This past weekend I was in NYC for the first VinNatur fair outside Europe. I had pretty much single-handedly organised the event (everything from signing up the exhibitors, finding the venue, shipping the samples, renting spittoons, to promoting the event locally…) all from the “comfort” of my computer in Europe, 6 hours behind.
It was held at Rule of Thirds, in Greenpoint. We had 45 exhibiting winemakers, and to give the opportunity to small winemakers who didn’t want to make the journey, we had wines from another 24 growers on a Tasting Table.
Normally during VinNatur events, I’m dashing back and forth between the Masterclass room – keeping the speaker on time – and the exhibition space – making sure the winemakers have everything they need. Just once on Sunday afternoon did I swap with the people working on the entrance table, enabling them to take a quick break. Because it was towards the end of the afternoon, those 15 minutes were mostly spent fielding questions from curious walk-ins. “It’s a wine tasting. Of natural wines mainly from Italy. Do you have a ticket? I’m afraid it’s sold out today but please take a flyer and follow us to find out about the next one…”
Then a couple came in, saying: “we don’t have a ticket, but we work in the wine trade. Can we come in anyway?” I looked around the room to assess capacity. It was pretty full. I was about to turn them away. Then as I looked at them, I realised that I recognised one of them. “You’re not Victoria James, are you?!”
(I honestly have no idea how I was able to recall her name from out of the blue like that.)
“Yes.”
“Oh my gosh,” I continued, “I read – and loved – your book. I sent invitations to you and the Wine Empowered group in case you were interested in coming to the event but I didn’t get a reply. I sent two emails… but I saw on social media that you’re like 8 months pregnant so I wasn’t going to chase any further. But, wow, here you are!”
(Yeah, resolution for 2025, maybe sound a little bit less like a stalker when meeting someone for the first time!)
“My relatives are here, pouring… it’s the winery Rocca Rondinaria.”
“Hang on, in the book Wine Girl, you got married at your relatives’ castle in Italy. It wasn’t at the Rocca Rondinaria castle where you got married, was it…?”
(Looking back, I definitely need to work on seeming cool in these circumstances!)
Anyway, in case you don’t know why I was so excited, Victoria’s book “Wine Girl” is her story of breaking into and making it in the fine dining sector of the wine industry. Sexism, alcohol abuse, rape and sexual assault… she doesn’t hold back and as such, she’s a kind of Anthony Bourdain for women in wine, and obviously a hero of mine.
Wine Girl – “A sommelier’s tale of making it in the toxic world of fine dining” published in 2020.
And from the back cover: “Victoria James has worked in restaurants since she was thirteen. She was certified as a sommelier when she was twenty-one, making her the youngest sommelier in the US, and has appeared on both Forbes and Zagat’s “30 Under 30″ lists. She has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York, including Marea and Aureole. Currently, she is the beverage director and partner at Cote, a Michelin-starred hot spot in the Flatiron district of New York.”
As I was writing this, I came across this interview on NPR with Victoria James which is useful if you’re interested in getting a snapshot of some of the meatier subjects in the Wine Girl book.
And Tamlyn Currin’s review of the book on JancisRobinson.com deserves a mention for being as justified as it is thorough.
What’s even funnier about this story… is that a few hours later I was at dinner with Giovanna and Lucesio, Victoria’s winemaking relatives. I recounted how I had recognised Victoria and gushed to them how much I admired her. “She wrote a book?” Giovanna asked. “I didn’t even know.” “Not just any book,” I replied. “A must-read.”
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