“A bottle starts a conversation,” says Morgan Calcote, general manager and beverage director of FIG Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. She says what first drew her to wine—and what keeps her in the industry—is “how it connects you to other people.”
Morgan got her start in the restaurant industry while a student at the College of Charleston, and it bloomed into a full-time job after graduation. But it was in her travels to New Zealand, where she was able to see where wine was made, that she got hooked. “A bottle also tells the story of the winemaker, a vintage, and a place-connecting you to people across greater distances,” she explains.
She’s been working at FIG for six years, where she helps curate the wine list and manage the staff. She says the role of sommelier is currently evolving. “The face of today’s sommelier is a lot different than it was 20 years ago,” she explains. “It’s awesome seeing the growing number of women involved in the wine community and taking leadership roles in restaurants.”
And, ultimately, Morgan says whether partaking in wine or working in wine, no one should take it too seriously: “Wine should be fun!” Her “fun” pick for Wine of the Week is … Ciro Picariello Fiano Irpinia 2017.
Learn all about Calcote’s Wine of the Week at groknation.com.