When Kyo Dominick’s dance profession was dashed by a torn ACL, he sought consolation in wine and whiskey. However it’s not what you suppose. “Between auditions in New York, I’d at all times gone to completely different wine and spirits bars and tried various things—that basically sparked my curiosity,” Dominick says. Even whereas nonetheless working as a dancer—with gigs on SNL, on the Grammys, in Magic Mike Dwell in Las Vegas, amongst others—he’d been enamored by the enchantment of wine and whiskey, attending tastings to study extra, and choosing up day jobs in wine retail.

A fortuitous encounter at one tasting with Monique Huston, Winebow’s vp of spirits, prompted Dominick to take a extra critical curiosity in his liquid schooling, shortly earlier than being sidelined by harm. “She mentioned, ‘You must do one thing after you’re completed with dancing,’ and she or he was proper,” he says. “That’s how I received right here.” The “right here” in Dominick’s case is Napa wine nation, the place he moved in 2022 and now manages gross sales for Karolus Wine Imports, whereas working to complete his diploma with the Wine & Spirit Schooling Belief.

Dance and drink are significantly completely different profession paths, however Dominick sees this evolving curiosity as higher suited to the long term. “I’m in such a profound place,” he says. “For thus lengthy, I had these large targets, and I wished to bop for these individuals on these levels. They usually had been so particular. However as I moved into wine, I discovered that I could possibly be much more grounded, and never should have all of the solutions instantly. Possibly that’s me maturing as a person, and possibly it’s me maturing as an expert. However I’m taking it one step at a time.”

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