September 21, 2025 • 17 mins
What happens when a Colorado-raised winemaker with years of California vineyard experience opens a wine bar in Vero Beach? You get Vino Vero – a warm, inviting space where wine knowledge meets genuine community connection.
Dana welcomes us into her charming wine shop, lined with sparkling bottles, thoughtful decor touches, and a unique central bar counter that transforms strangers into friends. The intentional layout creates what her regulars describe as "hanging out in someone's kitchen" – an atmosphere where conversation flows as freely as the wine.
Her journey from brewing-influenced beginnings to professional winemaking across California and Oregon gives her a distinctive perspective on the wine industry. Rather than intimidating customers with industry jargon, Dana translates her in-depth knowledge into accessible guidance, helping visitors discover unexpected favorites by simply asking about the flavors they enjoy. When she pours a chilled red or describes a Maltapulciano d'Abruzzo, you're not just getting a drink – you're getting an education wrapped in poetry.
The path to owning Vino Vero wasn't without challenges. After taking over in 2023, Dana faced the tough realities of small business ownership. But instead of retreating when things got difficult, she chose to "sink her teeth in" and reshape the business according to her vision. The result is a space where wine becomes the medium for human connection, where Jaws the Corgi greets visitors at the door, and where Dana finds her greatest reward in seeing customers return after discovering something new. Whether you're a wine aficionado or a complete novice, stop by Vino Vero to experience wine as it should be – unpretentious, educational, and above all, fun.
Presented by Killer Bee Marketing
Helping local businesses in Vero Beach connect with their neighbors.
A 5-day, 4-night marriage cruise retreat designed to help couples working in business or ministry together relax, reconnect, and reinforce their relationship. March 9-13, 2026 presented by LevelUp2Lead. Learn more and register today at levelup2lead.com/love
Support The Show
Keep It Local. Keep It Going
Be sure to connect with us on Instagram at @myverobeachdotcom
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brian (00:00):
Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach Podcast.
I'm Brian and I'm Shauna, andtoday we are sitting here at the
Vino Vero with Dana.
So, dana, we're so excited tohave you on the podcast.
Dana (00:08):
Thank you for having me.
Yes, yeah, it's.
What a cool place.
Oh, thank you so much.
It's fun to have you here, yes.
Shawna (00:15):
It's so much fun and of course, we've been here to visit
you before.
I'm just going to describe whatit looks like for someone who's
never been here before.
Dana (00:22):
Oh, I love this Okay.
Shawna (00:23):
So you walk in and immediately you just feel
welcomed by a big warm hug ofwine, walls of wine, beautiful,
sparkly bottles of wine, and youhave such a cool decorating
style.
I love your little plantsaround and I do.
I love, I mean, plants.
Dana (00:41):
There's a lot of plants.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love theplants Absolutely.
It's all about, like, thelittle touches.
Yeah, I'm constantlyreorganizing it.
I think that's if I have anydowntime, I'm pushing things
around, I'm switching it up.
I love that.
Shawna (00:54):
I love that.
I did notice I was like somethings seem a little bit
different, but I love yourpaintings and your art, your
prints, the map oh, I love that.
I love a map.
Dana (01:06):
Yes, that's actually like a little quick drop off and pick
up.
Hopefully that'll happen.
This week Someone's donating itto a little family that has
kids.
I'm like, if they don't pick itup, that'll be mine.
Not that I'm a good surfer, butI will always continue to
attempt.
Shawna (01:22):
Yes, but yeah super cute .
Dana (01:23):
Yeah, there's a lot of little things.
Yeah, I have a little artistthat just gave me that photo of
my dog that's usually at theshop with me, and then the
prints are actually photographsof a local photographer.
His name's Todd Marty, and so,yeah, that one's Maui and that
one's Venice, florida.
So those are beautifulbeautiful pieces that he's got
hanging up here.
Shawna (01:43):
Yeah, the thing I love about how you have this set up
is you know when we came in andspent an evening here.
So when you first walk in,there's kind of a bar right down
the middle of the shop andeveryone just kind of gathers
around and talks and gets toknow each other.
I've never been to a place likethat before.
You know, normally at arestaurant or a bar or a wine
bar the few I've ever been toyou're like in your own little
(02:05):
space at a table or whatever,enjoying like whoever you came
with.
