What brought you into the food and wine business?
I've always been a "worker," and started waitressing at a brewhouse when I was 17 as a means of income. One fine summer night while I was college, I was dining with my parents at Radius restaurant in Boston not long after the restaurant opened, and the energy in the place was magnetic. A gin cocktail tinged with lavender honey and dish of lightly crusted soft shell crabs arrived at the table, and I looked up and said, "I want to work here." It wasn't long after that I delved in.

On your radio show 'At the Root of It', you discuss and taste wines. What are your three best tips, tricks or techniques for wine lovers?

Definitely to taste as much as possible and take a moment to savor the flavors of everything you eat and smell. All the fresh herbs, fruits, spices you come across will become embedded into your sense memory and you'll be able to identify the characteristics that also exist in the flavors of wine and begin to recognize what you like and don't like. Record the wines that you've enjoyed so you can refer back to them. And, spend a day at a winery, in the vineyard and in the cellar, to better understand how wine is made and how essential the vine's health in the vineyard translates to the quality of the wine in the bottle.

When did you first become interested in wine?
My interest in wine was spawned from my experience living in Europe for a year during college. Though I'd worked in the restaurant environment in years prior and was surrounded by wine, it wasn't until I began traveling that I recognized how much it is woven into the European lifestyle, and is such an elemental aspect of nature, that my passion for wine took hold.

What is the first thing someone learning about wine should know?
Be open to tasting, trying new wines and exploring new wine regions, but drink what you like.

'At the Root of It' airs on the Heritage Radio Network, which celebrates American artisans, farmers and food ways. What are some tips for conscious eating and drinking?
Conscious eating and drinking first comes from awareness. It is difficult in a fast city such as ours to always be concerned about the source of our sustenance. It can become a full-time job trekking to market to get foods sourced locally or only eating at restaurants that pride themselves on this. But to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies, to know how that affects the country's food chain economically and physically speaking, and to then make efforts when we can to support the nation's farmers who are producing REAL food, we can do our part to offset the harmful ramifications of our industrialized food system. To learn what fruits, vegetables, cheeses and fish, etc are seasonal and to eat them when they are in season we will grow to appreciate them more and inevitably train (or re-train) ourselves to eat thoughtfully, savor nature's bounty and understand that we shouldn't necessarily have whatever product we want whenever we want it.

What are some great, smaller vineyards locally (United States or New York)?
I am going to address this question locally, East Coast, as there otherwise would be far too many to list. Shinn Estates, Schneider Vineyards and Macari Vineyards on Long Island's North Fork and Channing Daughters on the South Fork are all producing great wine, amongst many others in Long Island. From Virginia, Michael Shaps and Kluge Estate are coming out quite strong, and I still have to hand it to Dr. Konstantin Frank for being the Riesling pioneer in the Finger Lakes. Just north from there in Ontario, Konzelmann Estate is producing some killer Vidal ice wine and Chateau de Charmes is making a beautiful Viognier. For a really local experience, I am looking forward to going to Red Hook Winery!

What do you think about organic wines? What are some bottles you can recommend?
I shy away from the term organic as it has seemingly become a loose, convoluted term and there are varying degrees of "organic." Essentially, organic wines are made with grapes grown organically which of course has its benefits. There are plenty of winemakers making wines in an even more natural way than those labeled as "organic," though they may not state it on the label, so it is important to understand this. More and more winemakers are changing their vineyard practices to sustainable winemaking methods, organic grape growing, and bio-dynamics, and we consume more wines than we know that are produced this way. The American stigma against "organic" wine is shifting for the better and you can taste the difference, as they often demonstrate greater purity and sense of place than other wines.

Your company Esse Consulting has helped launch restaurants and venues. How did you decide to start your own consulting company?
I was presented with the opportunity to assist with the opening of a Spanish wine and tapas bar, and collaborate on everything from start to finish: from the color of the paint for the ceiling, to the right bar stool, to the wine list. At the time I was working as an event manager at a private club and after three years had outgrew the job. I looked at the opportunity to open the new place as a fantastic experience on its own, and as a springboard to new like ventures, where I would act as a project manager and assist others with the detailed and difficult task of opening and maintaining a viable business in the hospitality industry.

