Q: Tell us about your most memorable wine and food pairing. A: My most memorable pairing was a Pliney and the smoked turkey sandwich from Industrial Eats. Q: What does "wine vibes" mean to you? A: A perfectly lit dining room with nice glass of Cab, a cheese and charcuterie selection, an eclectic playlist with family and friends. Q: Rose or Sauvignon Blanc? A: SB Q: If you could invite any 3 people to a dinner party who would they be and why? A: My wife ( of course ) and my mom and dad. Sonya, so she could explain to my parents why the wine and food is so damn good. My mom because she believes everything Sonya says, and my dad so we could play a few tunes and to talk my mom into sitting in with us. Q: What takes up most of your time when not at CWM? A: Chess and beer drinking Q: What is a simple pleasure that makes your day better? A: Housewives of the OC. Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever heard? A: Slow down, you might not get there as fast but at least you'll have your health.

Q. Do you have a go-to beverage after a busy night at CWM? A. If it’s hot an ice-cold beer, usually a Belgian style otherwise a glass of bubbles. Q. What does "wine vibes" mean to you? A. A relaxed time with people I love to hang with. Q: If you could invite any 3 people to a dinner party who would they be and why? A. Eric Ripert, Bobby Flay, and José Andrés—because I think they are all great chefs with interesting stories to tell. If I picked political people, the Obamas and the Clintons, that wouldbe a very interesting night. Q. What takes up most of your time when not at CWM? A. Figuring out what to cook for dinner and now packing. Q. What is a simple pleasure that makes your day better? A. Sunshine and my husband Gary. Q. What is the best piece of advice you ever heard? A. Take the time to really listen to people.

Q. Tell us about your most memorable wine and food pairing. A. It may not be my most memorable but my favorite wine and food pairing is Bear Flag’s spicy ahi tuna pokè and a cold, dry glass of rosè. I love mixing the spice of the fish with the crisp acidity of the wine. Add chips and guacamole to this meal and it is perfection! It has become a kind of comfort meal and one that I can remember connecting to several special occasions. Q. What does “Wine Vibes” mean to you? A. “Wine Vibes” means opening one (or a couple) of your favorite bottles of wine and hanging with your favorite person or group of friends and just being. It doesn’t have to be fancy or formal, no time restrictions or pressing obligations. It’s hanging on the couch, in your comfiest clothes, and just laughing, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Q. Mountains or beach? A. Beach!! I grew up going to the beach all the time with my family. I love the sun, the ocean, and I always feel better when I have a tan. Sitting on the beach with a good book is one of my most favorite things. Q. What takes up most of your time when you’re not at CWM? A. My family! I have been married to my husband for 15 years and we have three crazy/wonderful/busy kids. Colony has always been a place where I can be me, and hang with adults and talk wine, but the rest of the time, I’m in full mom mode. Between school activities, sporting events, theatre practices and play dates, our family stays busy! It might get a little crazy sometimes but they are mine and I am so grateful for them. Q. Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc? A. There is no answer... I will not choose!! I love them both!!

A: I think the whole staff will probably say this, but I always go for something cold first. For me, it's usually a Sauv Blanc, rose, or cider. Sometimes I'll follow up with a little Pinot Noir or anything I haven't had a chance to taste if the bottle is open. Q: Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc? A: I love them both! But, if I really had to choose--it'd be Sauv Blanc. Nothing beats a nice cold, dry, high acid, slightly fruity Sauv Blanc--so refreshing! Q: What takes up most of your time when not at CWM? A: I spend a lot of time hanging out with my dog, Pepita, while working on creative projects at home. I have a small business where I make and sell plush toys, but if I'm not doing that, there is always some kind art or craft project lurking nearby. Q: Mountains or Beach? A: Mountains for sure. I love breathing in the fresh mountain air with the smell of the trees. It feels more like being in untouched nature than when I'm near a beach. I definitely prefer being near water while in the mountains though. My favorite is when I'm near a stream, brook, or river. The sound of gently moving water really soothes my soul.

Q: Tell us about your most memorable wine and food pairing. A: I can't put my finger on the first time I had this pairing, but my favorite wine pairing is Sauvignon Bland and Oysters with a touch or horseradish. There's something about the brine from the oysters and the acidity from the Sauvignon Blanc that just really resonated with me, and I can't get enough of it. Q: If you could invite any 3 people to a dinner party who would they be and why? A: 1. Tina Fey - She's hilarious and smart and one of the pioneers of entertainment in this generation. She created one of my favorite movies of all time, Mean Girls and is a creative genius and would bring comedic relief. 2. Michelle Obama - Someone who seems like a really good time and would also hold a great conversation. As an Ivy League educated woman and as a woman dedicated to uplifting other women and making space for women to succeed, I would very much enjoy having her at the dinner party. 3. Any of the women closest to me. My wife, my Mom, my sister, my best friend - they'd all appreciate this dinner party. My wife is hilarious and would come up with great questions. Q: What takes up most of your time when not at CWM? A: Yoga and spending time with my wife Q: Have you ever been surprised by an unusual pairing? A: Yes! I recently tried a Carmenere and peanut butter pretzels that shocked me! Q: Mountains or Beach? A: Mountains - I grew up in Washington state and Mt. Rainier will always hold a special place in my heart. But the Beach is always such a wonderful way to bring in the Summer. My favorites are beach bonfires! Q: What is a simple pleasure that makes your day better? A: Having a perfect coffee in the morning. There's nothing better to make my day better. Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever heard? A: "If you learned from it, it wasn't a waste of time" - from my Grandpa

Q: What is you most memorable wine and food experience? A: I started to understand what "pairing" meant when I first tried the Oberon Chardonnay with Chef Jan's apple walnut cake. Chardonnay is not typically one of my favorite wines, but these two taken together provided such a strong first-hand lesson on how flavors can not only complement one another, but change and enhance everything on your plate and in your glass - the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Q: Do you have a go to beverage after a busy night at CWM? A: The last customer has left, the dishes and glassware are clean, the trash has been taken out, the patio packed up, and the register is closed. There is a glass of Einstok porter in my hand. I am at peace. Q: What takes up most of your time when not at CWM? A: I try to stay busy on my days off and avoid stagnation, which means bouncing around between a lot of different interests and tasks. Reading, hiking, tidepooling, scuba diving, playing bass, and figuring out how to take care of the plants I bought impulsively occupy most of my time. I love to cook and try out new recipes (especially with and for my partner), which also means hunting down specific ingredients or substitutes to make things work. Q: What is a simple pleasure that makes your day better? A: The perpetual cycle of laundry may seem tedious to some, but getting a pile of clothes cleaned and folded gives me a lot of motivation to be productive in other areas. The folding itself is very meditative and gives me time to slow down while still keeping my body busy, and the impermanence of a finished load of laundry always reminds me of the value of consistent work and upkeep in my home.