But this it's teeny, tinylittle space and you just
automatically are going to getto know who's there with you
because there's nowhere to beaway from the other people which
I love.
I thought it was a blast.
And it's kind of awkward if youhaven't talked to someone.
You're like I need to go talkto them, like we're all here in
(02:25):
the same space.
I don't want them to feel likeleft out.
So I think it's a really reallyfun design.
Oh, I love that.
Dana (02:31):
That makes me so happy.
Yes, I have good friends thatjoke that it's kind of like
hanging out at someone's kitchenand that's very much a vibe
that I, you know, envisioned forit.
Brian (02:40):
So, Dana, tell us a little bit.
Maybe take about 30 seconds.
Tell us a little bit aboutyourself.
Dana (02:44):
Oh my gosh.
Okay About myself with SandsWine Bar, with just about myself
, dana.
Shawna (02:49):
I am from.
Dana (02:50):
Colorado, born and raised, but my family is Canadian
originally, so I have dualcitizenship.
I lived in Colorado to my latetwenties big hiking, camping,
outdoors family, so that isdefinitely a big part of my
personality.
And then I love anything that'shands on and visual.
So I love art, film, and thenhands on, I mean winemaking, and
(03:11):
making wine has been a big partof my adult life and career.
But yeah, just doing thingsthat are creative, that you can
create things, I love that.
Brian (03:21):
I was going to ask you that later, like if you actually
make wine too.
Yeah, I did.
Dana (03:24):
I lived in California and a little bit in Oregon off and
on.
I was going to ask you thatlater, like if you actually make
wine too.
Yeah, I did.
I lived in California and alittle bit in Oregon, off and on
.
I made wine from 2014 tillright before I moved to Florida,
so till 2022 at different,various wineries, and then I had
a wine label for a couple ofyears as well, where I did with
a business partner, purchasedand made wine and then cellared
it and bottled it and then hadto do sales as well.
(03:46):
So the whole caboodle, yeah,the whole gamut.
So that, yeah, that's definitelymore of my like approach with
wine.
I love you, know all, all partsof the industry, but that is
more of my true passion, lace.
Brian (03:58):
Awesome.
We'll dive into that more inepisode two, because I want to
learn more about what that, whatthat process is like and what
you love about it.
Maybe some things that you hateabout it.
Dana (04:06):
I don't know.
I'm sure there's things Dislike.
Brian (04:09):
Dislike yes, so how long have you been open here in Vero?
Dana (04:14):
I have been open under Vino Vero since that's a loaded
question, which is great becausethat'll be interesting then I
actually helped open it inJanuary of 2023.
However, it became my shop inMay of that same year, so since
May of 23, at first retaillocation and then morphed into a
(04:34):
wine bar within the last yearor so.
So it's kind of grown andevolved ever since it even
started.
So I originally opened it withanother couple under their
vision, and then kind of workedwith them for a little while and
then eventually bought them outand then it became mine.
Something I've always kind ofenvisioned in my life to
eventually get to is have aplace like this.
(04:55):
That's kind of where my startwas.
So, yeah, it's been open almostthree years.
At the turn of the year it's aloaded answer for when it has
been mine always, or vino verobecause I had a previous name or
their name.
Brian (05:09):
So, yeah, it wasn't too long ago.
We stopped by here to check itout and had a great time.
You're talking about Shauna wemet some great people and we
were actually having dinner.
Where were we having dinner at?
I don't think you should sayOkay, I won't think you should
say Okay, I won't say where.
We were having dinner.
We were having dinner and wedecided you know what, let's not
have drinks here.
We're going to go to Vino Veroand have drinks there and have
(05:31):
some wine.
So it was on a date night andit was actually a lot of fun.
We've talked about it over andover, actually, I think we came
recently.
We're like let's do it andwe're like wait a minute.
Shawna (05:40):
Oh yeah, we're not super great at checking hours before
we go somewhere.
Brian (05:45):
We're not good at that at all.
Shawna (05:46):
So that is no fault of your own.
We were like, oh, of course, Imean in Vero you have to check
the hours of businesses.
You do, Because people deservea day off.
Brian (05:54):
So, dana, you mentioned earlier about the portrait, the
painting on the wall of your dog, which your dog's name is.
