The Author

          My name is Christopher Wilson, or Chris for short, and I am your humble author. I have always been a great lover of wine, and have been lucky enough to turn this passion into a hectic but rewarding lifestyle in the luxury service industry as a wine steward and sommelier. 

          I was born in Paris, France to a Lebanese father and an Ukrainian-American mother, all places with a heritage as steeped in wine as it gets. Early on, I would be allowed to taste sips of wine at Christmas, Easter and other special occasions. Eventually, I started poring over maps of wine regions and their history. I grew to enjoy trying to pick out telltale aromas and flavors. I took a very informative class on the science of wine in college. Each nugget of knowledge gained would leave me sprinting to find the next one, until at 25, I started an in-depth education in wine and spirits in preparation for the Court of Master Sommeliers examinations. It would take my move to my favorite city in the United States, Washington DC, to finally get the ball rolling in earnest.

          As I had never worked in the service industry despite my blossoming interest in viniculture, I complimented those studies at a premiere fine-dining location; the storied Occidental Grill and Seafood, “Where Statesmen Dine”. Starting as a maître d’, I carried out my hosting duties and provided support to servers and bartenders whenever they needed help with the restaurant’s extensive wine list. 

In times of great traffic, I was trusted with support duties as well, such as food-running, light table-touching and wine bottle service. I gleaned as much information from the general manager, who doubled as the resident wine steward, and exchanged with him notes, maps and books until he trusted me to serve on the floor in tandem with my maître d’ position.

           I then briefly moved to California, where I worked at the Marina Wine Bar in Long Beach, a boutique bar specializing in the sale and servicing of a rotating wine and craft beer list. It was there that I first truly mangled my wrist opening an incalculable number of bottles. Thankfully, I was nursing the pain with absolutely lovely locally-sourced vintages. I was so enchanted by California that I hope to return to it and perhaps settle down there.

           Upon my return to Washington DC, I found a job as a sommelier at the Sofitel Hotel Lafayette, a luxury hotel downtown. It is there that I grew the most in my capacity as a wine steward. Having passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified accreditation, I put those skills to work as the hotel’s wine expert, curating the wine list, and organizing guided tastings, private dinners and events featuring both classic and eccentric wines that I fell in love with.

          The universe of viniculture is as vast as it is fascinating, and this website is simply my continuation in exploring it with the zeal it deserves. And as I continue my lifelong education in the vast world of wine, I hope to share some of this knowledge with all my guests, both here and in person. I hope you enjoy reading these works as much as I delight in writing them.