Jamie Leahy

You will find Jamie at our Zionsville store where, in addition to sales, she is responsible for managing the wine club. Like big reds? Jamie is the one to talk to!

What did you do in the real world? Out of college in the early ’80s I worked in credit for a major oil company and then a tech company. Next I spent several years as a claims adjuster and after having children, worked myriad jobs until I was fortunate to land here at the Grapevine Cottage.

When and how did your love of wine begin? I guess you could say that alcohol is in my blood! My father owned a bar/restaurant where we also lived the first couple years of my life. My dad enjoyed wine and I learned some basics from him and by tasting the ”house” wines he always had on hand. As a high school senior I worked in a local pharmacy; at Christmas the staff was treated to dinner at an Italian restaurant where the wine flowed freely. As I now embarrassingly recall, while enjoying my fair share, I repeatedly asked one of the pharmacists “What is this wine called? It’s SO GOOD”!! It was Lambrusco. The journey continues….

How would you classify your tastes in wine, old world or new world? I am a solid new world wine fan who also enjoys and appreciates old world wines. There are so many fantastic wines from France, Spain & Italy-I am enjoying discovering as many of them as possible.

All of us have our favorites. What varietals or regions do you feel are your strongest areas of expertise? Being a fan of big red wines, I would say that I’m most familiar with Cabs, Syrahs, Zins, and red blends. Since joining the Grapevine Cottage I have made an effort to try whites of all varietals and can say that I am a fan of many of them as well.

What is your current favorite bottle? Current favorites are Philip (an Italian Cabernet with a fun label) and the Carchelo Spanish red blend.

Your favorite restaurant? In the Indy area I love all of Martha Hoover’s restaurants —Napolese, Petite Chou and Public Greens. The creative menus and fresh, authentic foods are simply the best.

Your favorite guilty pleasure? Wine and chocolate, wine and HGTV, wine and a book, wine and a nap … and so on.

Funniest moment working here? There are too many to recount — and if I did, I’d have to name names.

Best and worst things about working here? The best thing about working at GVC is the terrific people — the customers and my co-workers are lovely, good people. On the downside, we are surrounded by thousands of bottles of wine just begging to be taken home. We should have name tags that read “Will Work for Wine.”