What rule of value do you try to install in your staff?
To set high standards and distinguish yourself by demonstrating pride in your work and striving for excellence, to act with a sense of urgency and drive but with graciousness and integrity, and to win the customer over at every exchange.

What trends are you noticing in the food and wine industry?
The demise of celebrity chefdom, the rise of urban rooftop gardens, microbrews, wine from Uruguay, locally made apple brandy, private labels, screwcaps, slow-cooking, vegetables in many guises, and perhaps a few more menu sightings of offal and innards.

What was your most memorable meal?
I feel compelled to remark of my most recent memorable meal at the French Laundry two months ago. I was invited to a seat at the table only fours days before the reservation and within twenty-four hours booked a flight to San Francisco for a thirty-six hour eating tour. The experience far exceeded my expectations and was made all the more impressive from the eighty degree day in wine country during harvest time, a late afternoon lunch at Bouchon, and a tour of the Laundry's herb garden before dinner. Thomas Keller was in the kitchen and offered a gracious welcome before we embarked on a five-hour, fifteen course meal during which I had to take a moment of pause and compose myself from an overwhelming sense of gratitude and sheer sensory pleasure. The meal was pleasingly laden with black truffles, and included the most stunning preparation of a whole salt-encrusted branzino with tomato compote and capers. The wine list is an absolute pleasure to entertain, and the understated elegance of the restaurant, the professional but gentle service, the soft din in the dining room, and the perfection of each dish truly made for a one of a kind experience.

When you're not working, where do you like to eat?
When I'm not checking out the latest spot, I more often than not gravitate towards some of my favorite, iconic New York places, which though predictable, never fail to cater to my mood and cravings. Balthazar for oysters and French onion soup, Bar Pitti or Lupa for classic pasta, Spotted Pig for chicken liver toast and that insane burger, Sushi Yasuda for none other than the finest sushi, Wallse for schnitzel and lingonberry sauce, the Strip House for wet-aged rib-eye and goose fat potatoes, and Blue Hill for seasonal goodness on so many levels.

When you're not drinking wine, what are you drinking?
Fresh coconut water and green juice to hydrate, restore, and balance out my indulgent tendencies. And, classic cocktails. My "go to" is a Rye Manhattan but a Negroni, Tequila Gimlet, or good old Gin and Tonic also suits me quite well. When mixing my own, I find inspiration from taking seasonal produce and spices, particularly Asian spices such as Cardamom, and weaving savory, sweet and unpredictable flavors into the classics for an inventive spin.

What are some of your favorite food and wine pairings?
Oloroso sherry with braised oxtail ravioli, Champagne and briny oysters, Chicken liver toast and Bandol Rose or Amontillado sherry, Truffled egg toast and Moscato d'Asti, White Burgundy and pan-roasted scallops, and Black truffles with aged Barolo.

Generally, I think about the cuisine of a particular region and what I'd be drinking if I were there and the pairing is often pretty perfect. The sensory memories I've picked up in my travels are seemingly deep and relate to the natural, historical relationship between the food and wine of a particular place.

Do you have a favorite varietal or region?
Riesling fascinates me in its many expressions and remarkable ability to age. I recently drank a 1966 Prum Riesling from the Mosel and was enamored by its complexity and vibrancy. As a region, I love Burgundy. Both the whites and the reds have an extraordinary allure and so vividly express the pure varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from villages of distinct character that it really allows for an exciting journey in each bottle.

Do you have any favorite wine gadgets?
Not sure they're considered gadgets per se but I quite like decanters. There exists the perception that decanters are snobby or for only expensive, older wine but I find them great for many different styles of wine from white to red, young to old. I was struck by the difference decanting can make when attending a lunch with Alsatian winemaker, Paul Blanck, and it was extraordinary to see how his white wines, such as a young Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Blanc, were undoubtedly more expressive from decanter than from bottle after left to breathe for just twenty minutes. Aside from red wines with a fare amount of sediment, I like to decant young reds as well. There is a 2007 St. Joseph on the wine list at the restaurant where I work that is a good deal softer and more exemplary of its inherent character and aging potential with a quick decant.

What wines should no home be without?
An easy drinking, inexpensive bottle that you can open any night or day of the week, not feel forced to finish, and use a cup of while cooking, a special bottle with a sense of history that you look forward to sharing with someone you know will relish in it alongside you, and a good bottle of tawny port or madeira.