I’m the Somm — Angie An
Founder, AngieSomm
As soon as I realized that being a sommelier was a real job, that’s what I’ve wanted to do. The problem was that I didn’t seem to fit the profile of what many thought a sommelier was supposed to be — whatever that was, I wasn’t it. As the somm at a fancy steakhouse I’d get called over for a recommendation, and I’d get this look like “…you’re the somm?” Or several years later when I was working at a wine shop, I’d get people in line waiting to ask a question, and start looking anxious hoping they wouldn’t get me but rather the older guy next to me. I’d even get the “young lady, I have a question… I was hoping there was somebody who can help me with a recommendation…” I mean, it was just like, really?
That big chip on my shoulder — I call it the three strikes — seriously, it’s like “you’re too Asian, you’re too female, you’re too young, there’s no way you could know anything about wine.”
So I had gone from being a server to a somm because I wanted to work with wine. A somm to a sales rep at a distributor because I wanted to learn more about the wine business. And then to working at a wine shop because I wanted to interact with consumers and not just push big brands all day.
But something just didn’t feel right, like I still wasn’t in my niche. I realized that I’m happiest when I’m using my weird, neat things. There was this one Chinese guy that’s been coming to the wine shop for like ten years, who didn’t speak a lick of English — he would be doing charades with the Bordeaux specialist, who didn’t speak a lick of Chinese — and walk out with like $3000 of wine, every time, for ten years. I took over, and because I spoke Chinese with him, he started spending way more. This other time, some billionaire from China showed up, and spent like $200,000 in 30 minutes because I could talk him through what we offered.
So there it was — my niche. I was so excited to start the Chinese division, to translate materials to Chinese, to connect with these customers… but the wine shop was reluctant to give me the extra time to go do it. “Do it on your own time,” I was told. “When you’re consistently bringing in $2 million, there will be no choice but to give you the title.” Well, shit, if I can make you $2 million with my customers, I’m going to do that for myself.
Editor’s note
Angie is pretty hilarious because she talks a mile a minute and cusses like a cook, which I’m told is a result of her working in restaurants for ten plus years. I’ve edited out most of it (I considered using [expletive]), but I wanted to mention it because it’s what she’s all about — Angie’s a down-and-dirty warrior who’s been fighting for her right to play ball in a world that’s never seen anyone like her.
And now that she’s in, she’s opening up the wine world to the Chinese community in the US. Where many would be buying big brand wines from Costco or BevMo, they’re now being exposed to small production gems from around the world, presented and described in Chinese.
You can check out Angie’s website and Instagram, but most of the activity is happening in her Facebook group. Attend one of her local tastings sometime — they’re a blast!
Footnote: Angie wanted to point out that any issues she’s faced with discrimination are vastly better now than they were before.