Dana (06:02):
Jaws.
Brian (06:04):
Yes, so have you ever had any?
Well, if anybody here isvisiting Vero and you hear
somebody yelling Jaws at thebeach, first look around.
It's probably Dana, it'sprobably her dog.
Shawna (06:15):
But the cutest Corgi you've ever seen.
Cute the cutest.
Dana (06:18):
I still can't believe it.
He's adorable.
Yeah, he's a little Corgi bluehealer dog and he stays right at
the door, so thankfully in thewintertime I can have the door
open and he kind of justwelcomes everyone as they come
in.
But yeah, he's a good littlebaby.
I actually think most of mybusiness is from him, so he's
like your little mascot.
Shawna (06:37):
Which is fine, yeah.
Dana (06:39):
Yeah, he's my little mascot, he's her gimmick.
Shawna (06:42):
That's what Ash would say.
Dana (06:43):
Yeah, people will stop by and be like, oh my God, the
dog's not here.
If he like, god forbid, takes aday off.
Brian (06:50):
Dana, what first drew you into the world of wine?
Dana (06:54):
Oh, love that.
It was via beer.
My dad was a brewer growing upand that kind of got me
interested in just beverage ingeneral.
So I think that was like myfirst introduction into any like
fermentation or just like let'smake something that we enjoy
already, and I thought that wasalways really cool.
But my very first introductionmore into like fine wine or
drinking wine was I met agentleman and I his family owned
(07:17):
a wine bar and I worked forthem for a number of years
through my twenties, first inthe kitchen, and then they
couldn't kind of keep me out ofthe front area during the once I
turned 21, the wine tastingsand everything, and so I just
kind of dove right in and Ieventually worked on the floor
bartending and serving wine andhelping with tastings and this
and that for a number of years.
And then I jumped ship.
(07:38):
My family was ready to leavehome and I kind of, via a year
of partying in Chicago, got myfirst internship in California
for a wine harvest.
So 2014, at Costa Brown, andthat is where, like I took my
all up until then I had beendoing, you know, a wine bar
setting sales.
I had started my sommelierexams and I was kind of going
(08:00):
more of the hospitality or, youknow, wine, I guess, a different
route with wine, more of thewine studies or wine, I guess,
service as you would go forconsulting with wine lists or
working at like a major resortor Michelin restaurant.
That was kind of like mainlygoing to maybe be my plan
because I loved working in therestaurant industry and then I
love wine at the same time.
Then, when I got my firstinternship, I realized that I
(08:22):
could take this love and it kindof align it with who I already
was, which is someone that likesto work really hard with my
body and with my hands, and Ilike love, like being like
really active and like in itwith nature.
I discovered this and it justlike clicked.
I was able to learn everythingI wanted to learn about wine by
doing it, and so that kind of itstole my heart.
(08:43):
So I kind of changed into moreof a production winemaking focus
and worked at that winery forabout five vintages through 2018
.
And then I went to anotherwinery in Napa across the hill,
and then it just kept going.
It just like once I started.
I could go on and on, butreally just fell in love with it
because it was something Icould do, that was like manual,
(09:04):
that stole my heart for a while,and then I got old, kind of
ready to shift it again.
I guess life is all aboutphases.
Brian (09:10):
So you're always shifting .
There's always going to bedifferent seasons.
You're going to evolve indifferent areas.
Sometimes it feels wrong as abusiness owner.
You feel like I don't want tochange.
It feels like I'm like is itokay to change with the seasons
and what's happening?
But then when you start leaninginto it, you realize that that
change is good, absolutely.
So that's cool.
Shawna (09:28):
Yeah, isn't it cool to think about too that the wine
industry has so many things thatyou can plug into that you can
just kind of grow through yourwhole life and different phases
of the wine industry.
Yeah, that's so interesting,and I mean I never even thought
about everything you were sayingbefore about being a part of
you know the winemaking and thennow you're doing this and it
you get to be more part of the Iguess, front facing.
(09:50):
We are meeting people, talkingto people, and my favorite part
is you're teaching people.
Because you know, I onlythought, like okay, I like rosé,
that's it.
Then, when I came in here andyou said, what kind of flavors
do you like?
What do you enjoy?
