Johns Island
Good wine. Great people.
Meet your guides.
Curious palates, generous hosts and plenty of opinions. Get to know the people behind SOMM.
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Your SOMM host
Jordan Hooker
Sommelier/Owner
From Columbus, Ohio
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 26
- Wine Regions Visited
- 20
- Harvests Worked
- 0
- Bottles Accidentally Broken
- An embarrassing amount
- Best wine trip
- Sicily
- Oldest Bottle Tasted
- 1978 Bodega Corral Grand Reserve Tempranillo
- Wine Hot Take
- Nutritional Labels need to be on the bottles. I said what i said
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Rachel Mason
Part Time Sommelier, Full Time Somm Groupie
From Raleigh, NC
Pouring notes
- Years in Hospitality
- 6
- Wine Regions Visited
- 7
- Bottles Accidentally Broken
- 0 but don't jinx me
- Favorite grape
- Chardonnay. ABC BABY! Always Bring Chardonnay
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SOMM ambassador
Poppy Vermentino
Somm Ambassador & Emotional Support Puppy
From Charleston
Pouring notes
- Years in Hospitality
- 3
- Favorite Food Pairing
- Pumpkin, blueberries & yogurt
- Bottles Accidentally Broken
- 4 - watch out for my tail
- Current Obsession
- Lambys 🐑
- Wine Hot Take
- Dropping charcuterie on the floor is actually essential
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Joey Jakus
Chef & Charcuterie Artist
From Philadelphia
Pouring notes
- Years in Hospitality
- 20
- Favorite Food Pairing
- Chardonnay with scallops
- Most Overrated Wine Trend
- 19 crimes
- After-Shift Drink
- Cold Beer🍻
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Kyle Skinner
Sommelier/Server
From Westborough, MA
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 5 years
- Wine regions visited
- 12
- Best wine trip
- I did a study abroad throughout the wine regions of Germany and France in my third year of college!
-
Tim Stracener
General Manager
From Athens, GA
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 21
- Wine Regions Visited
- 8
- Bottles Accidentally Broken
- 1
- Most Overrated Wine Region
- Napa Valley
- Non-Wine Drink of Choice
- Fortaleza Blanco Tequila
- Wine Hot Take
- Sulfites aren't the reason you get a headache.
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Caroline Buttarazzi
Sommelier & Event Coordinator
From Charlottesville, VA
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 10
- Wine Regions Visited
- 4
- All-Time Favorite Bottle
- 2013 Graci Contrada Barbabecchi Quota 1000 🍷
- Wine Hot Take
- chilled reds > orange wines
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Taylor Dahl
Sommelier & social media gal
From Waseca, MN
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 15
- Current obsession
- Graci Etna Rosso or an Albariño
- Best wine trip
- Champagne, FR 🍾
- Preferred Glass
- a stem and so thin it feels like it could snap in your fingers
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Joe Smith
Sommelier / retired winemaker
From Folly Beach, SC
Pouring notes
- Years in hospitality
- 31 years
- Wine Regions Visited
- Over 12 ✈️
- Harvests Worked
- 15
- Most Underrated Region
- Rouge Valley Oregon
- Most Overrated Wine Trend
- Natty Wines
- After-Shift Drink
- Cold Beer
- Wine Hot Take
- All wine bottles should be 1 liter minimum and no more foil wrappers on bottles
