MJ’s guest today is Master Sommelier, Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, and star of the upcoming CNN TV series “Nomad with Carlton”... Carlton McCoy. Carlton is one of the youngest people and second African American to earn the title of Master Sommelier. Carlton worked in revered institutions such as Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit and Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak in New York. Carlton was named President and CEO of Heitz Cellar in December 2018. Carlton supports each estate in their aspirations to craft elegant, nuanced and terroir driven wines sourced from naturally farmed estate vineyards. Carlton is co-founder of The Roots Fund, a non-profit that focuses on creating educational and employment opportunities for the BIPOC community. Adventurous and athletic, Carlton enjoys traveling the world in search of great wine and spirits, and pursuing physically challenging outdoor activities including biking and running marathons.

Originally from Washington, DC, Carlton’s story starts out familiar but quickly turns unique. From high school drop-out (a few times over) to accepting a scholarship to the CIA, Carlton McCoy has earned each and every accolade. MJ and he discuss the younger days of working in the kitchen with his grandmother, feeding over 300 people for all three church services, leaving the New York restaurant scene to cook for the American Military in Japan, which led to his natural progression from food to wine during an all-night blind taste test. Put the Go-go on low, grab a glass of Sancerre and listen to the trials, tribulations and successes of Carlton McCoy.

A huge thank you to Carlton McCoy!

Follow him on IG @carltonmccoy

For more on Heitz Celler

https://www.heitzcellar.com/

Learn more about The Roots Fund

https://www.therootsfund.org/

This episode’s in studio wine:

2019 Le Roi Des Pierres Sancerre

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Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers and wine drinkers!

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From High School Dropout to CEO: Carlton McCoy’s American Success Story

Beats Vines and Life