INTRIGUING WINE AFICIONADO
Amanda McCrossin’s favorite quote is from Steve Martin: ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you.’ “It’s simple and obvious, but it somehow works as a great mantra whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, or in need of a little direction,” said the wine connoisseur/sommelier known to her Instagram fans and YouTube subscribers as the ‘sommvivant.’ McCrossin found her wine country footing as head sommelier at PRESS; she arrived at the lauded St. Helena eatery in 2015 when its wine list had already made the James Beard shortlist a number of times for ‘outstanding wine program.’ “Night after night, we’d open these time capsules that gave us a glimpse into decades of Napa Valley long before any of us were even born,” said McCrossin, who has since ventured out on her own after nearly five years at her dream job. “Working at PRESS was truly the role of a lifetime, but my timing couldn’t have been better as the world found itself in need of everything I was already doing. I could never have imagined that the entire industry would pivot overnight to virtual platforms, but I was certainly ready for it when it did.” Her days and nights are now spent exploring and sharing her wine and restaurant discoveries with an enthusiastic audience that seeks insider information. Between juggling multiple projects and navigating an ever-changing landscape, her objective is not to fall off the runaway train she conducts. “I’m trying to hang on for dear life without smudging my makeup and forgetting to smile,” she laughed. “My role as a trusted agent and being a voice in the wine world is something I value tremendously, but I’m also acutely aware of the responsibility that inherently comes with that.” Said her friend Jeff Meisel, VP Brand Development, Long Meadow Ranch, and Stony Hill, “Amanda craves knowledge and as such researches the backstories that shape her understanding and opinion of every wine she tastes. She brings an infec- tious, positive energy to everything she does.”
Article By: Fran Miller
