Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/221505
Taking Inventory with. . . Matt Tunstall Sommelier, Husk, Charleston, South Carolina M att Tunstall's wine education was influenced not only by studying to become a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, but by hands-on experience. He describes one of his most memorable moments as being the first time he opened a world-class wine. "I tasted it over a period of hours," he notes. "As it opened, it became a different animal every time I tasted it. I was hooked." It was while he was working as a server at PlumpJack Café that the Memphis, TN, native truly realized this could be his career. "I was working with servers who had been in the business for ten or more years, and they all had a tremendous love of all things food and wine," he says. "They showed me that you could do this as a career," he says. After three years of learning the ins and outs of how a well-oiled restaurant runs, Tunstall became Assistant General Manager with PlumpJack Management Group's new, ingredient-driven property, Jack Falstaff, where he developed the restaurant's expansive list focused on cult California and domestic houses. After stints at Orson Restaurant and as Wine Director at San Francisco's Shanghai 1930, Tunstall headed to the East Coast, where he served as Sommelier at The Sanctuary Hotel, a five-star resort in Kiawah Island, SC. Joining Husk in 2011, Tunstall brings to his position as Sommelier not only the memory of that eye-opening wine tasting, but a desire to share his experience and enthusiasm with guests. In procuring wine and managing inventory, he is always on the hunt for exceptional vintages that pair well with Executive Chef Sean Brock's cuisine and that will both be a surprise to the guest while also a comfortable fit for his or her meal. When he's not pouring wine, tasting, or making Matt Tunstall. sure Husk is running smoothly, Tunstall, who is married and lives in Ravenel, SC, just outside of Charleston, might be out on the water fishing or closer to home playing jazz guitar. THE "5" LIST Matt Tunstall's Top Five Faves 1 Wine lists with themes. I like a selection that's well-curated, precise, and to the point. 2 Meeting farmers and visiting farms to see where my food comes from. 3 Visiting vineyards, wineries and traveling the world to taste and learn about wines and where they come from. 4 Gardening and raising my own proteins. We have a spot where my wife and I raise rabbits and chickens at home. 5 A restaurant with clean bathrooms. It says a lot about what they care about and attention to detail. Matt Tunstall's Five Pet Peeves 1 Wines that are not served at the proper temperature, especially when it comes to reds. 2 Guests who empty their pockets on the dinner table. I'm not sure it's wholly appropriate to put your "life" on the table: keys, phone, wallet, etc. 3 An unwelcoming host at a restaurant. It's nice to feel greeted and invited into a place before you have dinner. 4 Unfriendly waitstaff—we're in the hospitality industry, right? 5 A snobby sommelier. There is so much language surrounding wines now that we can be descriptive without talking down to the guests. 150 / the tasting panel / december 2013 TP1213_104-148.indd 150 11/23/13 8:38 PM