1776 Restaurant’s wine and spirits director wins Guild of Sommeliers scholarship

Award to bring Penfolds California Collection to 1776 patrons, wine club members

The wine expert for 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake took first place during a nationwide education program put on by the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation, according to a news release.

Erik Nordstrom, a Wauconda resident who is 1776 Restaurant’s wine and spirits director, attended a monthly wine event aimed at spotlighting the new Penfolds California Collection through a virtual tasting with top education highlights for the wine industry.

After the session, the attendees completed a quiz and Nordstrom was the first to answer all questions correctly. The feat earned Nordstrom a $500 scholarship to enhance his wine studies.

“I am extremely excited for this scholarship, and it is certainly a high note in the past year,” Nordstrom said in the release. “The story of a wine or vineyard is best learned from those who live and work amongst them. So when I learned of the Somm Sessions with the Penfolds California Collection of wines, I jumped at the chance to participate and get that first-hand knowledge.”

As part of the scholarship award, Nordstrom will get to bring some of the Penfolds California Collection to 1776 Restaurant customers and wine club members, according to the release.

Nordstrom joined 1776 Restaurant, a farm-to-table fine dining restaurant at 397 W. Virginia St., in 2017, according to the release.

“I am excited to see what the future brings not only for the Penfolds Bin 600, but for all of the California Collection wines,” Nordstrom stated. “COVID-19 changed what many restaurant professionals love about their career, and my day-to-day went from sharing my love of wine with guests to taking orders over the phone. It is so exciting to have people back in our dining room, see smiles on faces, and feel the joy that restaurants can bring.”