And I told you, and then youjust started pulling little
tastes of things and so I foundso many things that I enjoyed
(10:10):
that were so unusual, things I'dnever tasted before, and the
way you describe them it's sopoetic and fun.
It's just a really it's a veryunique and interesting thing
that you're doing.
It makes it a whole differentexperience than if you're just
going to the grocery store andpicking a bottle off the shelf.
Dana (10:26):
Absolutely yeah, it's, it can and it's should be fun, and
that was always my MO with it.
So I, yeah, I really appreciateyou saying that, because that's
my whole goal is to make itenjoyable and easygoing for
people.
Brian (10:39):
Yeah, and so what are we?
What are we having right now?
Because I know you've got.
What do you have?
Shawna (10:44):
You have a French rosé.
Brian (10:45):
French rosé, and now I have a red wine.
Yes, I'm a big red wine.
Yes, you called it bold.
Dana (10:52):
You said it was bold, it's a medium to bold style red from
Abruzzo, italy, so on theeastern side of Italy, about
halfway down in the Adriatic Sea.
So it's a Malta Pucciano deAbruzzo.
So it's a Malta Pucciano grapefrom Abruzzo.
So it's a Malta Puccino grapefrom Abruzzo.
This one I love.
It's one of my top sellingproducers for Malta Puccino.
I do try to have at least onein store at all times.
(11:13):
And then, shauna, you'redrinking a Bordeaux blend little
rosé from France.
Brian (11:18):
Now I know you said you gave it to me chilled.
Do you usually chill it?
Dana (11:21):
Sometimes I will have a chilled red.
Usually I don't.
I did have that one in thechiller just by happenstance
save it a little longer.
But I was either going to comeback and bring it home for
dinner tonight myself or serveit to someone, but then I was
like well, if you don't mind alittle chill, you might really
like it and it's a refreshinglittle quality.
(11:42):
I mean you don't want to chillall your reds, but a cellar
temperature for serving isimportant.
And as it warms, it opens backup and kind of comes alive again
.
Brian (11:52):
So take me back to the moment that you decided to take
over this location.
What was that like?
Was it scary?
Was it exciting?
Dana (12:01):
Yeah, all of it still is very scary.
I mean I kind of touched on it,but it was something I after
had, working at the verybeginning in a wine bar setting
and always restaurants.
Growing up, I like startedworking in this setting again
and very quickly realized that Ireally do love being with, like
the community and the public.
So I loved being in the retailsetting, of course, selling wine
(12:23):
.
Again, I'm very confident inwine and the wines of the world,
so it's very fun to be able toalso, like you were saying,
shauna, like ask people whatthey like and recommend a wine
and then hearing that it waslike one of their favorites or
they really enjoyed it, or likeI gave it as a gift and she
loved.
You know, I moved here fromCalifornia straight from making
wine and out there and kind ofdoing that day to day working
(12:48):
for someone else, and I wasoffered to make it my own and it
was very appealing and I waslike name the price.
But that was bad because I yeah, I mean at the end of the day
you know I was a littleimpulsive with it I learned a
lot of lessons about, you know,managing and being your own
business owner and then buying abusiness, and that's life.
(13:09):
I guess you learn as you do itand learn hard ways.
But now that I'm here and I wasable to kind of see a really
tough year of, like you know,figuring out how running, a
small business works because I'mnot a business major.
No, I kind of sunk my teeth anddecided I can either do this or
I can like run away from it.
Essentially Cause it wasn't myfirst year, it was like it was
(13:31):
fine, I made it, paid my rent,kept the lights on, but it felt
very like cringy and grimy and Iwas like this is not right, so
I was gonna sink.
And then I was like I need tosink my teeth in and like, do
this how I see it and not be soscared.
So I don't know if thatanswered your question.
Brian (13:46):
No, it did.
I mean that's.
I think, yeah, I think that'sso rewarding.
When you dig your feet in,you're paying attention to what
people are saying.
Yeah, if you weren't doing that,you wouldn't have known what to
do.
It sounds like something sohard, like how do I turn this
around?
But it's really.
It starts with something sosimple just listening to what
people are saying.
What are they saying to you?
So you can lean into that andmake this unique for the Vero
(14:07):
Beach community?
What are they saying they want?
What are they saying they need?
And you leaned into that andyou didn't give up.
