Let's be honest: wine labels can feel like they were designed by a committee of people who really, really wanted to keep you guessing. Fancy script, a crest that may or may not belong to anyone, a year, a region you can't pronounce, and somewhere in tiny print the word "Reserve," which may mean something important or may mean absolutely nothing at all. You're standing in the aisle squinting at a bottle like it owes you money. I get it! So let's crack the code together, shall

People hear "I used to work the floor at a Michelin-starred restaurant group" and immediately picture something very glamorous — crisp suit and tie, perfect postur e, maybe a little swirl-and-sniff theater for the table. And look, there WAS some of that! But there was also a whole lot of controlled chaos happening just out of view, and today I want to pull back the curtain on what that life was actually like. The glamorous part people imagine is the tableside pour — presentin