Carolyn grew up in a small town in East Tennessee, which was about as far removed from the world of fine wine as you might imagine. She moved to New York at 19, worked some truly odd jobs for a time, and eventually stumbled into a job at one of John DeLucie’s restaurants doing reservations. Almost by accident over the next 15 years, she moved from the dark, oven-like basement office into the light of the front-of-house in various restaurants across the city. Along the way, she graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Economics that she never used, and she discovered her love of wine and spirits.

While working as a captain at Jean Georges, she received her Court of Master Sommeliers Certified pin. She then moved on to work as a Junior Sommelier at Frevo before leaving restaurants behind to join the dark side in distribution as a sales representative.

When she is not lugging a backpack full of wine across 3 boroughs, she enjoys hiking upstate, singing loudly in the car, walking her girlfriend’s dog, and making an absolute mess in the kitchen.