So congrats on that.
Dana (14:13):
Well, thank you.
Brian (14:14):
Well, Dana, this has been a great episode.
Dana (14:25):
I'm going to ask you one more question before come back.
I guess there's a lot ofdifferent people in this world
and everyone's got differentviews and backgrounds and
foundations and experiences.
But, like, at the end of theday, I don't care who you are,
where you came from, like I'mgoing to find something
interesting and that I likeabout you.
So when I see someone come backand they were happy about what
(14:47):
they purchased and or drank orjust what they experienced here
because wine can be intimidatingit definitely shouldn't be, but
it can be so like coming backin and just like feeling like
they want to be a part ofsomething that I have here,
going like that makes me reallyhappy.
That's the most rewarding.
Brian (15:03):
So that's how it it all started.
This has been a great uhdiscussion already, so I'm
excited to get into part two tolearn more about behind the
scenes.
Shawna (15:10):
So with that, catch you next time, neighbor.
Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach Podcast.
I'm Brian and I'm Shauna, andtoday we are sitting here at the
Vino Vero with Dana.
So, dana, we're so excited tohave you on the podcast.
Dana (00:08):
Thank you for having me.
Yes, yeah, it's.
What a cool place.
Oh, thank you so much.
It's fun to have you here, yes.
Shawna (00:15):
It's so much fun and of course, we've been here to visit
you before.
I'm just going to describe whatit looks like for someone who's
never been here before.
Dana (00:22):
Oh, I love this Okay.
Shawna (00:23):
So you walk in and immediately you just feel
welcomed by a big warm hug ofwine, walls of wine, beautiful,
sparkly bottles of wine, and youhave such a cool decorating
style.
I love your little plantsaround and I do.
I love, I mean, plants.
Dana (00:41):
There's a lot of plants.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love theplants Absolutely.
It's all about, like, thelittle touches.
Yeah, I'm constantlyreorganizing it.
I think that's if I have anydowntime, I'm pushing things
around, I'm switching it up.
I love that.
Shawna (00:54):
I love that.
I did notice I was like somethings seem a little bit
different, but I love yourpaintings and your art, your
prints, the map oh, I love that.
I love a map.
Dana (01:06):
Yes, that's actually like a little quick drop off and pick
up.
Hopefully that'll happen.
This week Someone's donating itto a little family that has
kids.
I'm like, if they don't pick itup, that'll be mine.
Not that I'm a good surfer, butI will always continue to
attempt.
Shawna (01:22):
Yes, but yeah super cute .
Dana (01:23):
Yeah, there's a lot of little things.
Yeah, I have a little artistthat just gave me that photo of
my dog that's usually at theshop with me, and then the
prints are actually photographsof a local photographer.
His name's Todd Marty, and so,yeah, that one's Maui and that
one's Venice, florida.
So those are beautifulbeautiful pieces that he's got
hanging up here.
Shawna (01:43):
Yeah, the thing I love about how you have this set up
is you know when we came in andspent an evening here.
So when you first walk in,there's kind of a bar right down
the middle of the shop andeveryone just kind of gathers
around and talks and gets toknow each other.
I've never been to a place likethat before.
You know, normally at arestaurant or a bar or a wine
bar the few I've ever been toyou're like in your own little
(02:05):
space at a table or whatever,enjoying like whoever you came
with.
But this it's teeny, tinylittle space and you just
automatically are going to getto know who's there with you
because there's nowhere to beaway from the other people which
I love.
I thought it was a blast.
And it's kind of awkward if youhaven't talked to someone.
You're like I need to go talkto them, like we're all here in
(02:25):
the same space.
I don't want them to feel likeleft out.
So I think it's a really reallyfun design.
Oh, I love that.
Dana (02:31):
That makes me so happy.
Yes, I have good friends thatjoke that it's kind of like
hanging out at someone's kitchenand that's very much a vibe
that I, you know, envisioned forit.
Brian (02:40):
So, Dana, tell us a little bit.
Maybe take about 30 seconds.
Tell us a little bit aboutyourself.
Dana (02:44):
Oh my gosh.
Okay About myself with SandsWine Bar, with just about myself
, dana.
Shawna (02:49):
I am from.
Dana (02:50):
Colorado, born and raised, but my family is Canadian
originally, so I have dualcitizenship.
