Nails of New York: Jordan Salcito

Our newest Nails of New York features Jordan Salcito, founder and CEO of Drink RAMONA, an organic canned wine spritz brand with an exciting following - we're huge fans of the delicious Italian drink and love the convenience of a can. Jordan is also the director of wine special projects for Momofuku and has always looked at wine as an interesting way to connect people from different backgrounds. Read more to learn how she set out to elevate the accessible wine market (with an emphasis on quality ingredients), gravitates towards bold graphics when it comes to her nail art choices, and how she's inspired by stories and lessons form friends that she admires. 

How did you pick your manicure and color combo?

It was hard to choose! Ultimately I went with color that feels like RAMONA, our organic canned wine spritz, as part of the Golden Girls manicure. The bold graphics remind me of the Russian Constructivist art that inspired our label, and there is something extremely fun about gold foil on nails. 

In one word, how does your manicure make you feel? 

Polished!

Any funny, nostalgic nail moments or what's your earliest nail memory?

When I worked as a sommelier in strict, fine dining restaurants my nails were required to either be unpainted or pale pink. Now that I own my company, I love using a mani as a platform for self-expression. 

Tell us about your journey to starting RAMONA. 

I have always loved wine's ability to connect people of different interests and industries. The 'accessible wine' market has long relied on the lowest quality grapes, chemically farmed and full of additives, presumably under a premise that people who want something approachable don't care about quality or know any better. A few years ago, after taking an incredibly intense wine exam, I learned I was pregnant unexpectedly. On maternity leave, I had time and space to really form the idea for and ultimately create RAMONA - an organic Italian wine spritz in a can, essentially an alter ego to my fine-wine background. 

The best RAMONA pairing? 

RAMONA x spicy fried chicken at Legacy Records. 

When do you get your best ideas and from where do you draw your inspiration?

Best ideas tend to come either in the shower, blowdrying hair, or during brainstorm conversations with my team. Inspiration comes from so many places! Books, museums, Instagram, friends, film, stories and lessons from people I admire. 

Three things you're into right now? 

Ballet, podcasts, and baking with my son!