Content is a funny thing. I learned through writing HBS essays to cut ever unnecessary word possible otherwise I wouldn’t make the word limit, thus be DQ’d. (disqualified, not win a blizzard from Dairy Queen). That means you actually have to spend time thinking and writing and not slop 1000 words together to try to get your point across. Someone who is great at this is my boss/partner Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s able to do this 2 – 3 minute videos on his vlog. It may look like much time doesn’t go into it. However, my theory is that it is stream of consciousness, much like this post, but that days, weeks, months of experience lead him up to talking about that topic. Something just triggers a neuron where all the pieces suddenly fit together and he does his video about it. What’s great? He doesn’t say a single word more than he needs to. What’s important about this is that it captures the American attention span perfectly…which is indefinitely short. Just face it… we are an I WANT AN OOMPA LOOMPA NOW society.

Brings me to wine. We purchase to drink not save (talking about the masses…you wine geeks And myself for that matter.) I recently purchased a 2005 Chateau Lynch-Bages. One of my favorites wine verticals and I have not yet had the ‘05. I understand I could lay this sucker down for ten plus years. But I’m excited about, do not have wine storage as I live in a one bedroom apartment and I am not a collector. I am a consumer. So why did I drop $90 on a bottle of wine when I could have picked up 9 bottles of value wine? Well, it’s a good question. There is something about this wine that brings me back to when I tasted the ‘87, the ‘82 and the people I tasted it with. I plan to share this ‘05 because wine is an adventure, a journey and about memories. It’s not always about the best value. It’s about trying new things and having memorable experiences.

Everyone has their opinions and will infer them onto you for as long as you live. Don’t get me wrong, this has its merits. When it comes to wine, however, listen to the experts, but trust your instincts, and do what you please. Because life, just sometimes, has to be about pleasure, doesn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t want an oompa loompa.

Cork’d.

Tomorrow, maybe I’ll come up for air. Because lately all it’s been is wine. And frankly a girl has got to breath. Maybe sleep and eat too. But one cannot sustain on wine alone, unless those health resveratrol rumors are true then heck, I’ve found the fountain of youth and I’ll live until the end of time with the way I’m sipping.

So here’s the thing, I made a promise in my last post and by golly I will hold true to that and tell you about my resto-sommelier binge in the city that never sleeps. I certainly didn’t. While my next post will be dated and I’ll have some catch up to do, I’ll at least be satisfying one person out there by following up from the last one. Umm… me. Duh. We’re all selfish son of a guns and I’d feel guilty as heck if I left it lingering. Not to mention the copious notes/reviews I took on the wines I tried (71 Petrus anyone? Not like that ever happens to me). So YOU will hear about it.

But in the mean time (by which I mean the next 24 hours), I live, breath and drink Cork’d. So go there, tell me what you think. http://corkd.com/

Your Drinking Buddy,
Ronga

1)      Phones/electronic devices AWAY – I don’t care what new-age technologically advanced world we live in, dinner is a time to converse one-on-one with other, real life, human beings. Take that time to learn from a shared experience, a conversation.

2)      Eye contact – no matter how seemingly important one person may be, focus in on every single person there…with your EYEBALLS. Yes, that’s right. If you are speaking, make everyone feel important & engage each person by looking them square in the eyes. It not only makes you a captivating story-teller, but it also makes each person feel as if they’re on an equal playing field which is, frankly, the way it should be. This, in turn, fosters conversation.

3)      Share – not everyone is going to feel comfortable with this one, but I am all about family style when it comes to food. I love trying new things and feel that you break down umpteen barriers when you simply order different dishes with share plates. It makes the meal interactive & everyone feels more comfortable with one another. Again, convo flows.. naturally.

4)      Wine – never just refill your own glass (this goes with water as well if there is a pitcher on the table). Be considerate and refill your neighbor’s first if they give you the nod. But certainly don’t refill your own, set the bottle down and ignore the fact that your neighbor may have an empty glass. This is just a life lesson: Don’t be selfish.

1. Sub-bullet since this is a wineblog, after all. Pick up on the fact that you are trying the same wine with different foods. This is an extraordinary way to experience a meal, especially if there are many different types of food being passed around! This changes the wine profile with each bite of a new dish. Talk about this even if the company may not be “into it” or at least bring peoples’ awareness to the fact that the wine is dynamic.

5)      Conversation – no ONE person should dominate the discussion because it is then in fact not a discussion at all, but rather a lecture or a preaching. Ask questions to others at the table, whether you know them or not. TRULY ENGAGE. This can be difficult, especially if you are still dwelling on things from earlier in the day. However, put yourself and your issues aside, and learn. Look at this as an opportunity to learn what makes other people tick. If someone goes on and on about themselves, well it may not be someone that I’ll likely  dine with on a regular basis, but I might be able to take something away from the (one-sided) conversation. Real-life conversations are not twitter. Rather – they are two-way.

6)      Indulge – dinner is a treat when eating out with others. It has the possibility to stimulate us on so many levels. Taste each bite, savor each piece of conversation and remember each sip of wine.

