NYC Wine Bar to San Francisco: How Maryse Cracked the Wine Code Pt. 2

Tonight's Episode

Some people are trained into wine. Maryse Chevriere talked her way in on pure enthusiasm — and it turned out to be the perfect qualification. In this episode she tells Forrest Kelly how a manager went to bat for her despite her being "green," echoing the philosophy her chef husband lives by: give him someone hungry to learn over someone he'd have to un-train.

From there, Maryse walks through the pivot that shaped her path — leaving New York not because she'd outgrown the wine bar, but because she was ready for a new experience and drawn to the easy access to wine country that San Francisco offered. She admits she wasn't overthinking the cross-country move in her late 20s, which she figures is exactly the right way to make big decisions: try it, and change course if it doesn't work.

The conversation lingers on a standout wine-country memory — a Napa producer pouring an unexpectedly aromatic Grignolino, a grape you rarely see, that felt gloriously out of type for the region — though her heart belongs to cooler-climate Sonoma Pinot.

Then Forrest turns to the main event: How to Sound Wine Smart. Maryse explains how her Instagram account revealed that wine's real barrier isn't the wine — it's the language. People freeze at the shop or restaurant, unsure what they're being sold, and just nod along. Most wine books bury terminology in a tiny glossary at the back; she wanted to flip that, building a fun, visual, genuinely useful resource that reads like a friend talking over a glass rather than a textbook. Forrest praises the book's approachable breakdowns — like how to actually taste a glass of wine — and Maryse sums up her whole mission in a sentence: make it easy to digest, and make it sound human.

For the Wine-Curious listener, this one's a permission slip: you don't need to be trained, and you don't need to fake it. You just need the right words.

@thebestwinepod

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Key Takeaways

Maryse Chevriere entered the wine industry through enthusiasm rather than formal training, and was given an opportunity by a manager who valued her eagerness to learn over prior experience.

She moved from New York to San Francisco in her late 20s to access wine country and pursue new experiences, approaching the major decision without overthinking it.

Maryse identified that wine's main barrier is not the product itself but the language and terminology used to describe it, which causes people to feel uncertain in shops and restaurants.

She created a visual, accessible resource that explains wine terminology in a conversational, human tone rather than using traditional textbook-style glossaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Maryse leave New York for San Francisco?

She was ready for a new experience and drawn to San Francisco's easy access to wine country, not because she had outgrown her wine bar position.

What wine memory does Maryse highlight from wine country?

A Napa producer pouring an unexpectedly aromatic Grignolino, a rarely seen grape that felt out of type for the region.

What is Maryse's preferred wine style?

Cooler-climate Sonoma Pinot.

What problem does Maryse's book address?

Wine's real barrier is the language and terminology used to describe it; her book flips the traditional approach by making terminology accessible and conversational rather than burying it in a glossary.

What philosophy does Maryse's chef husband follow?

He prefers to hire someone hungry to learn over someone he would have to un-train.