In our first ever post we follow the day in the life of Sommelier and aspiring wine writer, Heather Gordon. She loves natural wines and discusses being an outsider in her field – but that ain’t stopping her daily hustle.

7 am – Wake up and find an oasis in my coffee. I am a strong believer that your side hustle can’t only be fueled by your hopes and dreams, sometimes you need caffeine.  I spend the morning dusting sleep from the corners of my eyes. Followed by collecting sentences of relatable imagery in my many notebooks of the wines I have spent the night milling over in my mind. 

8 am – Emails, emails, emails, I send emails like there is no tomorrow. Trying to connect, reaching out, pitching pieces of writing. You name it, I email it. You can call me an optimist. 

12pm – I am lucky that my full time job at Astor Wines and Spirits isn’t the usual 9-5 corporate grind. I usually get in at noon and spend the day talking to people about different wines from all over the world.  

2pm – Tasting with Tracey Brandt of Donkey and Goat. I am incredibly floored by the energy of such an incredibly talented and caring winemaker. Natural wines are king and I’ll always defend their honor. 

6pm – Lunch is spent reading and listening. I am currently buried in ‘Reach Out’ by Molly Beck a guide to help you connect with movers and shakers when you’re not so deeply embedded in the old boys clubs of today. Followed by half an hour listening to the Girl Boss podcast to set my soul on fire and make me want to bust my ass to be a bad bitch, even when it seems like all the odds are stacked against me.

9pm – I try to practice Alchemy on the 6 train from Bleecker to City Hall… it doesn’t work. I walk home finishing the girlboss pod cast from lunch.  

10pm – Put on an XXL men’s t-shirt, chop veggies for a stir fry. Pull the cork from a bottle of Mas de Daumas Gassac, Rouge 2011. I fold a stack of laundry after my first glass and fry my veggies after the second. 

11pm – My hair is messy, my eyes are starry, my feet may be slightly fractured but I’ll live to hustle another day. 

Follow Heather’s Blog here