FROM PLAYBOY COVERS to THE CELEBRITY SOMMELIER: SANDY TAYLORS JOURNEY to PAIR ENTERTAINMENT + WINE

We're absolutely thrilled to welcome the fabulous Sandra Taylor to our show, as she shares her incredible journey through her long-standing career in the entertainment industry. Starting as America's number one selling poster model to multiple Playboy covers, and even working with legends like Marilyn Grabowski and Gary Marshall, Sandy's experiences are truly captivating. Join us and our dear friend Cathy St. George as we reminisce about the iconic Playboy covers and the special accolades that came with them.

Sandy's career doesn't stop at modeling and acting. Tune in to hear about her transformation into a professional sommelier, blending her 30 years of entertainment experience to create something unique and innovative. We chat about her time in Piedmonti, Italy, her prestigious silver pin certification, and how she became the lead sommelier for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders Stadium. Plus, learn about her enchanting experience blending her own rosé with legendary winemaker Gerard Trand and her connection with John Bon Jovi.

Finally, we explore Sandra's revolutionary role as a personal sommelier, where she combines her storytelling prowess with her love for wine. Discover how she created and managed a wine locker program for Mark Davis, educated clients on skincare, and her passion for teaching others. We even delve into the differences between champagne and prosecco, and the unique methods used to create them. So grab a glass of wine and join us for this unmissable conversation with the incredible Sandra Taylor!

Cathy St. George + Echo Johnson  

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Transcript

Speaker 1: Hi, my name is Karina Harney, Playboys Plain, and to the Year 1992. And I'm Echo Johnson, Miss January 1993. Welcome to the Bunny Chronicles, Let's go. Okay, welcome back to the show. We've got Miss Kathy St George in the studio with us again today.

Speaker 2: They have tried to get rid of me, but I refuse to go.

Speaker 1: She will not leave Austin. She says she's staying. Good, yeah, but no. Happy to have Kathy here with us and specifically because you and Kathy have a little bit of history and you and I have met but we haven't really ever spent too much time together. But Barbara Moore always just raves about you and she loves you so much.

Speaker 3: I love her. Everybody loves Sandra.

Speaker 2: Well, i don't know about her, she's prettier on the inside than the outside, which is really hard. She's pretty good.

Speaker 1: So we have an awesome, awesome guest today. We have Miss Sandra Taylor joining us. Do you prefer Sandy or Sandra Sandy?

Speaker 2: I'd call her Sandy Sandy.

Speaker 1: Sandy has an extensive background in the entertainment industry. She was in front of the camera for over 20 years and Sandy got her start in the modeling industry in the early 90s and was named America's number one selling poster model.

Speaker 2: Yay, and I did her makeup and she was only 19.

Speaker 3: Oh, did you? Yes, yeah, i think for health and fitness or muscle and fitness.

Speaker 1: Yes.

Speaker 2: Yes, for Rob, rob, I can't remember his name, but he was Robert Reiner Something. But he did great stuff. Yeah, he did a whole shoot. He did a whole shoot, like Harrell once, and it was so good.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: But I hated putting all that stuff on those muscle fitness guys, that lotion Off topic. I'm sorry, off topic. You know, i never said I did. I never said I didn't stray off.

Speaker 1: So I didn't know this, sandy, but you continued your modeling career as a guest jeans model. I too shot for guest jeans and I just saw the image of you. and what a great experience right. So guest jeans model moved to Los Angeles mid 90s. She appeared in the July 1995 edition of Playboy promoting her appearance in the movie under siege to dark territory. And then she went on to appear in multiple films such as Batman and Robin, la Confidential, the Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries, two Tomcats keeping up with the Steins Runaway Bride and Raising Helen Taylor. And then she also appeared in multiple TV series such as Married with Children, er, the King of Queens and Just Shoot Me. So she has had an extensive career.

Speaker 1: Now, what's unique about Sandy is she was not a Playboy playmate, but she was on the cover multiple times and Marilyn Grabowski absolutely loved you and really pushed for you to be on those covers For our audience who's listening? Marilyn Grabowski was the West Coast editor. She ran the West Coast studio and it was important that she liked you And she was a tough nut Love this girl.

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, she was the top.

Speaker 3: Yeah, she didn't sugarcoat anything, nope, and I really appreciated that, which really helped me further my career, absolutely. And I remember we were out to a function It was a charity or something And I was sitting next to this guy and he was talking to me about movies or something And Marilyn says enough, he's here with his wife And yeah, she was like you never want to talk more than like two minutes, like she taught me little lessons just to take a look at me in life. And I hadn't even thought about it. I was just simply conversing to the person next to me at a table but I was like good point.

Speaker 3: And we were young at you know, and that's how we're learning.

Speaker 2: She took you under her wing very much.

Speaker 1: She did Yeah, and she was grateful. Yeah, absolutely, and she didn't do that with everybody, so that's awesome.

Speaker 2: And she did great covers too.

Speaker 1: So tell us the covers you were on, the dates and the issues.

Speaker 3: I did the cover of July 95, which was this really fun red, white and blue American flag type of thing. I love It's really cute. But originally it was supposed to be this sort of copper tone shot where we hired a trained dog to pull my bikini, like the cover tone. It was so great And then for some reason half at the last minute wanted something red, white and blue, so we had to reshoot the cover. But that copper tone one went on to be a poster instead. So instead of being on the cover it went on. So then it did really well. The success of the cover. So half one to put me on the cover again. And February 1996 with Leslie Nielsen and he was a big bond and he did all the spoof.

