Drink Up
Cutting edge sommelier leaves the Houston restaurant world behind for the country club life
Talented sommelier Vanessa Trevino Boyd is leaving the world of restaurants behind. Trevino Boyd revealed on Facebook that Friday was her last day at 60 Degrees Mastercrafted, because she's accepted a position at the Lakeside Country Club in West Houston.
After arriving in Houston from New York and making a splash at Philippe, Trevino Boyd worked with 60 Degrees chef/owner Fritz Gitschner to give the River Oaks restaurant a wine list that's as distinguished as its signature akaushi steaks.
"I think it's a challenge. I've always been one for a challenge," Trevino Boyd tells CultureMap. "I'm looking forward to bringing a fresh outlook on wine to a country club."
"As a woman, I almost have a responsibility to introduce new, cutting edge wines to people."
For a woman dedicated to the concept of hospitality, the opportunity to build close relationships with regular customers, in this case club members, holds significant appeal. She cites celebrity chef Daniel Boulud as her inspiration, because she says he measures a restaurant's quality by its number of repeat customers. She's particularly looking forward to reaching younger patrons who may have inherited a membership and are looking for something new.
"As a woman, I almost have a responsibility to introduce new, cutting edge wines to people," she says. "There's an opportunity for wines with a place, wines with a story. Wine is about travel. It's not just about a label. It's so much more than that. People are ready for wines with a story."
While Trevino Boyd says she'll miss working at a place where her friends can come visit her to try new arrivals, she's proud of what she accomplished at 60 Degrees. "It helped that Fritz was very open-minded. He wanted wine to complete the restaurant experience," she says.
Now she'll be completing the restaurant experience for country club members. Enjoy your sparkling roses, Lakesiders.
