The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
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The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
Caleb McArthur on the Demanding Work of Hospitality, from a Michelin-Star "Dojo" to a Grand Award
The Reluctant Somm: Wine & Hospitality Podcast
1 hour 25 minutes
1 month ago
Caleb McArthur on the Demanding Work of Hospitality, from a Michelin-Star "Dojo" to a Grand Award
In an industry often defined by accolades, what is the real work? We sat down with Caleb McArthur, Lead Sommelier of the Grand Award-winning Selby's, to talk about a journey that proves the path to the top is rarely a straight line.
Caleb's story begins not with a deep wine cellar, but in a university psychology program. It's a path that took him from a family-owned Chinese restaurant to the high-stakes corporate world of The Ritz-Carlton, and eventually into the intense, character-building "dojo" of 3-Michelin-star Benu. He shares raw, honest lessons about embracing discomfort, surviving a chaotic Napa harvest, and understanding that the ultimate goal of hospitality is simple: bringing comfort to others.
This is a conversation about the relentless commitment to craft, the resilience required to truly grow, and the humanity at the heart of service.
Timestamp Navigation:
01:09 - An Unlikely Start: The Psychology Path
03:20 - The First Spark: Lessons from a Family Restaurant
05:26 - The Corporate Leap: Discipline at the Ritz Carlton
11:21 - Inside the "Dojo": An Eye-Opening Stint at 3-Michelin-Star Benu
12:26 - Trial by Fire: Surviving the "Blade Runner" Sky of the 2020 Harvest
22:08 - The David Bowie Method for Embracing Career Discomfort
44:48 - Getting the Call: How Hospitality Legends Recruit Talent
50:46 - More Than a Trophy: The Real Strategy Behind a Grand Award
57:42 - A Sommelier's Take: The Right (and Wrong) Way to Do Corkage
1:03:37 - Finding the 'Why': How Service Connects Everything
The Reluctant Somm: Wine & Hospitality Podcast
The Reluctant Somm, is your ultimate podcast for wine, restaurants, and industry stories. We aim to break down the walls and make conversations about quality wine and food more accessible.