Speaker 3: Kathy, were you in that issue doing one of the spoof?

Speaker 2: I don't know if I was. I thought you were. You know a lot of. It's a blur.

Speaker 3: Right, okay.

Speaker 2: Yeah, but I don't know if I was. I don't think I was.

Speaker 1: Well, you should have been. Well, you know.

Speaker 2: I should have been.

Speaker 1: Yeah, with her, with her comedic genius, definitely I should have. Yeah, I remember both of those covers And obviously it's such an honor to be on the cover of Playboy. I'm so grateful that I was definitely at Kathy St George's And just because you were a Playboy Playmate did not mean that you were going to be on the cover, So that was always a very special accolade to add to our resume.

Speaker 2: I bumped more than Adams actually.

Speaker 3: You're out. Everyone can say that Right.

Speaker 2: Exactly Well, especially when I met her and she said you bumped me.

Speaker 1: So so tell us, how did you? how did you get involved with Playboy? How did that come to be?

Speaker 3: I got involved because my girlfriend I'm sure you both know Alexis Vogel, Of course.

Speaker 1: Let me, let me tell our audience who Alexis Vogel was for context. So Alexis Vogel was at Playboy's, had a makeup artist and talk about, like, oh my gosh, the most incredible makeup artist, but an incredible human being. I loved her so much. I learned so much from her as well Awesome. So you were very good friends with her and that's how she created a style.

Speaker 2: Yeah, She created a style all of her own. Oh she sure did. But I knew her back with Suzanne. I mean, i worked with her for years, even before Playboy, so she was always so sweet and so nice.

Speaker 1: Yeah, she certainly did have that style and probably well most well known for Pamela Anderson. Yes, because Pamela Anderson's whole look vibe, style that she wore for decades was Alexis Vogel and she would only work with Alexis Vogel. That gives you a context of who Alexis Vogel was. So carry on.

Speaker 3: So I went to go visit Anna Nicole on the set of her movie Naked Gun and Alexis was there doing Anna's makeup. And Alexis that's when I first met her She goes who are you, you know? I said, oh, i'm Anna's friend and I was coming there to visit her on set. And she said, oh my God, you have to test for Playboy. And she goes, i'm the makeup artist there and we're in search of the 40th anniversary. And I was like, wow, well, that's really cool. And she goes, no, no, i'm, you know. When she got very emphatic, she's like I'm serious, right, you need to come and meet Marilyn Grubowski. She goes, i'm not even kidding. And she got like right in my face And Anna Nicole was like you absolutely must, you know, alexis is saying it And Alexis brought me in and I met Marilyn and we wound up shooting for the 40th anniversary centerfold.

Speaker 3: Okay, and I'm yeah, we shot. I don't know if this is even you know a story, people even know, but we shot with a 40 year old Rolls Royce, oh cool. And we were in the middle of. I have my gatefold still that we shot for like two weeks straight in that same pose, eight by ten, most incredible. I have my eight by ten Polaroids Like a happy little one.

Speaker 3: And yeah, I saved everything.

Speaker 1: Absolutely.

Speaker 3: I'm so glad about that. I wish I had. So I was supposed to be the 40th anniversary and then I wound up getting under siege and I have said you know, if you're a celebrity, not only do you get more money, you don't have to have a year contract and do things, You get picture approval, you get to pick your spot where you want to shoot and more money.

Speaker 1: I didn't know that. So you get paid better and you get picture approval. That's interesting, being where you want to shoot.

Speaker 3: Interesting. You get your definite your, your guaranteed your cover, yes, but I thought with the 40th anniversary I was guaranteed my cover anyway. But so we wound up bagging the 40th anniversary and he said you want to be in celebrity light? The lights, nice. So that's why I didn't do the 40th anniversary and I went on to do the celebrity pictorial when the release of under siege came out, which was, i think, about a year later. So I had to wait and I had to, you know. But I think Adam Murray Goddard did a fantastic job as the 40th anniversary.

Speaker 1: That's right, That was yeah, she was gorgeous.

Speaker 3: That was her issue. Yeah, yeah, and I did that And you know I often thought, gosh, i, i don't know. I often thought I would have liked to have been a centerfold there and had that.

Speaker 1: But yeah, but you know what? There's something to be said that Heff saw exactly, and this is what Heff was so good at. He knew exactly what your strengths were and where you were going to thrive, and he knew that you were going to be a superstar and celebrity status and and it would behoove you in a better manner. So I appreciate that, but I do appreciate you also saying like I wish that I would have had a centerfold.

Speaker 3: It's a double X story, Yeah, And it is a sisterhood and I have to say Kathy and Barbara and Ava and all the girls have just hanging it rid of us. No, I want to know they've, they've, they've welcomed me in, and Deborah Driggs and I could go on and on and on about how many girls I'm still in touch with to this day And I felt part of the sisterhood. But at the end of the day, I wasn't at Playboy Center for a while. There was the celebrity and, but I did two covers and I I'm so grateful to have that history with Playboy, but it was Heff who had come to me and said you know, with this movie release, I think it would behoove you to be celebrity status and to go on and to do guest jeans.

Speaker 1: I mean that's, that's massive. I mean you know, that's a huge deal.

Speaker 3: Yeah, and then you know, i remember I posted it on Instagram years later and Paul followed me and liked it and he wrote you were one of my favorite guest models to ever work with And that to me was even. you know, that was such a accolade because you know.

Speaker 1: And that was Paul Marciano of guest.

Speaker 3: Paul Marciano.

