We have interviewed many people these last two years, but today we turn the mics on each other, in what is possibly our last episode of The Fine Line Podcast! In our continual journey to find balance, we have decided to take a hiatus from the podcast that we love dearly to focus on (paying) work and family. We interview each other about our careers in the wine industry, and how we both find balance in their daily lives. We also talk about what its like to start a business with a dear friend, and how we worked through the hurdles of having very different work methods.

Liz Willette Danneels first developed a love of wine while working for the luxury travel company, Butterfield & Robinson. After a year in Burgundy and five years in Italy, she taught herself about wine mainly by buying the best bottles she could afford, studying them, and, naturally, drinking them.

After running a wine bar in the Dolomites at La Rosa Alpina, she moved to New York City to work for David Bouley, and then for importer/distributor Michael Skurnik. In 2004, she struck out on her own with a small importer, Willette Wines. In 2011, she merged with Grand Cru Selections. Together they grew the company until Liz left in 2017 to move to Colorado with her family. Craving a life outside of Manhattan, she moved to Boulder, where she works with Natural Wine Company.

Emily Gold grew up cooking and drinking wine with her family, always relishing the time together as well as the education. In 2012, Emily eagerly accepted a job with Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in their office located in Beaune, France. There, she was able to meet winemakers, learn about regions around France and Italy, and become versed on the ins and outs of importing some of the most respected icons in the industry.

In 2014, Emily returned to Boulder to open a restaurant and wine bar called PMG, which offered organic and locally-sourced food, dishes inspired by France and Italy, and organic and biodynamic wines from small family domaines. After six years of being a solo small business owner, Emily sold her business in 2020.

A HUGE THANKS to our sponsors and our producer, Matthew Polis, listed below!!

Matthew Polis, Sounds Space Studios

Boulder Wine Merchant

ECFIT Strength

Suerte Tequila

Haven Boulder

SuperJames Bar

Superbird Cocktail

Hootananny Wines

This was one of our favorite interviews on the podcast. We were honored to speak with Dana Childs in Season 3 about how intuition and healing play roles in the restaurant and beverage industry. Dana is an intuitive energy healer, author, and teacher. She delivers grounded spirituality with heart, humor, and unabashed truth. In this episode, she talks about why we repeat old patterns throughout our lives and how we can heal them. We discuss how the food and wine industry isn’t given enough credit for how intuitively they work, and how one can manage emotions and cope with the stresses of service. She also believes that everyone should be honest with how they really want to live their lives, and that we are all healers.

As we enter a New Year, we thought it was a perfect time to revisit this conversation, and hear about her new book, titled Chakras, Food, and You: Tap Your Individual Energy System for Health, Healing, and Harmonious Weight.

Show Notes:

Danachildsintuitive.com

Amma the Hugging Saint

CIRS

Clairgustance

We interviewed Dana Rodriguez at Steamboat Food & Wine Festival in September, and it was one of our favorite interviews yet. With F-bombs flowing in front of a live audience, Dana lived up to her reputation as a passionate, loving, and incredibly hardworking restauranteur who came from nothing to create her empire. With the opening of her new Denver taco & tequila bar, Cantina Loca, this month, we thought it would be a great time to relaunch this episode with one of our real life heroes.

Dana has had an almost unbelievable trajectory, from Mexican immigrant and single mom of three, who started dishwashing at Panzano in Denver, and worked her way up to prep cook and then eventually restaurant mogul through her hard work, passion, drive, and incredible intelligence.

At Panzano, Dana met Jennifer Jasinski and her partner, Beth Gruitch. They helped mold her skills, which enabled Dana to become a sous chef at Rioja and Chef de Cuisine at Bistro Vendome. In late 2012, Dana’s path crossed with Tony Maclag, and Work and Class was born. They then went on to open Super Mega Bien together as well. Most recently, Dana created an organic tequila and mezcal brand, Dona Loca, where the focus is to give back to the workers who make the tequila possible in Mexico.

Today we hear Dana’s inspiring story, and how important it has been for her to build a restaurant group that is truly there to support their employees, in part by limiting people’s work days each week so they are rested but still able to meet their financial needs. We learn how she has found her own balance in being a working mom, friend, and business owner. We also discuss why she started Dona Loca – to teach people that what you drink is just as important to what food you put in your body.