Live on Tape: The Art of the Interview

On a Friday night in November 1999, Essex Green Fine Wines in northern New Jersey hired me as a part-time wine associate. Even though I had no experience working in wine retail, I had experience working with the public as a travel agent. I came expecting to be hired. If an offer was made, I would accept. It wouldn't be the first time I was hired on the spot. After an hour interview with the manager, I was asked if I would start the following week. Training would begin with a senior associate whose expertise was in Bordeaux wines and California celebrity cabs.I was the only female on the selling floor at any time, night or day. There were so many isles, regions, and grape types it took many months before I could find anything without referring to the store catalog. Not long after, I was talking about wine producers and helping customers find what they needed. It took much longer to talk about grape types, characteristics, and food and wine pairing with any authority. One year on the job, monthly store revenues were on the rise and I had a regular clientele.This wine store carried approximately 8,000 different types of wines from wine-producing regions around the world, 3,000 types of spirits (where permitted by law) and about 2,500 beers. It was part of large chain with corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. At the time, there were about 5,000 employees and 800 specialists who demonstrated wine knowledge before being asked to join the company. Within two years, I was hired to write a monthly wine column by a local newspaper in northern New Jersey. This book is about food and wine and the art of the interview.