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: Awesome, i just want to say also, she was one of Olivia's favorite favorite models and she was painted so many times by Olivia. Yeah, and there's some of my favorite pieces that she's ever done.

Speaker 1: Yeah, Olivia is amazing. She, right after my centerfold came out, she just sent me a painting she had done of myself, me and Barbara both And I was like, oh my gosh, this is wow, just love it. It's unreal.

Speaker 2: So I can appreciate, you know, you having those images or those paintings, and you did a lot, a lot of them.

Speaker 3: Yeah, another. I just felt so lucky. You know, i would always say to Olivia like couldn't you just paint me like skinnier, or couldn't you just take out that little fish?

Speaker 2: You know what Can I tell you? I know It was no. You are so much thinner now And the thinner net when I say that I was skinny back in the day. Now not so much, but you were, but yet I love that. She painted you like the way Marilyn Monroe was, and she painted you as you were because you were stunning as you were And she didn't make you.

Speaker 3: Don't make me.

Speaker 2: Vogue once and what.

Speaker 3: Vector Yeah, i did. She said no, that's not what I love that. I want and that's not what they expect. And you know, she said it's photo realism And she wasn't big.

Speaker 2: She just was not Herbie.

Speaker 3: Very curvy.

Speaker 2: She wasn't real real thin, like all these girls were. You know, you know, and that's.

Speaker 3: I tried.

Speaker 2: Well, you know well.

Speaker 3: I tried.

Speaker 2: Trust me. Well, i was skinny, but you know now I'm just happy to like make it through the door.

Speaker 1: Oh, God, make it through the door. So so, 20 years, you had an extensive career. Did that consist of modeling as well as film? What did that look like for you?

Speaker 3: Well, I was doing so many things I got. I was a magician's assistant in Vegas. I was doing movies. once I met Gary Marshall I was just going to say Gary Marshall.

Speaker 3: Once I met him in 1993 and he put me in under no, not under seat ship in exit to Eden with Dan Ackroyd and Rosie O'Donnell. That was the beginning of probably the most wonderful work partnership that I've ever had was to work with Gary Marshall. And he said you know, you have this great combination of beautiful but funny and you've got great comedic timing. And he said I've only seen that this good with Heather Locklear and Brookshields. He goes other than that I've not seen someone who had these two characteristics like you do. And he said you know, he was always like you're going to be a star, you know.

Speaker 2: And he put me in almost every single day where he was loyal to you, i remember very.

Speaker 3: I think we did 14 movies together.

Speaker 1: I'm going to stop you there one second. I can hear your dog snoring in the background. Is he right behind you because we're picking it up? Okay, should I get rid of him? Yeah, because I just don't want the audio to be messed up from it.

Speaker 3: You know, they're just like wherever I am.

Speaker 2: Well, we know it's not you. Okay, yeah.

Speaker 3: So I'm a little hungry. I love.

Speaker 2: I love Jessica Stein. That was one of my favorite ones. He did when you played the wife.

Speaker 3: Oh, hold on, Ray Lienstein, oh, keeping up with the signs.

Speaker 1: Keeping up the signs. Okay, so let's, so let's resume from Marshall. So that happened, okay.

Speaker 3: So Gary Marshall, yeah, put me in every movie. He had done pretty much after meeting him and being in exit to Eden, Okay. So then we acted alongside one another in Tom Katz, where I actually played as his agent. I got him the role in real life. Oh, wow, they were casting for a Justice of the Peace And I said to Matt Barry, the casting director what about Gary Marshall? You know he loves to act, i know he's a fantastic director, but his real love, he loves acting. And they said we would love that. So I got Gary his gig in Tom Katz as the Justice of the Peace where he marries Shannon Elizabeth to somebody. Wow, very cool, yeah. So that was fun. And then we did Keeping Up with the Steins, where that was a dream come true.

Speaker 3: I played opposite Jeremy Piven, jamie Gertz, gary Darrell Hanna and I was Raylene Stein. And Larry Miller, who plays my husband, was a comedic genius And I wanted that role. Probably I would say that was the biggest, the role I wanted out of all of my roles. That was the role I wanted was to play Larry Miller's wife, because in the comedy world that was comedy gold. I went in and I remember Jeannie McCarthy was casting And I was like Annette Benning in American Beauty, where she was like I'm going to sell this house today. I was like I'm going to get this role And I got this little pink Chanel suit. It was my lucky suit And I got under siege in that suit too And I went in and I just nailed that audition And met Larry Miller and we did a screen test and it just worked out And I just to this day that was one of my most coveted roles I've ever done.

Speaker 1: Absolutely. That's huge. I'm not familiar with it. I'll have to watch that movie.

Speaker 2: She's got. it's a big part. Yeah, That's good.

Speaker 1: Well, and the company you were in. My goodness, sandy, that's amazing.

Speaker 2: And it's about Bar Mitzvahs and stuff.

Speaker 3: And Neil Diamond sang And actually it's so funny. Jeremy Piven reached out to me just yesterday, of all things, to say hey on Instagram, which was nice. I haven't heard for 10 years.

Speaker 1: Isn't that so cool. Kathy And I, we've just been going down memory lane since she's been her for a couple days, since we've been recording, and my goodness, the people that we have met and the relationships that we have forged, that we still to this day, the numbers we have in our phone stories, and it's like nobody else has this like access to. I love it. I love it. I love it, yeah.

Speaker 3: I remember doing Howard Stern and he goes. Well, who's the most famous person on your phone? Give me your phone. You want to just go through my phone.