I lived in Colorado to my latetwenties big hiking, camping,
outdoors family, so that isdefinitely a big part of my
personality.
And then I love anything that'shands on and visual.
So I love art, film, and thenhands on, I mean winemaking, and
(03:11):
making wine has been a big partof my adult life and career.
But yeah, just doing thingsthat are creative, that you can
create things, I love that.
Brian (03:21):
I was going to ask you that later, like if you actually
make wine too.
Yeah, I did.
Dana (03:24):
I lived in California and a little bit in Oregon off and
on.
I was going to ask you thatlater, like if you actually make
wine too.
Yeah, I did.
I lived in California and alittle bit in Oregon, off and on
.
I made wine from 2014 tillright before I moved to Florida,
so till 2022 at different,various wineries, and then I had
a wine label for a couple ofyears as well, where I did with
a business partner, purchasedand made wine and then cellared
it and bottled it and then hadto do sales as well.
(03:46):
So the whole caboodle, yeah,the whole gamut.
So that, yeah, that's definitelymore of my like approach with
wine.
I love you, know all, all partsof the industry, but that is
more of my true passion, lace.
Brian (03:58):
Awesome.
We'll dive into that more inepisode two, because I want to
learn more about what that, whatthat process is like and what
you love about it.
Maybe some things that you hateabout it.
Dana (04:06):
I don't know.
I'm sure there's things Dislike.
Brian (04:09):
Dislike yes, so how long have you been open here in Vero?
Dana (04:14):
I have been open under Vino Vero since that's a loaded
question, which is great becausethat'll be interesting then I
actually helped open it inJanuary of 2023.
However, it became my shop inMay of that same year, so since
May of 23, at first retaillocation and then morphed into a
(04:34):
wine bar within the last yearor so.
So it's kind of grown andevolved ever since it even
started.
So I originally opened it withanother couple under their
vision, and then kind of workedwith them for a little while and
then eventually bought them outand then it became mine.
Something I've always kind ofenvisioned in my life to
eventually get to is have aplace like this.
(04:55):
That's kind of where my startwas.
So, yeah, it's been open almostthree years.
At the turn of the year it's aloaded answer for when it has
been mine always, or vino verobecause I had a previous name or
their name.
Brian (05:09):
So, yeah, it wasn't too long ago.
We stopped by here to check itout and had a great time.
You're talking about Shauna wemet some great people and we
were actually having dinner.
Where were we having dinner at?
I don't think you should sayOkay, I won't think you should
say Okay, I won't say where.
We were having dinner.
We were having dinner and wedecided you know what, let's not
have drinks here.
We're going to go to Vino Veroand have drinks there and have
(05:31):
some wine.
So it was on a date night andit was actually a lot of fun.
We've talked about it over andover, actually, I think we came
recently.
We're like let's do it andwe're like wait a minute.
Shawna (05:40):
Oh yeah, we're not super great at checking hours before
we go somewhere.
Brian (05:45):
We're not good at that at all.
Shawna (05:46):
So that is no fault of your own.
We were like, oh, of course, Imean in Vero you have to check
the hours of businesses.
You do, Because people deservea day off.
Brian (05:54):
So, dana, you mentioned earlier about the portrait, the
painting on the wall of your dog, which your dog's name is.
Dana (06:02):
Jaws.
Brian (06:04):
Yes, so have you ever had any?
Well, if anybody here isvisiting Vero and you hear
somebody yelling Jaws at thebeach, first look around.
It's probably Dana, it'sprobably her dog.
Shawna (06:15):
But the cutest Corgi you've ever seen.
Cute the cutest.
Dana (06:18):
I still can't believe it.
He's adorable.
Yeah, he's a little Corgi bluehealer dog and he stays right at
the door, so thankfully in thewintertime I can have the door
open and he kind of justwelcomes everyone as they come
in.
But yeah, he's a good littlebaby.
I actually think most of mybusiness is from him, so he's
like your little mascot.
Shawna (06:37):
Which is fine, yeah.
Dana (06:39):
Yeah, he's my little mascot, he's her gimmick.
Shawna (06:42):
That's what Ash would say.
Dana (06:43):
Yeah, people will stop by and be like, oh my God, the
dog's not here.
