Q. Tell us a bit about yourself, Kerri.
A. I’m Kerri Platt, the new owner of The Wine Bottega in the North End.
Q. How did your interest in wine start?
A. Like many people, it was by accident! I’m originally from Hingham and after finishing my biochemistry degree at Yale, I moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in public health. I quickly discovered I hated it and wanted to do something different. On a whim I walked into a bakery and convinced them to hire me! I had the cooking bug and after I moved back east, became a manager at Legal Sea Foods. They have a great wine list and the chemistry, history, culture, and geography of wine really captivated me.
Q. So how did an enthusiast get into working in the industry?
A. Again, by accident! My mom was in the Bare Cove Wine Annex in Hingham and overheard that they needed a new staffer. She convinced them to hire me. I’ve always been a nerd and into education so I earned an advanced certificate though the Wine Spirits Education Trust. As soon as I found out about the Master of Wine Business degree at the University of Adelaide in Australia, I packed my bags and spent two years studying “down under!” Other programs like at the University of California at Davis focus more on the biology and chemistry of wine, but I already had a lot of that from my undergrad. This allowed me to learn more about wine marketing and advertising.
Q. What happened after your wine studies in Australia?
A. I came back home with a job already waiting: Massachusetts portfolio manager for Veuve Clicquot. It was a great welcome back, but I admit sometimes I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. Later I was offered a sales job for Classic Wine Imports and tried it. It was nice but I realized I preferred talking with customers. Even today I like to talk with customers to ensure every bottle goes to a good home.
Q. What did you do when you discovered you were miserable in sales?
A. I was flabbergasted to get a call from the Minervino family at Lower Falls Wine Co. in Newton, offering me a job. I ended up working there helping customers find the right bottles for two years. The shop has an amazing portfolio of high-end wine and I had the opportunity to taste them! The Minervinos are savvy business people and really know wine – that balance is so rare!
Q. Tell us about the phone call that changed your life.
A. In May 2008, Kevin Cassidy called to say The Wine Bottega was for sale. Italian wines have always been my passion so I put a business plan together and went to the bank to request a loan. This was when the economy was just starting to show weakness. I was given verbal approval one week but by the next I was being told no. We managed to make it work and finally got approved. I took ownership in October 2008.
Q. Tell us about The Wine Bottega.
A. This place has a reputation for interesting discoveries among wine geeks. I want to be really respectful to that history while broadening the appeal. Of course Italian wine is our focus, so if you are looking for something really authentic, this is your hidden gem! We also have a charming Old World wine cellar that is available or private events.
Q. What challenges have you had?
A. Parking! Obviously parking is difficult in the North End. And since the shop is old, it is really cold in here! This temperature is good for the wine but not so good for me! Despite some initial skepticism from neighbors who thought I was an interloper, I’m finally winning them over and settling in. There is a lot of tradition in the North End and I’m super excited to be part of the neighborhood!
Q. You have a unique website as well.
A. It’s intended to be a conversation and not quite so traditional. It has a blog format and is quite current. Eventually we would like to be able to sell wine online.
The Wine Bottega is located at 341 Hanover St. in Boston’s North End.
Dale Cruse is a website developer who is helping to change the wine world. He likes to eat, he likes to drink, and he likes to write about both at Drinks Are on Me.
Love the interviews, Dale. Keep it up.