One of our goals for Quvé and The Q is to elevate interesting, thoughtful voices.
With that in mind, we wanted to start this In Conversation With series to showcase the unique views of those in our #Quniverse. We hope you like it!
In Conversation with Adrian Law, Part 1
Adrian is married to one of my best friends, Ruby. (Fun fact: I emceed their wedding ceremony and reception, in both Cantonese and English.)
I have been incredibly fortunate to enjoy Adrian's delicious cuisine at his home and at CinCin in Vancouver.
Thank you Adrian for allowing me to feature your interview below!
Follow Adrian at @theAdrianLaw on Twitter and Instagram.
Quvé: Where are your roots?
Adrian: I was born in Malaysia, immigrated to Canada when I was 14. Pursued an Art History degree but never took it further. Fell into a volunteer role as a chef's assistant at a French Culinary school in Vancouver which kicked off my cooking career. Worked as a chef in various restaurants around Vancouver before moving to London where I spent a short time at the Michelin-starred restaurant Petrus.
I returned to Vancouver after 2 years to become sous chef at CinCin restaurant for an additional 2 years before getting married and deciding to change careers.
I become [sic] interested in business while at CinCin and decided to pursue a CPA, CA accounting designation. I returned to university to obtain my accounting certificate and was successfully recruited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which kicked off my accounting career.
Quvé: What is your profession? (pre-covid if applicable)
Adrian: I'm a CPA, CA (Chartered Professional Accountant). I now work as Manager, Financial Reporting at a mining company in Vancouver, BC.
Quvé: How did you come to enjoy wine?
Adrian: I first learned about wine through the restaurant industry, but I got really serious into wine during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. With nothing to do, I started watching old Wine Library TV episodes on YouTube, hosted by marketing guru and entrepreneur Gary Vee. Back then he was just Gary Vaynerchuk, Director of Operations of Wine Library. I was drawn by his charisma, knowledge and passion for tasting and discovering wines. I was inspired to do my own YouTube videos documenting my wine journey to learn more about wines and improve my wine appreciation and palate.
Quvé: What types of wines do you (currently) enjoy most?
Adrian: I enjoy all different kinds of wines but I especially enjoy Pinot Noirs and Syrahs/Shirazs.
Quvé: What gets your attention when it comes to wine? What sparks the most interest / curiosity?
Adrian: I like to seek out new wines all the time. I like to try a new wines constantly and I think I could never drink the same bottle twice!
I especially like the complexity of wines and I'm fascinated as to how the skill of the wine maker can bring out the best of wine and elevated it to such high levels.
Quvé: Have you ever had a racialized wine experience, and if so, do you feel comfortable to share it? (e.g., being a guest of a restaurant / winery; working in a restaurant / winery; in a liquor store, etc)
Adrian: I'm very lucky in life to have never really encountered a racialized moment in my adult life -- or at least not one I can remember. I've travelled to many countries and I have to say most of my restaurant, bar, cafe etc. experiences have been very pleasant.
I think the key is to try and blend in, showing humility and respecting other people's cultures. That means trying to speak foreign languages, smile and learn the local pleasantries ("good morning", 'good afternoon", "good evening", "thank you", "please"). Those few words takes about half an hour to learn but that take you a long, long way anywhere in the world.
Quvé: What does the wine marketing / winemaking industry need to do better to keep your business / become more relevant to you?
Adrian: COVID-19 has changed the business landscape forever. I think business are starting to think direct-to-consumer (DTC) and the wine industry is starting to shift as well. Case in point, Empathy Wines, a direct-to-consumer wine label, which Gary Vaynerchuk started 18 months ago was recently purchased by Constellation Brands during the pandemic because they recognize the power of DTC. All product based businesses are going to have some sort of DTC play in the future and the sooner the better.
Quvé: What website / organization / publication would you like to shoutout for our readers?
Adrian: Thanks for the opportunity! Please checkout the following: my podcast The Vancouver Accounting Experience, the podcast for accounting students, which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts, and VancouverAccountingBlog.com, my personal website.
Also, check out old episodes of Wine Library TV on YouTube. It's over a decade old but I think it's still the most entertaining and informative wine show around.
Thank you Adrian! Cheers!
