We recently had the chance to connect with Tami Wong and have shared our conversation below.
Tami, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
My son Riley just graduated from high school. He figured out how to graduate as a junior and made it happen for himself. I did not cry my eyes out at the ceremony like I thought I would! I’m so proud of the man he is becoming and excited to see what he makes of his life.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My Dad’s family owned restaurants and my Mom’s Dad was an academic, so it’s not an accident that I became a wine nerd! I served nearly ten years as a sommelier. I just celebrated eight years as a wholesale wine rep. San Diego is best known as a beer town and not a great place for wine. Since the beginning of my career, my goal has been to put San Diego on the map as a world class wine destination. I tackle this on a few different fronts.
First, I represent two amazing distributors, Wine Wise and Avanelle Wine Company who import small production wineries, mostly from Spain and France, but also Portugal, Germany, Austria and Greece. In this way, we provide access to restaurants and shops to really fun stuff!
Second, I founded Stay Classy Selections, the first distributor of San Diego County wine and cider. There are 170+ wineries in San Diego County that have had little access to the market. I’m a member of SIP San Diego and the San Diego County Vintners Association. We are developing our outreach programs to bring the wine to the people.
Wine is notorius for being a white male dominated industry, which is still true to a point. As a half brown girl that has carved out a career in spite of that, I joined what was Women in Wine and now is Women’s Wine Alliance. We provide education and networking opportunities to women in the wine industry in San Diego. As the Acting President, I’m focused on including the most diverse community possible to achieve an equal place at the table.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I grew up in South Dakota in the 1970s. We took the Iowa Tests in grade school. I scored in the 90+ percentile in all the categories. No matter where else my self esteem falls short, I can fall back on, “Well, at least I’m smart!” I can figure things out. Now that I have all these years of life behind me, I am wise too. I know things.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You deserve the best of everything. Don’t settle for the scraps.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I was bookish as a girl so there have been so many authors that helped me grow. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, Ayn Rand when I was young. I don’t read as much as I would like outside of my profession but I love Suze Orman, Patti Smith, bell hooks. I’m definitely forgetting a bunch.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I always try to do my best and give everything I have because I can see the results for myself. I’ve also realized recently how much energy I’ve spent in my life seeking external validation. Just that realization has led to treating myself more kindly. It’s been really nice and I’m excited to get better at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stayclassyselections.wine/
- Instagram: @wineintamitime
- Twitter: @wineintamitime
