Today we’d like to introduce you to Virginia Busch.
Hi Virginia , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My passions in life have always been family, travel, food, animals, and wildlife. I knew I wanted to work in the family business, and I was lucky to be able to combine my passion for wildlife conservation and hospitality by working for Busch Entertainment, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies. My father, August Busch III, was passionate about this side of the business because it was a way to introduce Budweiser and other Anheuser-Busch products directly to the consumer. He loved meeting guests at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. As a child I loved traveling with my Dad to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, and while he went to meetings, I went to the zoo. From a young age I knew introducing families to wildlife through the zoo exhibits was a way to spark interest and passion about the animals. I wanted to raise awareness about endangered species and wild places and knew that making connections about those species could ignite a passion to conserve their counterparts in the wild; I channeled that passion into working at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens as an adult. Helping found the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund and serving as a liaison for many non-profit wildlife organizations, I learned that “Making friends is our business” was not only about selling beer but making connections to further conservation initiatives as well. I continued my journey with wildlife conservation and education by leading the Endangered Wolf Center for a decade before founding Prost.
Sustainability is at the core of many conservation issues and an aspect that intrigues me is the intersection of environment and food. Through my decades of work in the conservation field, I wanted to raise awareness about how healthy ecosystems affect our food production. I am fascinated with how much passion vintners have for the microclimate and its health in producing an exceptional, low-intervention wine. All of our wines at Prost are sustainably grown, clean wines.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting any business as an entrepreneur is always challenging. For me, learning the many laws and regulations that surround importing and selling an alcohol beverage has been the steepest learning curve. I love a challenge and learning new things, so it has been fun digging into the system aspect of this business.
As you know, we’re big fans of Prost . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I founded Prost in 2022 to create a community around a great glass of wine. Prost imports rare, premium wines, most of which can’t be found anywhere else in the U.S. These wines are rarely exported, biodynamic, made from sustainably grown grapes, and reflect the terroir of their origin. Prost currently focuses on wines imported from Switzerland because they are a rare find in the U.S.; less than two percent of Swiss wines are exported a year, and we are proud to introduce them to the St. Louis community.
Prost is a small business so I am a “Jack of all Trades.” One day I am working on new orders from our winemakers, and the next day I am hosting a tasting for Prost members. I do it all with the help of a few colleagues.
I am proud to grow a brand with core DNA of quality, sustainability, hospitality, community, and joy as I connect adventure-seeking, travel-loving foodies who want to experience new tastes and flavors through wine. Each wine we introduce at Prost events tells a story of the family that produced it and the place it was grown, hopefully inspiring people to visit the places they come from. My memories are intertwined with amazing flavor explosions, and I want to bring that to you.
Prost membership offers unique wine tastings once a month at different locations throughout the STL region; each event features new wines from the Prost portfolio so the member builds a curated collection of wines they love for their enjoyment.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
St. Louis is an amazing city. I love that within 30 minutes of most counties you can be in Clayton, Kirkwood, Webster or downtown. The food scene here is spectacular, from the Hill with so many Italian options to eating at a James Beard Award winning chef restaurant to amazing Thai food in the loop. Our Zoo is wonderful, and we have the added benefit of Forest Park as well. It’s a great place to raise a family with so many wonderful school options.
I think the hardest part about living in St. Louis is if you are not from here it can be a bit difficult to meet people and form a community of your own. That’s why I enjoy bringing people from all walks of life together for a Prost event — we are building a community with shared interest.
Contact Info:
- Website: prostwine.com
- Instagram: prostwine
- Facebook: prostwine
