Daniel Pucci & Emily Acosta

Teaches at La Scuola at Eataly Flatiron

Daniel Pucci cut his teeth in the world of wine working for over 4 years as a sommelier and manager at Eataly and Otto. Most recently he directed food & beverage pairings at the critically acclaimed chef’s table pop-ups at Box Kite in which he integrated cider into a number of their tasting menus. He had the distinction of being listed in Zagat's 30 Under 30 this year. He is currently working on a several cider projects for the fall, including an Urban Cider sourced entirely from apples from New York City. 

Emily Acosta graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2007, and achieved her Master’s Degree in Food Studies from NYU in 2013. Most of her academic research focused on the intersection between food, the arts, and technology. After a brief stint in finance, her passion for food led her to a variety of food jobs, from practicing affinage in underground cheese caves, to working in a chocolate factory, to her current role as Cheesemonger at Eataly New York. Emily was the first woman and first New Yorker to win the prestigious Cheesemonger Invitational competition in 2014 against almost 50 competitors from around North America, and was named one of Zagat's 30 Under 30 in 2015. She also proudly serves as producer of the cheese-themed Cutting the Curd podcast, which broadcasts weekly on the Heritage Radio Network.