Dustin Wilson
Dustin Wilson, Master Sommelier and Co-Founder of Verve Wine in New York City, shares his career timeline and advice for up-and-coming talent.
“What I love most about the food and wine industry is the tight community of people. I also love the fact that what we do for a living and in our professional lives, matches what we like to do in our spare time and in our personal lives. „
Eat, drink, spend time together, and learn from one another. It's a great community. I personally like pushing hard because I want to make some sort of an impact on our industry and help it evolve for the better.
Landing a job as a bus boy at Frasca Food & Wine in 2005 was a pivotal moment for me and changed the trajectory of my entire career.
So many books to list but here are the ones that I couldn't go without: The Wine Atlas by Jancis Robinson & Hugh Johnson, Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson
The Science of Wine by Jaime Goode, Wines of the Northern Rhone by John Livingston-Learmonth, Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris.
I look for people that have a friendly and personable demeanor. Someone who really wants to take care of guests and make them feel great. Someone who has great passion and it shines through in all that they do. Someone who loves life and enjoys it to the fullest.
Pretty much every wine book out there has value. The more niched the topic, the better (after you've got the foundations down of course). There are plenty of wine related publications on the market and again, they all have value, but I think the two that trumps them all are Tong and Vinous.
Stay humble and remember that you can always be better.
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