Ronga’s Rant

OK, it’s time. It’s past time. So… what’s up with the lag time in my blog? Was it writer’s block? Laziness? Was I out traveling the vineyards of France? Nope.

More exciting, in fact. I’ve been running Cork’d – a place where wine meets online media and winelovers, both expert and noobs, come together. Gary Vaynerchuk and I are working on BIG things here and working towards the big Cork’d relaunch. Admittedly Cork’d has been through its ups and downs, and well, I’m ready for it to just get high if you know what I mean.

This past month has been absolutely amazing. And I know you hear people say that. But really, it’s my dream job. I’m coming from a world of private equity and investment banking working for some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. They have been my mentors, my sounding boards, my family away from home.

Now I have a new family – I am still getting to know some of them, but what I love is that they keep me young. Cork’d shares its offices with Vaynermedia, a company founded by Gary and his brother, AJ Vaynerchuk. The VM crew is a bunch of fresh, creative, young thinkers who have a unique perspective on the social media space. Since Cork’d is where new world meets old world, it is helpful to immerse myself in this environment.

Did I mention I have also hired four Cork’d interns who are all rockstars in their own respects? First we have a highschool student, who during the interview mentioned he’s into astronomy and black holes. When I told him I like Stephen W. Hawkings, he told me Hawkings was “old school” and proceeded to drop some knowledge on me about who to follow online for “up to date” info. Next, is a beautiful personal – inside and out – from Alaska. She at one point during high school pushed around a food cart selling salmon, etc on the street in Alaska. She has taken her first level Sommelier test and flew out from San Francisco for the interview. Her personality is rocking. We have our resident actor/singer who keeps it real by singing in the office. He makes everyone laugh which is super important in any culture. Although he was more into the social media side of things, his reviews of wine, which we taste in the office (yeah, I said it!), are off the charts and on spot. Last, is a guy that is probably be more qualified than me … a Darden MBA spending his summer here at Cork’d. Aside from being an all around awesome human being, he knows Rails, social media, and now wine. He has gone out of his way to help me understand the Rails world (riveting…). People like that are QUALITY. I’ll say it again; you don’t find people like this in just any economy. AND, finally – our kick ass RAILS CTO Kyle should probably get an entire post entirely to himself (which is why I struggle to find words write just a couple lines). His talent is sick as I’ve mentioned many times on Twitter and he’s not just another developer. He’s the real deal. We have lucked out completely here at Cork’d and I couldn’t be more appreciative, more grateful. The A-team, indeed.

My days are anything but predictable. Last night I had a glass of wine with a Cork’d user, who I was honored to meet. Getting feedback in person from a company you run is something that all CEOs should do. I truly value feedback from users. Other days I spend meeting with guys in the social media, tech or wine world. They help me get a better handle on what’s going on out there. All in all, here’s what I DO know: I don’t know it all. If I did, life and my job wouldn’t be fun. I love learning. My job is challenging and it’s because I’m always on my toes. When I stop learning, I’m not sure it will be fun anymore. So for now, I’m a sponge…and I’ve surrounded myself with people who are kind enough to coach me, mentor me and be my family again.

However, I’d like to end by mentioning the two people who have been truly there for me: mom & dad. You guys know more about business than I ever will. Mostly because you are wise and know about life… And, I’ve learned that the two go hand in hand. Thank you for your advice, love and support. It means the world to me.

Next post: I’ll be back to writing about wine

There are so many wine bars in NYC.  I’ve made it a personal goal to hit up each one while I’m here.  Ambitious, I know…

The best tool I’ve found to assist me in doing this is a mashup created by Dr. Vino that shows most wine bars by geography in NYC.  He not only has wine maps for wine bars, but also wine shops and covers the Chicago area.  Tyler – Dr. Vino – also writes a great blog worth checking out.

Anyhow, y’all know I’m a sucker for South African wines.  I love them all. When I came across Xai Xai South African Winebar, I about died & went to heaven.  They only serve South African wines, & not just your typical African wines (as if there is such a thing).  Really, really interesting ones.  It was hot outside & I wanted a white.  So I went with a grape I know… one that is 1) slowly going extinct in South Africa because it is becoming more expensive to grow so it is becoming increasing replaced with Sauvignon Blanc & one that is 2) delicious because the soil & weather there supports its growth.  Sorry for the ridiculous build up. The grape is Chenin Blanc.

The South African bartender poured me a taste and it was good… a little oily, petrol like, but good.  Then I do what I always do & ask him if he had to pick ONE wine to drink, which would he choose.  This usually proves an impossible question to answer.  But not for this guy; he immediately pulled out the Haute Cabriere ‘06 Pinot Noir-Chardonnay from Franschhoek.  I have never had a Pinot Noir Chardonnay combo, except in sparkling or Champagne of course, but there was no second fermentation on this baby.  We are talking new territory!

Wow.  What a treat.  This made the Chenin Blanc seem like PBR in the world of beer.  I opted for his suggestion & was even more impressed by the temperature at which they kept their wines. Honestly, it was perfect…not freeeeeezing. Room temperature, rather.  You could actually taste the flavors in the wine. While the mix was unclear (I was told it was 70/30 chardonnay/pinot noir), this did not ooze chardonnay to me.  Instead I got richness, intensity, & a medium body.  Crisp & green, there was some acidity to add to the balance of the wine.  I am salivating as a write about this.

If you get a chance to pickup this wine – do it.  More importantly, go check out Xai Xai on 51^st & 9^th Ave. Well worth the trek.  Cool ambiance, friendly staff. Didn’t try the food, but would be a great after work spot.  Let me know if you end up swinging by.