

Fall 2024
By Lauren Hurwitz
With 15 years in the wine industry, Kathleen McCullough Bershad, owner of Fine Wine Concierge in Armonk and author of The Wine Lover’s Apprentice, loves the transition she’s made from the world of corporate public relations to owning her own wine education business here in Westchester where she focuses on making wine fun and approachable, “and removing the snootiness” from wine, as she puts it. Before she started her wine classes, she had worked in economic development and public relations in Manhattan while simultaneously being a food writer and restaurant critic in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, she transitioned into food PR and discovered the fun of the world of wine – and the rest was HERstory.
Bershad earned her certification from the American Sommelier Association, worked in a few positions in the wine industry, and eventually moved up to Westchester where her husband encouraged her to start her own local business after she was laid off from a wine marketing, PR, and communications position in the city. She began her business by helping people organize their wine cellars, buy for their wine cellars, and sell wine from their cellars. She also started teaching classes and developing a wine curriculum – without making the content too dense or boring. Today, she not only conducts small classes but is even hosting larger-scale corporate events teaching topics such as how sales teams can learn how to pick good wines on a budget when entertaining clients.
Still, there are lots of misconceptions she regularly tries to burst, such as consumers thinking you need to spend a lot to get a great wine. “It’s OK to hate an expensive bottle of wine. As long as you like a bottle, it’s the right bottle for you – regardless of price,” Bershad says. She also often hears that someone hates one type of wine and tells them to be open-minded. “For instance, if you don’t like chardonnay, try another one from another region. Don’t eliminate all chardonnays simply because you didn’t like one from California. You may love one from France!” she suggests. She also knows many people are intimidated by wine because they think they need to be experts to describe things correctly. Bersahd says, “Seriously, don’t take wine seriously! You don’t need to be super knowledgeable. Just take a moment to sniff the wine and say what you are getting from it. Whatever comes to your mind is what’s appropriate!”
Opening their doors one week after prohibition ended, Post Wine and Spirits has been a staple in Larchmont since 1934, says current owner, Raina Arora. “We have the original fixtures and floors – it’s like no other wine store you’ve been inside in the country with a welcoming and inviting layout,” says the former cosmetic executive who took over the store in March 2023. “Drinking wine was a passion, but I didn’t have much free time to pursue that with a full-time job and two kids. So, during COVID, when things slowed down a bit, I started taking classes about wine and eventually enrolled in a master’s program with the Culinary Institute of America. The shop hosts wine tastings often but is growing in popularity thanks to the special space downstairs that used to be the speakeasy during prohibition. “We recently hosted champagne night where we opened five or six bottles and paired it with things like caviar and fried chicken. We’ve done tasting nights for everything from sake to Old World Summer to rosé – even a bottle painting and sips class collaboration with Creative Corner right here in the Village,” says Arora who encourages people to sign up for her newsletters on her website to learn about future events.
To get a sense of what you like, Arora advises attending as many wine tastings as possible. “Some people may say, ‘I hate chardonnay,’ but not all chardonnays are created or treated equally. Find stores where you feel comfortable asking questions and with knowledgeable sales staff. Also, don’t forget to read reviews and talk to friends about their favorites. It’s all about experimenting and sipping as much as you can!”
Local wine industry expert Erika Strum is the President of Commerce at Wine Enthusiast, a family-run business where her sister is President of Media, her father Adam is the CEO, and her mother Sybil serves as the Chief Brand Officer. Based in Valhalla, Wine Enthusiast is a source for vino lovers, not only for their wine but also for wine refrigerators, corkscrews, building wine cellars, and more. Strum says women are key to the wine industry and “are now representing 56% of the total wine-drinking population,” per research from the Wine Market Council. She adds, “Millennials are emerging as an important wine-consuming generation with women accounting for 66% of their wine-drinking population.”
Also on the rise is the enthusiasm for sparkling wine, which Strum says “is lovely because it used to be reserved for celebrations, and now people are trying to make bubbly part of everyday life. It’s not just champagne though. You can have a delicious sparkling prosecco, but there is Cava from Spain, Cremant D’Alsace, or Cremant de Bourgogne that you can get for a fraction of the price of the champagne you get from France.” And don’t be afraid of boxed wine, which is getting competitive. “Boxed or canned wine can be a great gateway for people who are intimidated by wine. Underwood canned wines are one of my favorites – they’ve come a long way in the last decade or so,” Strum suggests.
Resources
Post Wine and Spirits
914-834-2134
Postwineandspirits.wine
@Postwineandspirits
Fine Wine Concierge
finewineconcerige.com
Instagram @Wine_concierge
Wine Enthusiast
www.wineenthusiast.com/
@wineenthusiast on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok