Meet The Team: Annemarie D'Alessandro

By Annemarie D'Alessandro,

Hi! My name is Annemarie and I’ve been a team member here at Passion Vines for almost a year. Working at Passion Vines has been great because of the flexibility in scheduling, the numerous opportunities for growth, and the education! In the short time I have been here, I was able to develop as a leader on the floor as a manager on duty and I have become a key member of the web department. Wearing multiple hats during my shifts has strengthened my time management skills, attention to detail, and communication skills.

The education during every shift is unparalleled. We have team huddles at the beginning of each shift where we learn about new products and other things like how different grapes or barrels can affect the flavor profiles of the finished product. Did you know that Italian wines have a classification system? Italian wines labeled with DOCG were produced under the greatest restrictions and typically have the greatest value. DOC labeled wines also have restrictions, but they are not as strict as DOCG and therefore tend to have a lower value. IGT labeled wines have fewer restrictions than DOC labeled wines and are lower in value. VDT labeled wines do not have any specific restrictions and are the lowest valued wines. Restrictions for all the classifications apply to the geographical region from where the grapes are harvested and where the wine is actually produced!

Outside of work, I am a senior undergraduate student at Stockton University. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology, and I am hoping to land a job in the medical research field after graduation in May. I am currently taking my last batch of high-level science classes so most of my time is spent in the lab or researching various topics in the library. I am also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success which is an invitation-only society based on your GPA and leadership within the collegiate community. In order to become an inducted member with graduation honors you must complete over 12 hours of leadership training, which I will have completed by the end of this coming week.

I am also a traveling competitive member and President of Stockton Gymnastics! I have been in charge of the team’s finances since the spring of 2019, which allowed me to get the team to Nationals for the first time last year where we broke a world record for the most consecutive backflips! I also created the Osprey Classic, the annual home meet that the team hosts every spring semester. This year I was able to design brand new competitive leotards for the team and even though our season was cut short, we were able to compete in them for the Rutgers University home meet back in February. We were also set to compete at Regionals and Nationals for the second time in club history this year!

College has always thrown things at me last minute, and with gymnastics I am always traveling. This makes it very difficult to work during the semester, but Passion Vines has been exceptional with scheduling around it all! I love that Michael Bray and all the Managers in the back are always hands-on and involved with the storefront. It’s awesome having an owner that knows your name and is willing to assist you in your growth, even if it means writing a recommendation letter for another employer. Everyone here at Passion Vines wants everyone else to succeed, and it creates a positive working environment that I have not been able to find anywhere else!