Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/580744
{ SOMMjournal.com } 1 19 much influenced the path of my life in that we were out the door barefoot and stayed out all day, and only came back inside if we were bleeding or thirsty or hungry. So much of it was sensory and experiential. Literally, we would put river rocks in our mouths, taste the bark or catch that lizard. The smells, tastes and sounds of being outside made us more observant of what was happening around us. And, when you smell a wine and say, "Oh, it's like the forest floor and there are pine needles or rotting mushrooms"— I have those evocative, sensory memories to help me develop tasting notes. Describe the educational component of City Winery. We try to maintain a balance between very serious and very fun. I think that learning about wine is fun, and I try to spread that mentality throughout the staff. So even if I might be in fancy clothes and a buttoned-up jacket, we can still play with knives, saber bottles and have a good time. But it is also serious business. We do intensive trainings that are rooted in salesmanship and service and then we do nerdy stuff with wine tastings. Once a month we also do a training session with a winemaker and have barrel tastings. Also, part of the job here is being involved in "the crush." We do everything from crushing to bottling, so the staff gets to taste and touch that whole process—which is what attracted me to City Winery. I get to work with a winemaker every day! The staff gets to have that experience and there is nowhere else in the city of Chicago where you can do that. There is also the musical aspect where every night you get to see a world-class performance while tasting world-class wines. Can industry members come into City Winery and participate in the crush? Yes! We love to involve industry members so they can learn about and participate in the process. With regard to hospitality at City Winery, how do you add your personal touch? Being the child of teachers with an anthropological academic background, I believe that everything is stronger the more you know and observe. The educational piece is really my strength and my legacy here. Knowing more drives sales. It's great hav- ing certifications and winning awards but at the end of the day, it's about being on the floor and giving customers a memorable, learning experience. Can you talk about City Winery's relationship with the industry? We want to create a network of beverage professionals in Chicago. I do a lot of work in the community to make sure that we have that network of shared experiences. I believe we will all be stronger together, and we should all support each other's businesses. We strive to be a center of sommelier activity in the city. What are qualities you would like to see in up-and- coming sommeliers? I really like to see the grit, determination and work ethic in young sommeliers. A lot of people see the shiny side of being a som- melier and do not understand that I, as a GM of three locations, mopped the floor every night, cleaned the bathroom, stocked all the shelves, lifted all the boxes and did all the financials. That needs to be the basis and the structure from which they can do all the fabulous things like blind tastings, sabering bottles or fancy food-wine pairings. A lot of people are trying on the sommelier thing because it's trendy or popular. I'm looking for people that want to be in wine for the long-term. What makes a great wine list to you? Well, I don't know if I'm a normal wine person. I will go to a restaurant and spend an hour looking at a wine list, reading it like a book. Consequently, I designed the wine list in that way so somebody who is super nerdy and likes literature like I do can read through it in a cohesive, relatable way. I also want it to be easy to navigate and not intimidating. We have the blessing and the curse of having a large list here with over 550 selections. It can be really daunting, so I want to also be point and click for those folks who need it to be. I strive to represent as many regions of grapes as possible to give a very classic representation and to also balance that with new, fresh, edgy wines and winemakers that are not classic representations. The list is also designed so that the weird, edgier wines that I'm interested in are also less expensive so that the incentive to purchase them is higher. Which wine destinations are on your bucket-list right now? Portugal has been on my list for some time. I feel it's right on the brink of falling into a very popular destination. It is so authentic and people are warm and welcoming and wine is such a part of the culture. It has a really interesting mix of New and Old World. There is ocean and mountain, and tropical all in the same country—and you can tackle the whole country because of its small size. South Africa is also becoming a very important part of the dialogue around wine, and it is very relevant because of the speed at which they are moving. The wine culture there is very young even though the soil and the vines and the grapes are ancient. The actual, flourishing wine market is just happening. They are truly honing in on what works and in which regions. The range of their climate and the talent that is there is amazing. I'm trying to get there because what they are doing is innovative, and much of the South African wines worth knowing about are not on the radar and are not available in the U.S. Last, I obsessively want to go to New Zealand because it is gorgeous and hobbits live there. It's halfway around the world and it is a magical place with varying expressions of wine. They are making beautiful, distinct, stunning wines right now. What makes the City Winery Chicago location stand out from others? Chicago is the friendliest and most welcoming city. From the guest that is new to wine to the seasoned drinker, they are all embrac- ing the City Winery experience. Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: