My Story
There has always been a certain magic about restaurants that I've struggled to explain. The closest I come is that they occupy a space in our world where these transient moments occur.
Some of our greatest memories happen in restaurants. First dates where the waiter asks if something is wrong with the dish because you spend more time longingly looking into each other's eyes than you do eating. Meetings with business associates where you feel as if your very fate hangs in the balance and you can almost see the fork in the road before you. Respites where no matter how terrible the burned coffee is, you're grateful for the booth you sit in and the time you have to gather your thoughts before your next move.
Throughout my professional career, I've worked in the front of house, and the back of house, and everything in between. What I do could easily be written off as a 'side gig' or job you take to pay the bills until you can achieve your dreams. But the simple fact is, this is my dream.
I'm studying to become a sommelier.
And as somebody who was born and raised in the wilds of Northern Nevada, I firmly believe that I, like my hometown, is capable of so much more. While Reno is often painted as a joke, and the bulk of professional advice I hear is how I need to relocate somewhere with more opportunities like Napa Valley or New York, I'm very confident about living and working here. Reno is on the cusp of a great change where some of our bakeries, bars, coffeeshops, and restaurants are starting to attract national attention. While I could very well move somewhere else to pursue these goals, I'd rather stay here and continue drawing focus to this place I love so much.
While this educational journey is often a solo one, populated by hours reading about malolactic fermentation and tasting the subtle differences between Left Bank and Right Bank Bordeaux while soft jazz plays in the background, I know it won't always be. There will be many times I must rely on fellow sommeliers, winemakers, distributors, and so many others to help further my goal. That includes you, reading this, possibly wondering what could encourage somebody to pursue this often overwhelming, incredibly audacious goal of becoming a sommelier.