Want to drink wine with 5Church’s No. 1 beverage boss? Here’s how
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a Two-Buck-Chuck-loving newbie to the word of vintages, 5Church Charlotte has the perfect event for you: Its new sommelier series.
The first one, held Feb. 23, was all about sparkling wines. All 20 tickets sold fast.
The next one — seriously, get your ticket now — will be “50 Shades of Gris” from 6-7:30 p.m. April 6. Cost is $40 per person, which gets you four 4-ounce pours paired with a special selection of bites from Executive Chef Jamie Lynch, who recently appeared on “Top Chef.”
But let me repeat: You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to have a blast. In fact, 5Church’s Beverage Director Patricia Smith — the one who’ll lead you through each glass and pairing — is the complete opposite of a pretentious wine snob. She welcomes all those novice questions.
“My goal is to never make people feel stupid,” Smith says, “unless you’re shaking your empty scotch glass at me.”
Then? Well, all bets are off.
On that note, Smith is a total badass.
She’s 26, and lives in Charleston but spends most of her time traveling between 5Church’s Charleston, Charlotte and Atlanta locations.
A native of Carlsbad, Calif., Smith grew up around wine; her dad is a seller and collector. But her background is in the sciences — she has a master’s degree in genetics from the University of Missouri.
That knowledge of clones and genetic development helps her with her job now, she says — and with her goals. She’s now studying for her Level 2 sommelier exam in July.
According to Smith, 5Church owner Patrick Whalen has given her the ticket to grow.
She first met Whalen when she was a bartender at the Charleston location. It was her day off, but Smith had come in to clean the bar.
Whalen took her to dinner and asked: What are your goals?
“I want to take over your bar program,” Smith said.
Whalen’s reply? “You’re thinking too small.”
Three days later, Smith was promoted to bar manager.
You’ll also get some pro-tips.
Smith recommends that people start their celebrations with sparkling wine.
“The natural carbonation in Champagne carries the alcohol to the bloodstream faster,” she says. “People get drunker faster. … Champagne makes everybody jovial and happy.”
We started with salt and pepper shrimp with tempura fried kale and lemon aioli before moving to duck confit with berry gastrique.
The night ended with a plate of chocolate bites.
Get tickets for the April 6 event here. Tickets are $40/person (including gratuity and tax).
PHOTOS: BLUESKY BY CASS BRADLEY
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This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Want to drink wine with 5Church’s No. 1 beverage boss? Here’s how."