Interview With The Founder Of Aphrodise – Frank Schilling

In this exclusive feature on Glass of Bubbly we speak with Frank Schilling, the incredible founder of Aphrodise, in Greece, let’s find out a little about his life in the Greek wine industry.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Frank, Can You Tell Us A Bit About Yourself & What Inspired You To Create Aphrodise?

“I always admired the level of sophistication that seemed to follow the request: “I’d like a glass of Champagne.” But, I was frustrated that Champagne came with all of these restrictions in regard to how it made people feel…“You can’t drink too much of it in the sun.” “Oh, gosh look out for that hangover tomorrow.” Or Tom Cruise’s famous line in Cocktail, “Champagne: Perfume going in, sewage coming out.”

I like to drink and unfortunately, the Champenoise method comes with some unfortunate side effects for many people. I knew I could curate a better product to market.

I met Gabi Petrylaite at a fundraiser for children with special needs in New York and as beautiful as she was on the outside, she was even more beautiful and incredibly talented on the inside. She tasted the early prototypes of Aphrodise with me after I had spent time in Greece perfecting the taste. With years of marketing expertise under her belt after running her own brand marketing agency, Gabi immediately understood what we could accomplish together positioning this beautiful product as a brand category.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“It was a beautiful wedding on a fabulous golf course, and I think I might have tried to climb a tree afterwards having consumed too much. And, I definitely remember the splitting hangover the following day that took me the better part of a week to recover from. It was one of the best Champagnes money can buy, and will remain nameless out of courtesy and respect.”

How Do You See The Future Of Greek Sparkling Wine?

“Greece is an under-appreciated wine producing Country. The Greeks are among the earliest civilizations to create and consume wine, and while the collective wines from their region are not all uniformly spectacular, there are some varietals that stand out among the absolute best anywhere. Within that sub-group, there are an elite few that have special characteristics found in no other wines in the World. I believe the star has only begun to rise over the best offerings from Greece.”

For Anyone Looking To Discover Aphrodise, Can You Share With Us Some Of The Countries And Locations That Currently Serve Your Sparkling Rosé?

“Certainly! Our product is less than a year to market and is primarily available in the hotspots of the East Coast in the United States – Miami, New York City, and the Hamptons. We are beginning to grow in Nevada, Texas, and Los Angeles. Anyone can purchase Aphrodise and ship it straight to their door in the United States through our site http://shop.drinkaphrodise.com/.

Aphrodise is available in Greece, of course, with limited distribution from Greece to the EU. For example, you can find us on the rooftop patio of the Ritz-Carlton in Vienna this summer. We have just agreed to ship our first container to the UAE, and we have been asked for it by name in Saudi Arabia.

We are growing and plan to be everywhere soon!”

When It Comes To Pairing Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“Light foods go best with all sparkling wine. Aphrodise is special in that it can be lavishly enjoyed in the sun and humidity, and very easily paired with foods consumed in that setting.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“As we were prototyping Aphrodise, I sent 91 bottles to a private island near Ibiza for a dear friend’s 4-day birthday celebration. The guests were a worldly bunch. Most had their preferences and knew their drink. The host ribbed me for sending “such a ridiculously large amount of bubbly that nobody would consume.”

I knew we had a hit on our hands when people started ordering mimosas with Aphrodise on Day 2 after ripping through most of the delivery on Day 1! At the end of Day 2, people were hoarding bottles in their rooms, and there was scarcely enough left for a birthday toast on the final day.

There’s no bubbly experience more memorable than curating something to market that people universally regard as special.”

Thank you Frank, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Frank Schilling. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.