Speaker 1: I was like no, no, no, no, but we definitely have a Rolodex, Yes, Yeah, absolutely, and so many resources that are fingertips, and I was talking about that. Just doing this podcast has been so amazing in many ways, but just again, reconnecting with the Playboy family and having these really incredible conversations Everybody talked to like, oh, you should talk to this person. You should talk to this person on top of the amount of history that Karina and I have learning things we never even knew about Hugh Hefner and Playboy, and it's just so robust and it's so profound and it's it's fascinating and it's so important that the world knows And that's why we're doing this podcast, you know.

Speaker 3: Wonderful.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 3: What's interesting, too, is everybody should have a little like what did you like most about him?

Speaker 1: Absolutely.

Speaker 3: And I don't know if everybody knew how great his little laugh was. That's my favorite.

Speaker 2: Thing.

Speaker 3: Was his laugh, yep, the cutest, the best. I thought little laugh was the sweetest and so childlike and so endearing.

Speaker 1: And I just remember flying back from New York on his plane with him and Kimberly and laughing and playing back And he was just so sweet He was like a child at heart, like he and people talk about in the history or in the context of his history, and you know specifically his formative years, his early years, and that always stuck with him. You know his love affair with cinema and cartooning and you know the fact that he is the consummate editor, that all was created from his childhood and that always stuck with him and he loved that aspect.

Speaker 3: And what a nice man he was. I went to some some. He got an award at the Hearst or somebody gave him an award for being such a pioneer in the world of magazines, and I didn't know this. But he fought for the gentleman who drew the cartoons. He was an African-American man And at that time they didn't want to hire him because he was African-American and half was like no, this is who's doing it, and and of story. And he fought for him and he did it and he got it.

Speaker 1: And yeah, i'm not. I'm not surprised at that story And that's again what a factoid we just pulled out. Had no idea and not surprised at that at all because half was so known for that. I mean back to the very beginning of the magazine. But I can really like speak to. You know, the Playboy After Dark and, and originally it was called Penthouse or Penthouse after Penthouse Playboy, penthouse Right, and the fact that he would have a multitude of talent come in, musicians, you know, artists, whatever And they were black, they were white, and the fact that they were all congregating together, people were like blown away. It didn't happen that time. It was a time of racism. Jim Crow is a very real thing and half did not care. He was like I don't care, it's irrelevant.

Speaker 3: He said that's one for this job And that's who's doing it. I don't remember his name, but he was at this award show And it was. It was so touching to see how he really fought for what he wanted and you know we believed in Yes.

Speaker 1: We found out. We found out something interesting from Cindy Rakowitz, who was at Playboy, i want to say almost 20 years.

Speaker 2: I love Cindy.

Speaker 1: Yeah, Cindy. So she was telling us that half published the first chapter of the book Roots because nobody would publish it because of the very line, because of the context of what it was. And it was the black author And he was like, no, this has to be published. So he published the first chapter in Playboy And it's those types of things that people don't know. But he did that all the time because he knew this is an important He stood for so much more than that mags.

Speaker 1: He stood for so much more than people are aware of, yeah, and we're taking a deep dive into all of Heffs philanthropic endeavors, because they were vast and many, and people you know need to know that and understand that, because that's a very important part of who he was and he was always in service. You know So. So you are a renowned Somalia. You're now the Beverly Hills Somalia, right? Yes?

Speaker 2: Which I love. When she was going to school, I was keeping up with it when she was training.

Speaker 3: So I just remember in 2016, when Gary passed away and I went to go see him in the hospital and he said you know, do you have a plan B? You know, everybody needs a plan B, right? Yeah, i didn't. You know, i was just gonna be an actress And you know, i had always thought why, why, why have a plan B? you know, and for some reason, when he passed away, i just wanted to take a break from the whole entertainment industry And also it was the time of me, too, was just starting to come out For me. That was so real, i mean, for all of us, i believe, yeah, that was real, yeah, it hit.

Speaker 3: And I said you know? yeah, very much so. And I just remember how thankless the audition process was And my last couple of auditions where I put so much into it, hiring acting coaches and spending days learning eight pages off book, going in doing physicality as well as knowing it, and not even getting feedback, not even getting you know she was great, but we went with blah, blah, blah Or you know, it was just like how could you do Like? actors are so misused and abused? I think in this process.

Speaker 3: You know you drive all the way to Burbank. I live in the Palisades, It's an hour You sit there. I remember under siege too, Auditioning for Steven Seagal. I went in like seven times And every time the room was full of the most gorgeous girls Vendala, Talisa Soto.

Speaker 1: Wow.

Speaker 3: You know, and I'm sitting there and it was like torturous, like these girls are just like, oh, i should have worn that Or oh, i should have done that. You know, and you're second guessing every move you make. And then you go in and audition And then you don't even get feedback And you don't even get the gratification at all. She's really good, but we're going to go with a name because we need to put asses in seats. Or she was too tall, or she was too short, or she was too young, or she was too old. I could handle all those, but to hear nothing after you put in money of hiring an acting coach and just the time and effort, and to not get anything. And I just I was like, you know, this is not. This doesn't feel good.

Speaker 1: It gets old. It was very dismissive, you know, and it wears on you, you know It does break you down And I can appreciate you saying you just got sick of it, because there certainly came in the end of my 20s. I was like I am so tired of this, i don't want to do this anymore. It's time to move on to something else. So I appreciate that. So at that point did you go on and complete your wine programs at UCLA and the North American Somalia Association?

