10/15/2025
Love Love Love the Somm Closet 🍷
“I never imagined I’d own a wine shop.
I started out as a software engineer, then became a stay-at-home mom. Somewhere along the way, my husband introduced me to wine. At first, it was just something we enjoyed together — Chardonnay, Cabernet — until one day I asked, ‘Why only these two? There’s a whole world of wine out there.’
So, I started studying, first out of curiosity. I earned my sommelier certifications, exploring the regions, the grapes, the soil — all the things that make one bottle taste so different from another. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with the stories behind each one.
I’ve walked vineyards in France and Italy where winemakers poured from their own cellars, not to sell, but to share their pride and their family’s story. That kind of passion stayed with me.
Now that my kids are grown, The Somm Closet is my way of showing them — and myself — that I still have dreams of my own, and that it’s never too late to open a new door. You just have to be curious enough to knock.”
— Manju Wagner, The Somm Closet