All in all, a good meal or dinner should last more than two hours. Why? If you are truly engaged, sharing food, learning about one another, and completely stimulated – that is mentally, emotionally and physically, then in my opinion, you should have no desire to pick up an external device or check the latest score. Be in the moment. Be present. And most importantly, care. Show those people around you care by looking them in the eye when they speak and vice versa. Listen and respond. Don’t pretend you’re listening while texting away. This is what kills social media – when it interferes with real socializing.

Until the next (wine) posting, drink up, and have a lovely dinner. Please let me know what you think in your comments (or add to the list). xo, linds

This is why I was so partial towards the learning model at Harvard Business School. With the case method, there were no lecturers telling you how to do things or what is right and what is wrong. Remember, life is not black and white. We learned via discussion. Ninety of us would peruse a case on Jack Welch, for example, and his management style, then take it into the classroom and have a heated debate and a truly riveting conversation about different approaches one might take in his situation. Go figure, all 90 of us don’t agree on how to handle a situation: whether it’s a software implementation, running a country, or raising VC money. Even more interesting, we all come at it from a different angle and none of us is “right.” Each ONE of us has a different background –ethnicity aside, we were all raised by someone (or not) who had extreme influence in the way we turned out as individuals. I believe our values, ideals, and perceptions were very much set before adulthood. Now, I believe these can be changed…but keep in mind someone else had loose control for almost 1.5 decades. It takes times to undo that programming.

Now, onto wine. And more specifically the palate. What is so awesome about the palate is that we are all blessed with different ones. Thank GOD. Can you imagine if we all tasted the same thing and all liked the same things? B-O-R-I-N-G. What I see, smell and taste in a wine, I hope, is different than what you will get from that same wine. Why? Well it fosters conversation for starters.

Just the other night I threw a little wine shindig for my Corkd and Vaynermedia colleagues. While I was sniffing the wine trying to pinpoint an unidentifiable scent (frustrating as heck!), Vaynermedia’s Sam (who, I think, found his calling a wine sommelier) picked up on pineapple. Which led me to what I couldn’t pick up on – pina colada. The wine, Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio, was just ok. But it did take me to a tropical island where I envisioned myself lying on a beach with a fruity cocktail in hand (oh & cocktail accessorized with pineapple pink umbrella).

Drinking wine with others is great for this reason – because you can pick up on things you may not have otherwise. On the contrary, I often like to see/smell/taste the wine before anyone says anything so I don’t have any preconceived notions in my head. I don’t want to force myself to smell or taste something. Like in life, go with your gut, trust your own instincts. Don’t just take someone else’s opinion and make it your own.  This can be difficult when you don’t feel well-versed on a subject such as wine. But you can always listen to others, discuss, ask questions, then decide for yourself. You can do this with life, worldly issues (spanning from politics to philosophy), AND with wine. Be open-minded and in the end, just be you. And have faith in YOU.

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

This is my first post (obviously). I had so many clever ideas for the first posting, such as how many nicknames you have and why, which cities you choose to live in and why, etc. But then I thought, why not just go straight into what I’m about.

I care. I care about the world. About who’s in charge, how it affects me and how it affects the slums of India. I care about people. About genuine connections, relationships and maintaining the friendships which are important to me. I care about family. They, along with society and my friends, helped shape me into who I am today. I owe my family everything and nothing. As in, they want nothing, though I always feel indebted. I care about people living up to their potential. What a world we would live in if everyone pushed themselves to their potential. And didn’t settle for some mundane job because they feel comfortable. People are oftentimes choosing to perform below their potential. It is their choice and I respect that. I’m just saying I care about those people and would love to see them be proud of themselves and see what they could accomplish. I care about spirituality. I care that people have a reason to be spiritual or not be. Me personally, it helps me get through the day, through life… it is like passion or having an opinion. I surround myself with those who have passionate opinions on subjects even if those opinions differ from mine (sometimes especially when they differ from mine). I’d encourage you not to be complacent, not to just agree, but to be a person with a backbone, with an informed opinion. It makes you more interesting.

This leads me to a couple passions that I get excited about and could write for pages on. I’ll save the best for last. First, music. A quote from Oliver Sacks, Neurologist and author of “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.”

Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears –
it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear.
But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more –
it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life.
For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.

This has pretty much served as a life mantra for me. It just speaks to me, kind of like music does. There is a song for every mood I’m in or a song to change or enhance whatever mood I’m in. As my mom has said, music can pierce the soul. And I truly believe it can be a healing tool.

Second and an even bigger passion for me is wine. No, not just drinking it. But learning about it. John W. Gardner said “don’t try to be interesting, be interested.” Well, there it is. I am emotionally, mentally and physically enthralled by wine. The process, the people, the color, smell, taste and vast amount of knowledge out there that is unknown to me. The industry is constantly evolving. Consumers are changing. Palates evolve, people learn what they do and do not like and even that changes. I love industries that are constantly changing because I never get bored. Corks, to synthetics, to screwcaps. But why? Well, my interest has been peaked and out I go into the internets because I’m curious. I want to know why to satisfy my own curiosity.

Not sure if this is long or short for a first post, but it was a stream of consciousness as I sit on the bus from NYC to BOS trying to avoid swine flu. I’ve inhaled Airborne, practically bathed in hand-sanitizer, given dirty looks to anyone that coughs (including a child). But writing this lifted my spirits and reminded me, as I listen to my pod, what is important to me.