Speaker 3: Yeah, well, i first had won a charity auction. It was a wine tour to Piedmonti, italy, which I'm actually going to be talking all about tonight at my SOM event, and that's where I had my aha moment, where I fell in love with wine. I went to Piedmonti, which is the home of Barolo Barberesco, which is a Nebiolo grape, and I went and I saw these rolling hills of Barolo and I saw this califerous soil. It was like clay. And I thought how does a vine grow in there? And someone said to me a struggling vine makes a great wine. Ooh, okay. And the more the vine has to struggle down into the terroir and pick up all the characteristics of its native land, the better the wine.

Speaker 3: And I learned all about this beautiful Nebiolo grape And I thought, wow, i think I want to throw myself into this. So I came home from Piedmonti and I threw myself into every single introductory class I could find. There's one called WSET, there's one called NASA North American Somalia Association, ucla had a whole wine program And I took the intro to all of them And I thought what style of teaching do I like? the best? And I liked two. I liked UCLA, which I took at night, and I liked NASA for two reasons. One was the style of the teacher. He was from Piedmonti And he was so emphatic about Americans being so obnoxious and never on the right And I was like, oh my God. And I said, the way he teaches, i'm going to remember this style, i'm going to remember. And also, if you say NASA, north American Somalia Association, people think you went to NASA, nasa, yeah.

Speaker 2: I was like I graduated on a rocket.

Speaker 3: Yeah, I was up in space. I'm a NASA graduate. So I then took a job at a restaurant We were talking about this last night. I literally drove downtown Los Angeles an hour and a half in change and traffic, Took a job at a restaurant called Miro as a Somalia and worked in the stock room, worked ordering wine, went table to table. Now, mind you, months before I played Jason Studeikis' girlfriend in a movie called Mother's Day And now jump to. I'm in a stock room stocking bottles going. Did I do the right move? My life has changed? I don't think so, But there was something really good about it And I would go table to table and I would make friends And it was very close to the USC campus And I just I wound up talking about wine to these people that wanted to pair with their dinner And I was like this is like the acting world, because I'm performing, I'm talking about wine, but I'm educating And I'm selling wine.

Speaker 3: This is great. And they're like we need you at that table And I'm like, oh, one minute. And I'm like sitting down chatting with me. I made more friends, But I was a Somalia at a restaurant downtown Los Angeles to help get my certification and really paid my dues and took courses night and day And certified in late 2018.

Speaker 1: That is so amazing Because, at the end of the day, to be a Somalia, it's a hard thing to accomplish And it's very intensive training and education And not everybody can do it. So bravo to you. That's amazing And you were awarded the prestigious silver pin. What is that?

Speaker 3: Yes, so this is my silver pin actually? OK, that is a certification which only maybe 13 people 11 to 13 people a year get. Yay. It's a very, very difficult class to pass. It's a class that is the world of wine. It's not just Napa or South Africa or Chile or Italy or France, it's the world, it's all regions. Yeah, you have to know the whole. You have to know ice wines of New York and Alcesse and everything. So it's not just regional, it is worldwide.

Speaker 1: It's robust. Yeah, absolutely So. In 2018 is when you got certified. Yes, wow, that is so cool. So tell us about how did it come to be Because I'm just I'm so proud of you And I just think this is amazing that you are the lead sommelier for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders Stadium in Vegas. That's a huge, huge, huge deal. How did that come to be?

Speaker 3: Well, that came to be. I have had a relationship with the NFL since 1991. I lived in New York And I was always around the NFL back then. Because they did a pageant one time, miss NFL, and they were looking for a girl to come to the Super Bowl, to the charity events, the golf and the bowling tournament, and sort of go around on the golf cart and sell 50-50 raffle tickets for NFL charities. So I did it and I won And then they did away with the whole pageant. But the gentleman, nick Nicolosi, who ran the charity golf and bowling classics, just kept me on as the reigning Miss NFL for years to come.

Speaker 3: And through that network of year after year of going to the Super Bowl, i'm now friends with Roger Goodell, the commissioner. I'm friends with all the owners And one of the owners was Mark Davis, who was a fan of mine And I learned this through our dear friend Kathy John Rockwell, who said there's a guy named Mark Davis who has some of your Olivia drawings And he's a huge fan of yours And you have to meet him. He's going to be in New York And I was in New York shooting something And I remember meeting Mark and he was just darling And we wound up becoming friends And years later, when he was building a brand new stadium in Las Vegas, i said Mark, with Las Vegas being the entertainment capital of the world, i think you need to put a premium wine program in. I've been going to every single stadium, all 32 teams. They don't have that, they don't have a sum, they don't have a wine program other than very basic duckhorn level or I don't know, barefoot or White or red, basically.

Speaker 1: White or red Yeah.

Speaker 3: And you get what you get, you don't get a percent. That's that. And I said, mark, we should put in a premium wine program where we should offer a varietal from White Burgundy, we should offer a varietal from Bordeaux, we should offer a varietal from Chile, argentina, malbec, we should get a top white and red from Napa with a great story behind it. So I came up with a list of 20 varietals from all around that are the top for their region And I put together this premium wine program And on game days I pair also wines with our celebrity chef for game day Brilliant. It's worked out so well And our stadium, allegiant Stadium, is number one in game day experience in all NFL And Mark really regards a lot of that as our wine program.

Speaker 2: I always check the wines she's doing too when she's at these events. I always see which one she's using, because I know one time you were using Hampton Water and you were using the other ones And I was like so. I always check to see what wines you're using.

Speaker 3: Well thank you Well. Hampton Water, the greatest was Jesse and John Bon Jovi Yes.

