How to Challenge the Norm of Wine Retail with Dustin Wilson MS - a podcast by Cru Wine Podcast

Dustin Wilson (@dustinwilsonms) is a partner and owner the wine shop in Tribeca, New York City called Verve Wine. Dustin came on the podcast when the show first started and he was working at Eleven Madison Park, but in this episode he tells us about how he transitioned from being a somm on the floor of restaurants for so many years to starting and being on the floor of a retail store and what the challenges of starting a new wine shop in New York City has been like.

We then dig into the story behind Verve, why Dustin wanted to start something new, and how Verve is challenging the norm of wine retail by integrating an amazing website that helps people find and learn about wine in an easier, more natural way and utilizing social media to do the same with things like visual tasting notes.

Full show notes & and transcript of the interview at https://crupodcast.com/show/dustinwilson37

Dustin then shares with us one of his favorite wines he’s been excited about lately called 4 Monos, a Garnacha made just outside of Madrid, and you can get it at Verve for only $20. To top it all off, Dustin and the team at Verve are giving you as a Cru Podcast listener, 10% off all discountable wines when you check out with the code CRUPOD10. It only applies to those of you who can receive shipments in the USA. So, go get some wine from some great people who want to share more wine with the world.

But before we get into the show, many of you know that I had the opportunity of traveling to Madrid a couple weeks ago and meet a great winemaker by the name of Fabio Bartolomei (his podcast episode here), and experience the only natural wine shop in Madrid, called Wine Attack.

So, I knew that I was going to be buying a ton of wine, and my last experience with bringing a case of wine back in my regular suitcase was not only sketchy caused it looked like I was smuggling wine bottles out of Germany all wrapped up in t-shirts, but I didn’t know if all of my bottles were going to break. You know how TSA can be with our bags. So, I had to find a solution to my wine bottle traveling debacle. I found this company called Lazenne.

Essentially, they make suitcases for your wine bottles. It was perfect! I got one and they even offered to ship it to my hotel in Madrid so that when I got there, all I had to do was fill it with a case of amazing wines. I didn’t have to worry about making sure that I got it in time to fly out and then check a bag going out. I just gave them my address and it was sitting on my bed when I walked into my hotel room. It only cost me €35 to check the bag on the way back and it got to my destination in perfect condition!

Guys, I’m telling you. If you ever travel with more than a couple wine bottles on the plan, or even just driving long distances, you need to get one of Lazenne’s bags. Go to Lazenne.com and check out which bag is best for you. I got the 12-Bottle Wine Check Luggage, but maybe something a bit sturdier would be best for you, like the Vingardevalise Hardshell Wine Suitcase. Either way, take a look and protect your wine with a Lazenne bag.

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