CHRIS GAITHER, MASTER SOMMELIER
Chris’s storied hospitality career spans over 20 years. His first restaurant job in Atlanta was a means to an end — a way to pay his bills while attending Morehouse College. He immediately loved the challenge of serving tables, the fast pace, the attention to detail, and the imperative to continue to learn about food and wine.
After spending years working at some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants, his passion and curiosity for wine led him to apply for — and receive — a coveted wine internship at The French Laundry. There, Chris went from having a mere interest in wine to being devoted to wine. He moved to San Francisco to work as a Sommelier at Spruce, where he first tasted Brown Estate’s Napa Valley Zinfandel and fell in love with the Brown Estate origin story. After a visit to the estate, and a meeting the Brown family, Chris was hooked. He decided then and there to eventually work with Brown Estate in the future. From his position as Lead Sommelier at Spruce to Wine Director at Restaurant Gary Danko, and during stints at Sociale, Michael Mina, and Octavia, Chris continued to be not only an ardent fan of Brown Estate, but became a friend of the family. Chris in 2018 opened Ungrafted with his wife, Master Sommelier Rebecca Fineman.
In August 2022 Chris obtained his own Master Sommelier credential, making him one of four Black Master Sommeliers in the world. In May of 2023 he and Rebecca opened Glu Glu wine bar at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. Having successfully opened two hospitality ventures, Chris decided to pursue his lifelong dream to join one of the most prominent wineries in Napa: Brown Estate. In March of 2024 he became a full-time member of the Brown team, running wine education and direct to consumer sales.
Chris’s numerous accolades include:
• 2012 Best New Sommeliers (Wine and Spirits Magazine)
• 2013 Top New Somm Competition Winner (Guild of Sommeliers)
• 2013 Zagat 30 Under 30