If he like, god forbid, takes aday off.
Brian (06:50):
Dana, what first drew you into the world of wine?
Dana (06:54):
Oh, love that.
It was via beer.
My dad was a brewer growing upand that kind of got me
interested in just beverage ingeneral.
So I think that was like myfirst introduction into any like
fermentation or just like let'smake something that we enjoy
already, and I thought that wasalways really cool.
But my very first introductionmore into like fine wine or
drinking wine was I met agentleman and I his family owned
(07:17):
a wine bar and I worked forthem for a number of years
through my twenties, first inthe kitchen, and then they
couldn't kind of keep me out ofthe front area during the once I
turned 21, the wine tastingsand everything, and so I just
kind of dove right in and Ieventually worked on the floor
bartending and serving wine andhelping with tastings and this
and that for a number of years.
And then I jumped ship.
(07:38):
My family was ready to leavehome and I kind of, via a year
of partying in Chicago, got myfirst internship in California
for a wine harvest.
So 2014, at Costa Brown, andthat is where, like I took my
all up until then I had beendoing, you know, a wine bar
setting sales.
I had started my sommelierexams and I was kind of going
(08:00):
more of the hospitality or, youknow, wine, I guess, a different
route with wine, more of thewine studies or wine, I guess,
service as you would go forconsulting with wine lists or
working at like a major resortor Michelin restaurant.
That was kind of like mainlygoing to maybe be my plan
because I loved working in therestaurant industry and then I
love wine at the same time.
Then, when I got my firstinternship, I realized that I
(08:22):
could take this love and it kindof align it with who I already
was, which is someone that likesto work really hard with my
body and with my hands, and Ilike love, like being like
really active and like in itwith nature.
I discovered this and it justlike clicked.
I was able to learn everythingI wanted to learn about wine by
doing it, and so that kind of itstole my heart.
(08:43):
So I kind of changed into moreof a production winemaking focus
and worked at that winery forabout five vintages through 2018
.
And then I went to anotherwinery in Napa across the hill,
and then it just kept going.
It just like once I started.
I could go on and on, butreally just fell in love with it
because it was something Icould do, that was like manual,
(09:04):
that stole my heart for a while,and then I got old, kind of
ready to shift it again.
I guess life is all aboutphases.
Brian (09:10):
So you're always shifting .
There's always going to bedifferent seasons.
You're going to evolve indifferent areas.
Sometimes it feels wrong as abusiness owner.
You feel like I don't want tochange.
It feels like I'm like is itokay to change with the seasons
and what's happening?
But then when you start leaninginto it, you realize that that
change is good, absolutely.
So that's cool.
Shawna (09:28):
Yeah, isn't it cool to think about too that the wine
industry has so many things thatyou can plug into that you can
just kind of grow through yourwhole life and different phases
of the wine industry.
Yeah, that's so interesting,and I mean I never even thought
about everything you were sayingbefore about being a part of
you know the winemaking and thennow you're doing this and it
you get to be more part of the Iguess, front facing.
(09:50):
We are meeting people, talkingto people, and my favorite part
is you're teaching people.
Because you know, I onlythought, like okay, I like rosé,
that's it.
Then, when I came in here andyou said, what kind of flavors
do you like?
What do you enjoy?
And I told you, and then youjust started pulling little
tastes of things and so I foundso many things that I enjoyed
(10:10):
that were so unusual, things I'dnever tasted before, and the
way you describe them it's sopoetic and fun.
It's just a really it's a veryunique and interesting thing
that you're doing.
It makes it a whole differentexperience than if you're just
going to the grocery store andpicking a bottle off the shelf.
Dana (10:26):
Absolutely yeah, it's, it can and it's should be fun, and
that was always my MO with it.
So I, yeah, I really appreciateyou saying that, because that's
my whole goal is to make itenjoyable and easygoing for
people.
Brian (10:39):
Yeah, and so what are we?
What are we having right now?
Because I know you've got.
What do you have?
Shawna (10:44):
You have a French rosé.
Brian (10:45):
French rosé, and now I have a red wine.
Yes, I'm a big red wine.
Yes, you called it bold.
Dana (10:52):
You said it was bold, it's a medium to bold style red from
Abruzzo, italy, so on theeastern side of Italy, about
halfway down in the Adriatic Sea.
