Master Sommelier got his start at legendary French Laundry

Chris Gaither, a Master Sommelier, did an internship at Yountville’s acclaimed French Laundry before opening Ungrafted, his San Francisco restaurant and wine shop, in 2018.

Ungrafted refers to the rare occurrence of having a root system that is the same species as the grape species it supports. Ungrafted vines, Gaither explained, represent less than 1% of all grape vines for wine.

“It’s a long-winded way of saying we’re original,” he said with a laugh.

But Gaither, now 39, said feeling at home in the wine industry isn’t easy. The biggest challenge in being a Black man in the wine world is feeling a sense of isolation, he said.

“There’s not a lot of people who look like me doing what I’m doing,” he said. “And this was especially true when I worked at the French Laundry. But I did like the work.”

Gaither’s passion for wine and the hospitality industry kept him moving forward. Today he runs Ungrafted with his wife and business partner, Rebecca Fineman, also a Master Sommelier. Their partnership dates back to 2012 when they met in a bar in Anaheim. They had just taken the rigorous advanced exam, one of the three exams in the series to become a Master Sommelier.

With frayed nerves, they waited for their scores, agreeing not to talk about the exam — anything but the exam.

“I bought her a Guinness and I drank a margarita,” Gaither said. “We became quick friends and started dating a few months after.”

Gaither didn’t pass the Master Sommelier exams then, but persevered through multiple attempts over a decade to finally complete the exams. When he did, he became one of just four Black Master Sommeliers in the world, he said.

Determined to create a wine-focused business, the duo opened the restaurant and wine shop. Nestled in the Dogpatch neighborhood in San Francisco, it’s become a hit, with wine pivotal to their enterprise, Gaither said.

The restaurant has an international wine list with 1,000 selections, with bottlings beginning below $50 and peaking at $6,000 for a top-tier Burgundy, Romanée-Conti.

Meanwhile, the wine shop has 500 to 600 selections from roughly 22 different countries, ranging in price from $18 to hundreds of dollars.

In addition, Ungrafted has a wine club of about 200 people with monthly gatherings, as well as weekly wine classes.

Gaither said the draw of wine for him, aside from its captivating taste, is its festive nature. Wine, he said, makes everything a celebration. He wants his guests to enjoy it as much as he does.

“The reason I got into the wine industry,” he said, “is because I like people. I want to deliver a fun experience for people.”

The eclectic wines available at Ungrafted pair well with the restaurant’s new American cuisine, such as hush puppies served with a French-style cocktail sauce or fried chicken with a dollop of caviar, Gaither said.

The Master Sommelier also talked about how his enterprise persevered during the pandemic, why he enjoys working with his wife and what people would find most surprising about him.

Question: How did you pivot during the pandemic to keep your doors open?

Answer: We had no intention of closing. We sold food to go and sold wine to go, and our neighborhood really embraced us. We also had an online wine class on Zoom once a week.

Q: Why do you enjoy working with your wife?

A: She’s very focused. I really admire her work ethic and demeanor.

Q: What would people find most surprising about you?

A: That I will remember them, even if it has been years since I’ve seen them. I don’t forget faces. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

You can reach Wine Writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.