Welcome to She Is, the first in a series of blog posts featuring women in business. I'm taking time to talk with the creatives, doers, and dreamers that I admire the most to learn about their work, thoughts on life, favorite places, and, of course, their jewelry.
I'm kicking things off with Leslie of La Dolce Vigna, a wine focused travel company. She's an art-curator-turned-sommelier, and I've had the pleasure of joining her on two amazing trips (Oaxaca and Puglia) in 2024 and 2025.
Lori: Thanks for talking with me today, here in Matera, where we are currently traveling. You really inspire me with how you've brought your passions into your work and it's evident that you love what you do, so I thought you'd be a great first feature.
AND, anytime I post content from these trips I’ve taken with you, people are like, “How do I get in on this?!”
So tell me a little bit about La Dolce Vigna, your business, how you got started, and what it's about.
Leslie: La Dolce Vigna is a travel company that curates immersive tours that connect clients to the history and culture of a place through the lens of wine. I started with trips in Italy, because that's where I got my sommelier certificate and where I fell in love with wine thanks to the incredible diversity of the grape varieties here. It was a passion I decided to explore and then build a company around.
La Dolce Vigna actually happened pretty organically because it brought together my experience in the art world, which involved creating beautiful, aesthetic experiences that offer a context, and the wine and food elements from my sommelier training and living in Italy.
Lori: Going from the art world to the travel/wine world, do you feel like having that art background makes you see the world differently?
Leslie: I absolutely do. When I worked in the art world, it was mostly in a curatorial and arts management way. With curating, it's all about telling a story. For me, a tour felt very much like that. There's an element of beauty and the quality of an experience and the authenticity of an experience, which is really important to me, and it came fairly easy to bring the various elements together.
Lori: How many trips have you curated since starting La Dolce Vigna?
Leslie: I was thinking about that, and I have no idea! I should have a tally, but I would think it's about 50.
Lori: That's a huge number to have reached! What would you say your favorite part of your job is? And what is your favorite destination of the ones that you offer?
Leslie: My favorite part of my job is seeing how people appreciate everything when they travel. There's always some part of their trip that wows them, whether it’s a landscape or a particular dish. And when I hear things like, “Oh, we would have never found this on our own.” Because, yeah, that's the point, I want to create a really special itinerary and bring people to places that they wouldn't find by themselves.
In terms of favorite region, it's really hard to pick. It's true, I do love Southern Italy: the islands, Sicily and Sardinia, and Puglia and Basilicata all have a place in my heart.
Lori: Having spent the past week here, I can see why!
Leslie: I mean, Puglia and Basilicata have the nodino! (small knots of mozzarella cheese) [laughs] But it's really difficult, because as soon as I say one region, then I think, “Oh, but I was just in the Veneto, and I really liked that landscape, or the castles of Piemonte” …the whole country is amazing!
Lori: If you can't pick one favorite, I don't blame you. But I’ll try another way: what is your current favorite wine?
Leslie: Partly because we're in this region right now, but Giovanni Aiello’s sparkling Verdeca is my favorite wine for this trip.
And more generally, I've been enjoying seeing different regions in Italy make Metodo Classico, the traditional method of making sparkling wine and the same process used in the Champagne region of France, but using their local grape varieties. Up until not that long ago, pretty much everyone making traditional method sparkling wines were still using the Champagne grape varieties–Chardonnay and Pinot Noir–which are not native to Italy. So it's been fun seeing different parts of Italy produce Metodo Classico wines from their native grape varieties.
Lori: What would you say is the best way for someone to start exploring wines if they know nothing about them?
Leslie: I would suggest finding the small wine store in your neighborhood and then just go have a conversation with them. Especially if you've read about a wine or you've seen it on social media or an article and something intrigued you.
Or maybe you have a trip coming up to a country that makes wine, go to your local wine shop and see if they have anything from that region, and see if you like it. And then, you can ask for something with a similar profile when you return, if you find something you like.
A lot of it is just paying attention to what you do like. So when you do find something that you enjoy, whether it's at a restaurant or a friend's house, just make a note of it.
Lori: I like that. Just go for it! Switching subjects: right now you're living in Miami, but how much of your year do you spend on the go?
Leslie: I would say I am gone about half the year between work and personal travel.
Lori: What is that like for you?
Leslie: Well, it’s just my routine! I do have some gaps, which allow me to recharge. And then in every place I go, I have my little home bases, whether they're places I've stayed in before, or friends’ homes. And then what's funny about Miami is that I feel like I am on vacation when I’m home.
Lori: If you had to describe your own personal style, what would it be, and do you feel like it has been changed at all by traveling?
Leslie: I would say my style is pretty eclectic. Sometimes I dress like a six-year-old, other times it’s more of a vintage 1940-50s vibe or contemporary basics. What I've noticed is that I have begun to have different wardrobes for the different places I travel to. For example, in Italy, I go a bit more classic, easy elegance…although I always have a couple fun little pieces. For Oaxaca, I’m a walking rainbow with a lot of natural textiles. I do like to sew and make things with fun prints as well.
Lori: If you could travel anywhere tomorrow for fun and not for work, where would you go?
Leslie: I would go to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Spain. I’m going to try to make it there this fall; it's been on my list forever.
Lori: The best thing you bought yourself lately?
Leslie: Chocolate from Modica. And a really nice sea salt from Sardinia. I always like to bring back foodie items from my trips.
Lori: When it comes to jewelry, are you team silver or gold?
Leslie: Recently, I've been wearing mostly gold.
Lori: What is in your everyday jewelry rotation?
Leslie: In general, I wear little gold hoops and a gold chain bracelet that I can wear with everything and I don't have to think about it. And then I have been wearing simple stackable rings and I have a couple necklaces that work with different necklines.
Lori: Do you have any sentimental or family heirloom pieces?
Leslie: My mom gave me a gift that my dad gave to her in her early 30s or so. It's a matching bracelet and necklace set that almost look like cuffs, but they bend some. I always admired it when my mom wore it when I was younger.
Lori : Finally, every woman in business for herself that I know of always seems to have a future plan or dream that's bigger than what she's working on at the moment. Do you think that's true for you?
Leslie: I started working with a life coach, and what I've realized through working with her is that it’s not so much about expanding (though I did think that is what I wanted) but creating a more balanced and sustainable business and lifestyle. It’s true: I am working on injecting more creativity into my business with some product offerings like textiles, or maps, possibly a curated shop. I do like the idea of art as life, or life as art, where you are just enjoying every day. And so everything that I'm thinking of right now does involve a bit more creativity coming in, but always wine, food, travel related.
Lori: Consider me inspired!
You can find out more, including upcoming tour offerings, at La Dolce Vigna or follow Leslie on Instagram @ladolcevigna