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Meet the folks at the Bin - the most knowledgeable and entertaining bunch to ever pull your cork. We wanted to give you a good idea of the personalities who pour your potion, so we issued them all the same questionnaire and told them to have fun with it. Below are their responses. Once you feel like you know them, come on in and introduce yourself!
 Name: Jen Burger
Title: General Manager
Relevant wine background:
Honestly, I've learned everything I know about wine while working at Bin 604 for the past 5+ years. Studying wine, talking to my mentors who are great resources and the opportunity to taste so many wines both great and small is incredibly valuable.
At the root of it all, I adore the fact that both good wine and food are really just about enjoying and savoring life's sensory pleasures on a daily basis.
Completely irrelevant background:
Sometimes I enjoy climbing on rocks. Okay… it's what I want to do any chance I get. I enjoy playing outdoors and the physical and mental challenge of something so seemingly pointless can be incredibly rewarding. And climbing feeds my travel bug.
Oh, also terrifically irrelevant is the fact that I have a 6 year old sea monkey. (Didn't even know brine shrimp could live for so long!)
If I were a grape, I'd be
Chenin Blanc hanging on a vine in the Loire Valley: with the potential to be surprisingly complex, and sometimes a little sweet.
Favorite red wine:
Overall, I thoroughly enjoy drinking Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Chateauneuf, and good Nebbiolo more than anything else.
My favorite wines thus far, the ones that have changed the way I think about wine, have been Sine Qua Non "Incognito" 2000 Grenache, and Chave 1991 Hermitage Rouge, Lisini 1997 "Ugolaia" Brunello, Beaurenard 1967 Chateauneuf, and Grand Tinel "Alexs Establet" 1978 Chateauneuf.
Favorite white wine:
Zippy German Rieslings, white Burgundies, and Remelliri Rioja Blanco. I also love Condrieu.
Favorite song to listen to while sipping wine:
Music is incredibly important to me. Right now it's a lot of really funky New Orleans jazz, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Spoon, The Black Keys, Aesop Rock, Blockhead, and Bonobo when I really need to chill.
Favorite movie to watch while sipping wine:
I can't sit still long enough to actually make it through one, but does it have an intermission so I can get up for a refill?
Favorite book to read while sipping wine:
I should read more….
Name: Dana Curry
Title: Assistant Manager
Relevant wine background:
I first became interested in wine while working in the restaurant industry. I wanted to learn more, so I ran away to Napa Valley and studied wine at the Culinary Institute of America. I came back to the East Coast to take the Certified Specialist of Wine exam through the Society of Wine Educators. While I was here, I saw a listing for full time employment at the Bin, and have been here ever since!
Completely irrelevant background:
I am slightly afraid of lawnmowers. Seriously.
If I were a grape, I'd be
Petite Sirah.
Favorite red wine:
Pinot Noirs, both Old and New World.
Favorite white wine:
German Rieslings.
Favorite song to listen to while sipping wine:
It depends on my mood, but working here has conditioned me to associate wine with Neil Young.
Favorite movie to watch while sipping wine:
Annie Hall
Favorite book to read while sipping wine:
Any book with great maps of wine regions, such as Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine.
 Name: Ryan Renner
Title: Assistant Manager
Relevant wine background:
I hit up my mom's wine cellar loaded with ripe Californian Cabs and starting
trying all the wines. The wines that changed my life were a 1997 Steltzner
Pinotage and Far Niente Cabernet. I thought to myself "Wow! Wine is awesome" and I have not let up since. I was fortunate to get my foot in the door here at The Bin and I have been learning so much and enjoying myself immensely.
Completely irrelevant background:
I studied Art History and Painting in Savannah GA. My creative side comes out often and I nurture it in my free time by painting and I love to cook! You will most likely find my creating something good in the kitchen with my other half, Adam, to go with our wine. (I chose the food to go with the wine, not the other way around).
If I were a grape, I'd be
Grenache. "I am what I drink!"
Favorite red wine:
I have a love affair with Brunello di Montalcino and Grenache. There is just something about the texture of these wines and the aromas of ripe fruits, earth and warm spices that keep me coming back for more.
Favorite white wine:
I am completely seasonal when it comes to whites and I find I vary with my mood and the weather. I tend to go for white wines with more depth such as Baumard Savennieres and Guigal Condrieu. I also have a good bit of German and Alsatian Rieslings in my wine racks waiting to be popped open and enjoyed on a beautiful, sunny day.
Favorite song to listen to while sipping wine:
There is nothing better than popping in Miles Davis and John Coltrane on a beautiful, relaxing Sunday afternoon while drinking a yummy glass of wine and preparing my signature quiche. Life doesn't get much better than that!
Favorite movie to watch while sipping wine:
Even a horrible movie can be better if you have a glass of vino beside you. Yet, I have to say Pride and Prejudice and Great Expectations get trips to the DVD player more frequent than any other movie. Yes, I am a romantic at heart.
Favorite book to read while sipping wine:
Absolutely, without a doubt, any of Peter Mayle's books. I read, A Year in Provence and Tourjours Provence several times a year. Reading these books always brings me back to the French Countryside near Lacoste where I spent a semester studying and enjoying some tasty, killer wines and eating a ton of exquisite food.
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