Speaker 1: Oh, that's the wine. You showed me the other day at the liquor store.

Speaker 3: Oh, so I've got the greatest thing to tell you. I mean and you're hearing it first So I actually was on the phone with John Bon Jovi last week. He called to thank me. He did. He called to thank me. First of all, ron Delsinger called and said oh, i got a Bon Jovi on the phone, i know. So I go. You have a Bon Jovi on the phone. I go oh, hey, jesse, he goes. No, it's not Jesse, it's John. And I go oh, hi, john, you know.

Speaker 2: It's just John Bon Jovi. What's up, john Bon Jovi? I'm driving in my car on the 10.

Speaker 3: And I go. Oh, hey, john, how are you? He goes. Well, i hear thank you is an order And I go. You know what It is? I go. You're right, i'm not going to lie. I got your wine into the Raider Stadium because we didn't have a rosé And I also got your rosé into the rooftop at the Waldorf in the story of Beverly Hills. Oh my gosh. So he goes, i know. I said now we have it in John George, and I think it's incredible. I said, but I have to tell you your winemaker's, your art or trend. I'm going to see him next week in France where I'm blending my very own rosé with your art for the Raiders.

Speaker 3: Oh cool amazing Raider rosé, because I have to keep this ball moving. I can't just have a premium wine program and you know, wine pair with the celebrity chef. We now have our own rosé And it's the most beautiful bottle, It's the most beautiful blend. I went and met with Gerard. I have a picture here somewhere.

Speaker 2: Don't do the glass top, it's so hard to get off.

Speaker 3: Yeah, no, i'm not doing the glass top. I hate the glass top. It was so hard to get my glass top. No, i want a cork. I'm a traditional gal.

Speaker 2: I really want a cork.

Speaker 3: No, I Rosé is my favorite, yeah, so way to you taste ours. So Gerard came out and I didn't think he would ever do another partnership because he did the partnership with the Banjovies, so I thought, well, he's not gonna. But he was a footballer and he really loves sports and he loved my story and he was into it And I flew out there and I learned what makes him the greatest rosé maker in the world. He has this rosé, $200 a bottle, called Clos du Temple, and so I was really smart. The day before we blended our rosé, i went to his vineyards of Clos du Temple and I learned what makes this rosé $200. Right, and I didn't mimic it, but I sort of. Ah, i actually have my little. These are my little wine samples. How important it is to me. Right, right, right, i think on my desk these are my two little wine samples that I got in France last week was your Edward Trand, where I blended my own rosé and when we did a blind taste, gerard picked my rosé over his own. Oh that's fabulous Wow.

Speaker 1: The mouth So cool.

Speaker 2: The most important thing with rosé is it can't be so dry that it makes you thirsty. It's gotta be, that little bit in between. Yeah, that perfect balance.

Speaker 3: Well, also on the nose, I want a floral note and so many lack it.

Speaker 2: They're so acidic and they're so cool.

Speaker 3: Yeah, and they almost have a malty beer-esque smell. I said a rosé should be floral and tropical fruit notes and it really entices you to wanna take a sip And drink more of it.

Speaker 2: Yeah and drink tons of it.

Speaker 3: So with that I said what brings me this floral note? I need to know how to get an abundance of this floral note And I learned that the very day before we did our blending. And then we did our blending and I felt like a little scientist. We had five different granache from different plots. We had different sensole, we had move-edre, we had vognier, we had all the different sera grapes that make up and we tasted them and did our little blend And it was honestly other than the two children I birthed was the greatest experience in my life.

Speaker 1: That is profound. That is so I am so proud of you, i am so impressed. That is amazing. How exciting.

Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't wait to come on. I was so excited. I just don't want anything to go wrong. I remember getting on the plane Air France and I go. If this plane actually takes off and brings me to France. I was flying into Toulouse I go, i'm not gonna believe this is happening until I'm there. And then I get there and I'm like, well, i'm not gonna believe this is happening until I'm actually blending with sera And it just all happened and they were so good to me And they gave me this welcome dinner and they treated me like a queen and gave me this room overlooking the vineyards.

Speaker 2: I saw the pictures. I followed those pictures in their baseball.

Speaker 3: Yes, i haven't posted about Gerard or the wine yet because I just thought, you know, i'm just gonna wait and announce it at the right time, whatever, but I just I'm so proud of it and I'm so excited about it.

Speaker 1: But I hadn't put it up myself. Yeah, when it does come out, sandy, we'll have to have you back on the show and we'll let everybody know it's out, and yeah that's very cool, but I'm going to try it because I love it, oh yeah. Everybody loves Rosé.

Speaker 3: It's the greatest one I've ever had And I feel like I've done so many Rosé tastings at my home I always have, you know, 15 or so girls come over and do you have to come? You got to go. Yeah, please, you got to come, and they taste Rosés and they write their little notes and vote on which one do you like and why do you like it. So I've done extensive research on Rosé So this has been in the making for so long. I wanted Rosé, like three years ago, and it came back and it was wrong. It was from Paso and it was 100% Grenache and it was too sweet and I had to bag it. I said I can't put my name on something that I'm not proud of And I bagged it, even after hiring graphic artists to work on my label.

Speaker 1: It was going to be called Pink Sand and it was beautiful, but you know, you know, you know what's right and what's not going to work, And you know it is what it is. And now I let it go.

