Episode 109: Grant Reynolds

In the Drink

This week on In the Drink, Joe Campanale is joined by Grant Reynolds, Wine Director at Charlie Bird. Grant began his career working in restaurants in his hometown of Lake Placid, New York. His passion for wine took him to Piemonte, Italy, where he lived for a year before returning to the United States to attend the University of Colorado. While in school, Grant worked in various restaurants and eventually found himself at to the renowned Frasca Food and Wine where he spent three years working on the floor as a sommelier under the influence of wine greats Bobby Stuckey and Matt Mathew. During Grant’s tenure, the wine team was nominated three times for Outstanding Wine Service by the James Beard Awards. After graduating, Grant went on to pass the Advanced exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, worked harvest at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and spent a few months at Noma in Copenhagen. In January 2013, Grant moved to New York City and began working for Grand Cru Wine Consulting under the leadership of Robert Bohr. He joined the Charlie Bird team in February 2013 and created the restaurant’s wine list with Robert. Less than a year after the opening of the restaurant, Grant was promoted to Wine Director. Grant was one of the finalists of the TopNewSomm competition, which recognizes excellence in the industry. He is one of the youngest Advanced Sommeliers in the country. This program was brought to you by Michter’s

“We have a very short wine by the glass selection and that’s intentional because we often have wines open. We don’t have a Chardonnay by the glass, but chances are we’ll have white Burgundy by the half bottle.” [20:00]

–Grant Reynolds on In the Drink