the Wine Geek of the Week
Where I ask my favorite wine geeks shitty questions!
Tell us a bit about yourself. Why are you a wine geek?
I love the story that comes before and after the bottle. I love the spiritual adventure of the grape as it buds from a vine embraced by limestone, volcanic soil or even oyster fossils. I love the winemaker-artist, the thoughtful visionary. I feel, as a writer, the winemaker and I are on opposite sides of the vine.
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Extraterrestrials just landed on earth. What wine do you pour them?
Damn. Wow. Thinking. Something from the Abruzzo region. A wild, funky red that smells of armpits, transitioned bodies, roaming boars, truffles, lavender...Mmmm. Maybe it’s a South African pinot noir I haven’t had yet.
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What's your favorite scent you have ever smelled in a wine?
Lovemaking musk
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Any favorite music or podcasts you like to listen to while you drink wine?
Lately it’s been NPR tiny desk. Love the performances from Spillage Village, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Moonchild, and Jhené Aiko.
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If you could visit any wine region in the world right now what would it be any —South Africa because when I smell a thoughtfully made South African pinot noir or pinotage, it usually smells like Jamaica (where my family is from). It’s also really underrepresented in the Miami market.
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What do you think is the most exciting thing going in the world of wine right now?
Change. That conscious white people are calling out racism in the wine industry and really taking action to change things.
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What would you like to see in the future of wine?
Diversity, representation, economic empowerment for serious wine professionals of color like me
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What advice would you give yourself looking back to when you first started working in the wine industry?
Stop trying to impress “them.” Take care of you. Trust your instincts. Say the shit you really want to say.
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Who are some people that inspire you in the world of wine?
Robert Dubois—fellow wine and music storyteller. His handle is @brothawine @dubois.du.vino. Alice Feiring a.k.a The Godmother, Karina Iglesias, owner of Wine Medium, and you, Amanda.
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Anything in the works you'd like to mention or promote?
Working on an exciting music and wine collaboration 
Stay tuned. To me, a music note and a wine note are one in the same. You can and see that in my music and wine videos @d_storytellah. Website: dstorytellah.com
Thank you Dink for being the first Wine Geek of the Week! <3