Speaker 3: I let it go. I had to. I was like I can't go on shows and promote this. I can't go to Southern Wine and Spirits and say please distribute this when it doesn't have everything that I feel good about. So I just really let it go. And then, when it came to fruition, the Raiders didn't have a Rosé contract at the stadium. I said we need to do our own.

Speaker 1: I love it. You know it makes sense that there is a Somalia service at the stadium, because that particular stadium is state of the art right on every level. I haven't been yet and I'm dying to go. Lacey keeps saying whatever you want to go. Oh she comes all the time Right, and so that would make sense. That level of caliber of what you're doing goes hand in hand with that stadium in particular.

Speaker 3: Yeah Well, you've got high rollers that are gambling 9 million, 10 million a night in the MGM suite. They're hosting them, you know, and they want a Bordeaux. They don't want just any Bordeaux, they want a first growth Bordeaux. They want O'Brien, they want Muton Rothschild, they want, you know, they're gambling big, big, big money. They don't want Duckhorn.

Speaker 2: So do I, but I'm usually just doing scratchers somewhere.

Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, we have one of the greatest stadiums And it still has the intimacy of a football game, as opposed to somewhere like SoFi that's so big. You've got this auditorium where concerts are going on and movies are going on and they're filming a TV show, and it's like where's the football game? You know, every time I go I get lost to SoFi.

Speaker 3: And you have to go up to go down and you can't go around because you've got to go. And I'm like, oh my God, mark, when he built the stadium really kept the intimacy of the football game. That's what it's about, that's what you're there for, and you know you don't get lost. You go to section C25, you're at C25.

Speaker 2: Nice.

Speaker 3: You know, you know, you got it.

Speaker 2: You're like little piggies, so were you at the Super Bowl and stuff like that, because you're always there, right? So how?

Speaker 3: is that I've missed one Super Bowl since 1991. And that's because I had just gave birth to my son, So I've been to every single Super Bowl. It was wonderful. Phoenix is a great city. To host Was a great game. You know the teams were super evenly matched up This year, which doesn't always happen. A lot of times it's a blowout. It was a great game.

Speaker 2: And did you do the awards show again? Don't usually do. Yeah, we didn't do.

Speaker 3: No, we didn't do that. You didn't do it this year. No, the honors, NFL honors No, didn't go to that.

Speaker 2: Well, you're always there. I always love that You're usually there.

Speaker 1: It makes complete sense that this is the route that you've gone just by speaking to and your personality, And there is something here that it says Sandra Taylor is a world-class storyteller who brings a very unique quality to being a personal sommelier. And it's true, I can tell. And so I'm again just bravo to you for doing this and accomplishing this and what you're doing with it and creating your own wines, And it's just, it's lovely, It's a really neat route that you took. It's a rare thing to do.

Speaker 3: Well, i had to create a position because after working at the restaurant I said how do I combine the 30 years of acting and modeling into now being a psalm? Because I can't do the table to table thing much longer. My feet would kill. I mean, it was grueling. So I created my dream position and I put it out there and it worked. it hit, and it the very first season. it was so well received by the fans that we continued to do it and we continued to grow and we continued to move the needle and Yeah, this is only the beginning, Sandy.

Speaker 1: I mean, there's a lot ahead of you.

Speaker 3: So Well, I would love to have a whole radar line a Sauvignon Blanc, a Charte-Nay, you know, a blend, a Pino. Yeah, i would love to have it all. So That's wonderful. And I love Mark. Yeah, i think Mark Davis deserves so much credit in giving me the opportunity, not only as a woman some will yay because there aren't that many, but you know, in a man's world, sport and giving me that opportunity and trusting me with this budget. It's not a cheap thing Wine lockers. You need a budget for 20 different varietals and having stock on hand. And you know, i really say all the time and he wants no accolades, but he really deserves such credit to give this chance And that's wonderful.

Speaker 2: I have to say some, some will. Yay's that I've obviously seen. Some of the finer restaurants in the world are not, as they're a little snooty and you got all this personality passed out to just a good drink.

Speaker 3: Well, do you notice? a lot of times and I noticed this in my class they're very smart, psalms very smart, but they're not all outgoing and they don't all wanna talk to a table. I remember this one girl. Her name is Irina, she was Russian and she could recite way more than I could. As far as remembering everything we need to remember, i mean I would have to study so hard she would remember, but she doesn't wanna talk to people, she doesn't wanna go up to tables. She was like I couldn't work in a restaurant, she definitely couldn't work at a stadium and talk to fans on game day that are drinking And drinking, eating garlic fries and stuff.

Speaker 3: Yeah kind of it. yeah, so she a lot of Psalms are very smart chemical engineers, lawyers and very quirky and sometimes dorky and sometimes awkward.

Speaker 3: They just don't have the social charisma that you have, and that it comes from being in the entertainment industry for 20 plus years yeah, combining the two and sort of curtailing it in a way where you're making wine fun and educating people when they don't even realize. but my very first thing was what is the difference between champagne and prosecco? That was my first theme at the Raider Stadium And I remember one of my wine snooties. Kathy said well, how come you're doing that theme? It's so dumb. everyone knows the difference between champagne and prosecco. And I said no, they don't I go, because, guess what, i didn't.

Speaker 3: When I first started I said to myself what makes champagne 55 a bottle and prosecco, starting point, 15? Why, what is the difference? And when I did it, we shuffled out 20 at a time and I was booked every 20 minutes for the six hours that I was there that day and created them and everyone had the best time. I have to say, most of them picked the prosecco in the side by side, but they loved walking away with a few little nuggets of education.

Speaker 2: And they didn't feel embarrassed about saying that they didn't know, because you would say, oh, but this is the best part, it's this Yes yes.

