Where are you from?
Pittsburgh, PA baby!
Where were you working before here?
I was a Beverage Manager for Eataly, and prior to that I was working for a Sicilian winery called Firriato.
Why/how did you get into wine?
I worked at a Neapolitan pizzeria for five years throughout college, which prioritized staff wine education. I learned how to taste wine, tackling one of the most complex winemaking countries right off the bat. I secretly became so much more excited about studying wine than for the Communications degree I was working towards. After college, I moved to NYC and worked in advertising for a bit, and bartended on the side to help stabilize myself in a new city. I eventually decided to get a more formal wine education and spent some time in Italy, taking a marketing position for a Sicily-based winery. In 2021, I went on to work as a Beverage Manager at Eataly Flatiron, which was an important step in deepening my knowledge. And now here I am at PR, where I have the opportunity to pour incredible wines from Georgia, Eastern Europe and beyond, from producers who reflect our ethos and can be crushed on the dancefloor on a beautiful Sunday afternoon! <3
What’s your favorite grape?
At the moment I’m drinking lots of Krakhuna, a grape indigenous to Imeriti, Georgia. Although a great Sangiovese will always have a special place in my heart.
Who is your favorite winemaker right now?
So hard to pick one, Umbrian producer Paolo Bea is at the top of the list.
Chardonnay, where do you stand and defend your reason?
I made the mistake of hiding from chardonnay at the beginning of my wine career. Some of the most wonderful wines I’ve tried in recent memory have contained chardonnay! [try the Populis Orange, a very good chardonnay, on our menu now].
Favorite aging vessel and why?
My favorite aging vessel would have to be Amphora, because it is made of simple, natural materials pulled right from the earth. Some of my favorite winemakers use this method, and it gives a very true representation of the grape.
What’s your favorite wine currently on our menu?
‘09 Ghost Rider from Kabaj!
What’s your favorite dish on our menu and what would you pair it with?
I’m never not craving our oyster mushroom tacos. I’d take a couple of those with a glass of the ‘Naked’ from Weingut Heinrich any day.
If you were a wine, how would you describe yourself?
Delicate but complex, easy-going, you can take it anywhere!
Book a table on Resy and come let Olivia pour you a glass.