We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tami Wong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tami, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I got my work ethic from my grandparents on both sides. My Grandpa Bailey was Vice President of Academic Affairs at South Dakota State University when he retired. He would frequently go to his office after he washed the dinner dishes and work. I found out as an adult that his work that affected the entire system statewide. My Grandpa and Grandma Wong were Chinese immigrants that came to the US with nothing. They became successful restaurant owners that truly lived the American Dream in spite of the racism they endured as the first Chinese family in Brookings South Dakota in the 1960’s.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
It has always been my mission to put San Diego on the map as a world class wine destination. Early in my career, I did it by curating amazing lists. I still represent many of those Old World wineries in my current role as a sales rep for Estate Wines Ltd and Wine Wise. San Diego County remains more reknown for being a beer and cocktail town, but it is also home to 160+ wineries. (Temecula is Riverside County and great, but totally different) I founded Stay Classy Selections to connect the wineries with the buyers “down the hill”. In every great wine destination, one finds local wine in every shop and restaurant. Just as a sommelier sifts through the wines available in the market to present to their guests, I have chosen local wineries that I believe best tell the story of San Diego. Any restaurant or retail store who purports to support local business needs local wine. San Diego is special because we don’t have the same rules that they do in France for example, because we are still discovering what grows best here. A wild variety of grapes are being grown, and we are beginning to see Italian, Mediterranean and Rhone varietals thrive. I implore you to keep an open mind and try the wines made by your neighbors in your backyard. The adventurous are richly rewarded!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Intellectual curiosity and the desire to learn will naturally lead to growth. Attend every event that offers the opportunity to learn. Ask questions!
Wine people specifically need to not emulate the old guard of sommeliers and wine people that look down their noses at novices and make people feel dumb. Don’t get too big for your britches, as my Midwestern family said.
Just be cool, man. Be nice to people. You never know who you will meet down the road.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I need people to help me tell the story of San Diego County wine. If you have ever felt inclined to support small local business, I want to work with you. Maybe you are a journalist that can cover my wineries and events. Maybe you are a sommelier that can bring these wines into your restaurants. Maybe you have skills or connections that I haven’t thought of yet. I am totally open to talking about your ideas. You can find me on Instagram @wineintamitime or via email tamiwong@stayclassyselections.wine
Contact Info:
- Website: stayclassyselections.wine
- Instagram: @wineintamitime @stayclassyselections
- Linkedin: Tami Wong
- Twitter: @wineintamitime
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTq__o_TghQcNDiPHsDS0fg