Speaker 3: The different methods, the champagne, you know, traditionale and the charmant method, and what the grapes, the varietals in Italy and France, and all the differences that are, and they just loved it. And so it was the birth of this greatness. Was that one theme, champagne versus prosecco, that really did it. And knowing there's a thirst for knowledge and make wine fun and-.

Speaker 1: Absolutely, absolutely. It's not make people feel stupid, Right? exactly. I have to say the education part. So I'm a master esthetician. I had a skincare studio for 10 years in Newport Beach And that was absolutely my most favorite part of my clients is educating my clients on why you wanna be using these certain products and the ingredient technology and what it does. I loved it, I was passionate about it and they learned so much from it And then they are loyal to you. It's awesome. So I can totally appreciate that. That's a really fun aspect of it. How's my skin.

Speaker 2: You're gorgeous. You're looking fat, if you ever have any questions, though, please let me know I will Reach out.

Speaker 1: Good to know. So, okay, well, Hossam, what a fun, fun interview. So we like to end the show with two questions, and everybody always has a different answer And it's always so fun to hear what people have to say. So three words to be three words for you that define Hugh Hefner.

Speaker 3: Smart, kind And cute.

Speaker 1: Aw, i love that and cute he was. he was precious Smart, kind of cute.

Speaker 2: Hang on Sure. I love puppy, so that's all good to me.

Speaker 3: She's wanting to come up here.

Speaker 1: That's okay, that's fine, okay. So second question Had you had the opportunity to say anything to Hef before he passed, or in memoriam, what would you say?

Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you. Yep, that's the general answer, absolutely Thank you for your guidance, for your trust, for the opportunity And friendship For this journey.

Speaker 2: I always get teary at this part?

Speaker 1: Yeah, i am, we always do.

Speaker 2: We can't mess up her makeup. She has a job. Yeah, i was like what's happening?

Speaker 3: Okay, thank you. For just years of inclusion And making you feel like part of your family.

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, we were. there was a small percentage of us in the world, and we were also very grateful.

Speaker 2: She's always one of my favorite people, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3: And likewise I love puppy so much. I still have this little postcards You sent me with the pink girls on it right in my desktop right here I love.

Speaker 1: Well, go ahead and plug your website and anything other things that you're doing People can look out for. if you have any like social media profiles, anything you wanna plug My social media.

Speaker 3: I'm just Sandra Taylor. One on Instagram or the Beverly Hills Simulier And that is my website as well is thebeverlyhillsimuliercom, and look out for her at the Raiders Stadium.

Speaker 1: I saw a press with her. Yeah, you're amazing.

Speaker 2: Because she was. I swear she's never aged. First of all, she's never aged. She's done all this stuff And now I love wine. She's just like my favorite.

Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you so much for coming on the show, sandy. We really appreciate it. Yeah, you got it.

Speaker 3: Really thank you guys too, for the inclusion, because it makes me feel like part of the sisterhood Who you are. You look beautiful, kiss your puppy for me, both of them.

Speaker 1: You see, i don't know if you can see little monkey And the young ones, my cutie.

Speaker 2: Oh, look at them. They're all singing her little chin. They're always your favorite. Look at his little tongue. I love it. That's so cute. We'll have a wonderful evening tonight.

Speaker 1: Yeah, your event A successful evening. Yeah, and the show will be out in a couple of weeks, so I'll let you know when it's out. It'll be the video on YouTube and then audio, obviously everywhere else, so I will let you know when it comes out And let me know when the rosé is ready.

Speaker 2: Yeah.

Speaker 3: I'll get you a picture of the bottle as well, if I can Thank you.

Speaker 1: All right, darling, thank you, Sandy. Have a wonderful evening, love you, thank you, love you both. Bye, that was wonderful. Ok, so before we sign off, kathy, we're going to do a little shout out to our listeners around the world. Are you ready to? Are you ready?

Speaker 2: to. I don't have to speak languages, do I? Because?

Speaker 1: are you ready to spend the will, because we're about to go around the world.

Speaker 3: OK, ok, remember.

Speaker 1: OK, so let's go to Locations And let's check out. Ok, you just scroll through there and wherever you land, you land and we're going to do a shout out. Do I do it down here? No, no, no Screen, just go up or down, whatever you want to do.

Speaker 2: Actually I can't, It's not good. Oh, I see, I see, I see. Ok, I'm technically challenged.

Speaker 1: Here, what Wait? Wait, turn it. I got it. Turn up the brightness, There you go. No honey on the screen, Dear OK.

Speaker 2: She doesn't understand a dinosaur.

Speaker 1: No, you just touch the screen.

Speaker 2: OK.

Speaker 1: Like that. Oh, i see, like that. Ok, see all countries, there you go. So just scroll up and down right there. Ok, i'm going to close my eyes, not with your nails, but with your fingertips. Ok, go, just look, just decide. Taiwan How many listeners?

Speaker 2: Taiwan. This is zero four. No, it's a four.

Speaker 1: So, to our four listeners in Taiwan, to our four listeners in Taiwan, we thank you and we hope that you and the chef.

Speaker 2: Make some friends. You need them.

Speaker 1: Let more people know about us in. Taiwan Tell them about us please OK with that said I'm Echo.

Speaker 2: I'm Kathy and this is.

Speaker 1: The Bunny Chronicles. See you next time. Ah, woo-hoo, woo-hoo, woo-hoo, woo-hoo, woo-hoo.

Speaker 2: Woo-hoo, woo-hoo.