So it's a Malta Pucciano deAbruzzo.
So it's a Malta Pucciano grapefrom Abruzzo.
So it's a Malta Puccino grapefrom Abruzzo.
This one I love.
It's one of my top sellingproducers for Malta Puccino.
I do try to have at least onein store at all times.
(11:13):
And then, shauna, you'redrinking a Bordeaux blend little
rosé from France.
Brian (11:18):
Now I know you said you gave it to me chilled.
Do you usually chill it?
Dana (11:21):
Sometimes I will have a chilled red.
Usually I don't.
I did have that one in thechiller just by happenstance
save it a little longer.
But I was either going to comeback and bring it home for
dinner tonight myself or serveit to someone, but then I was
like well, if you don't mind alittle chill, you might really
like it and it's a refreshinglittle quality.
(11:42):
I mean you don't want to chillall your reds, but a cellar
temperature for serving isimportant.
And as it warms, it opens backup and kind of comes alive again
.
Brian (11:52):
So take me back to the moment that you decided to take
over this location.
What was that like?
Was it scary?
Was it exciting?
Dana (12:01):
Yeah, all of it still is very scary.
I mean I kind of touched on it,but it was something I after
had, working at the verybeginning in a wine bar setting
and always restaurants.
Growing up, I like startedworking in this setting again
and very quickly realized that Ireally do love being with, like
the community and the public.
So I loved being in the retailsetting, of course, selling wine
(12:23):
.
Again, I'm very confident inwine and the wines of the world,
so it's very fun to be able toalso, like you were saying,
shauna, like ask people whatthey like and recommend a wine
and then hearing that it waslike one of their favorites or
they really enjoyed it, or likeI gave it as a gift and she
loved.
You know, I moved here fromCalifornia straight from making
wine and out there and kind ofdoing that day to day working
(12:48):
for someone else, and I wasoffered to make it my own and it
was very appealing and I waslike name the price.
But that was bad because I yeah, I mean at the end of the day
you know I was a littleimpulsive with it I learned a
lot of lessons about, you know,managing and being your own
business owner and then buying abusiness, and that's life.
(13:09):
I guess you learn as you do itand learn hard ways.
But now that I'm here and I wasable to kind of see a really
tough year of, like you know,figuring out how running, a
small business works because I'mnot a business major.
No, I kind of sunk my teeth anddecided I can either do this or
I can like run away from it.
Essentially Cause it wasn't myfirst year, it was like it was
(13:31):
fine, I made it, paid my rent,kept the lights on, but it felt
very like cringy and grimy and Iwas like this is not right, so
I was gonna sink.
And then I was like I need tosink my teeth in and like, do
this how I see it and not be soscared.
So I don't know if thatanswered your question.
Brian (13:46):
No, it did.
I mean that's.
I think, yeah, I think that'sso rewarding.
When you dig your feet in,you're paying attention to what
people are saying.
Yeah, if you weren't doing that,you wouldn't have known what to
do.
It sounds like something sohard, like how do I turn this
around?
But it's really.
It starts with something sosimple just listening to what
people are saying.
What are they saying to you?
So you can lean into that andmake this unique for the Vero
(14:07):
Beach community?
What are they saying they want?
What are they saying they need?
And you leaned into that andyou didn't give up.
So congrats on that.
Dana (14:13):
Well, thank you.
Brian (14:14):
Well, Dana, this has been a great episode.
Dana (14:25):
I'm going to ask you one more question before come back.
I guess there's a lot ofdifferent people in this world
and everyone's got differentviews and backgrounds and
foundations and experiences.
But, like, at the end of theday, I don't care who you are,
where you came from, like I'mgoing to find something
interesting and that I likeabout you.
So when I see someone come backand they were happy about what
(14:47):
they purchased and or drank orjust what they experienced here
because wine can be intimidatingit definitely shouldn't be, but
it can be so like coming backin and just like feeling like
they want to be a part ofsomething that I have here,
going like that makes me reallyhappy.
That's the most rewarding.
Brian (15:03):
So that's how it it all started.
This has been a great uhdiscussion already, so I'm
excited to get into part two tolearn more about behind the
scenes.
Shawna (15:10):
So with that, catch you next time, neighbor.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.