Instagram story viewer> @bewitchinglee> Tagged

Lee Campbell

@bewitchinglee

4.4K

followers

2580

following

@commonwealthcrush @borgonyc

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

This year, Lee Campbell was honored with the James Beard Award for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. And it all started with a knock.
In the mid-’90s, Lee was an aspiring law student headed for Capitol Hill, until one meal at chef Nora Pouillon’s restaurant in D.C. changed everything.
“I woke up the next day, I knocked on the kitchen door, I asked for a job, and they gave me one.”
That bold move led to a career championing natural wine, building lists across Brooklyn, co-founding Common Wealth Crush in Virginia, and now leading the wine program at Borgo in NYC.
I’m honored to share her story in my Wine With Wanda column in the October/November issue of @sommjournal. Her advice to fellow somms: never forget the first wines that inspired you, and remember that wine is rooted in farming and community.
Link in bio to read the full piece.
#SommJournal #JamesBeardAward #Sommelier #WineWithWanda

78

7

A perfect dinner at Borgo. Feed is quickly turning into a Borgo fan page.
L - “I like Burgundy, I like Champagne”

#food #nyc #nycfood #foodie #fyp

36

3

Each season, we collaborate with a different partner to pick wines by the glass with accompanying art from @freshcutgardenhose. This autumn, we’re joining forces with an illustrious James Beard Award-winning wine polymath @bewitchinglee for an autumnal paean to textural whites.

From retail to distribution, maître d’ to chef’s assistant, sommelier to winemaker, Lee has done it all across decades in the industry. As a wine director at some of New York’s buzziest restaurants, she has driven trends and shaped tastes, always a step or two ahead of her peers in service of “beautiful wines that people aren’t really heralding.” She championed organic, non-interventionist bottlings before “natural wine” devolved into a cliché. She adopted Virginia wine as a pet cause before “drinking local” became a popular rallying cry. She advocates for women and people of color in an industry that has historically neglected both. Not content to rest on her laurels, Lee still works the floor at her latest project, the acclaimed Flatiron District trattoria @borgonyc.

Earlier this year, Lee Campbell won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. We’re celebrating with a fresh list of wines by the glass devoted to one of her favorite genres: Textural Whites. These are cold weather gems that lean silky or round or tannic instead of light and bright. Our commentary accompanies each featured wine. Let this whet your appetite from afar then find your way to @revelershour to experience the Autumn of Lee for yourself. #letsgettextural

121

2

I needed a separate post to highlight the best part of my Oeno Camp experience: the people.

Gratuitous Selfie Warning

The organizers, winemakers and fellow campers have all accomplished so much and contributed so deeply to the wine community. As someone still figuring out where I fit within the industry, I could easily have felt intimidated. Instead, everyone was warm, welcoming and humble.

Despite meeting these folks for the first time, Oeno Camp felt like a homecoming. I guess that’s what happens when you find your tribe. Thanks to @oenoverse and @theveraisonproject for bringing this cast of characters together.

I came for the vines, but will return for the vibes. ❤️

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Two Up Wine Down this fall!

Cheers—and keep building. ✊🏾🍷

#OenoCamp #VirginiaWine #WineCommunity #winetravel #sommsolution

137

8

17 years ago, in a small town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, we threw an epic party to celebrate love and the journey of life together.

Happy anniversary to us!!

#loveislove

225

33

Welcome to @oenoverse Oeno Camp: The Bodega Cat was accepted, invited and clearly very emotionally ecstatic for learning Virginia wine joy. 🍷🐈

To my delighted surprise: our Wine Unify @wineunify cohort WSET Level 2 teacher @winonoire was teaching the Virginia 101 session !
Meeting the virtual queen who made me feel seen while studying? Too many dimples. Too surreal.

Meet the energy behind @parallaxprojectva at Commonwealth Crush: where vinification, hip-hop, elegance, and “what is this?, what is that?” all meet in the glass.

Reunited with one of my first Virginia wine introductions, 1/3 of the amazing force behind @commonwealthcrush the legendary Lee Campbell @bewitchinglee .

From NYC to Virginia, the admiration stays loud. And now the well deserved: James Beard Award winner. 👏

The swag is getting swaggierrr A spittoon in the swag bag? I thought I was excited, @sommsolution was emotionally, and professionally thrilled!

And let’s show some love for the TSA approved wine key!

Field Blends @maryamandcompany alumni made it to the Oenoverse. From Lodi, Michigan, and Walla Walla to Charlottesville, the group chat to grape (great)chat.
I tried lol. 😆

Reggie @reggieleonard : half of Oenoverse, half of Parallax, and full-time hype man, certified legend, and the kind of person who will convince you a scorpion shot “ain’t that bad.” 🦂

Peas in a pod. One look and it’s shook.
Millennials still have range. 🙂‍↕️🦆💋✌🏽

Chris: proof that community looking out for community will always be the sweetest pairing. from James beard legacy network cohort to being able to finally indulge in @byflorosa in their hometown was the icing on top. Sweet, savory, thoughtful, and made with the kind of heart you can taste.

Tiffany @tiffany_ethos : the other half of Oeno Camp, Oenoverse, and the beautifully Ethos. Strong, warm, and generously sharing a piece of her home with us. can’t wait to see the beauty you create next

Meet Farmer Cat Or better known as LadyBodegaCat, if you’re new here: im still healing, still showing up, still doing hard things, and still finding joy in the middle of it.

I’m also enjoying challenging the status quo when you think of wine, how to e

3

19

I can’t believe it’s already been two weeks since our fifth Oeno Camp.

For three full days, @oenoverse x @theveraisonproject welcomed an incredible cohort of grantees to Charlottesville and beyond to experience Virginia wine through the people, places, vineyards, cellars, and bottles that make this region so special.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, I kept thinking: how lucky am I that this is the community I get to be part of every day?

To our Oeno Campers: thank you for showing up with so much curiosity, trust, kindness, and openness. And to every winemaker, grower, chef, historian, host, and industry friend who opened a door, pulled a cork, walked us through a vineyard, shared a meal, told a story, or welcomed us into your space: thank you.

Five years of Oeno Camp, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the people who continue to make it what it is.

Virginia wine, you’re pretty special🫶🏻

🍷🍾👇🏽
@domainefinotva @commonwealthcrush @woundtightwine @graceestatewinery @aftonmtnvineyards @earlymountain @oakencroftfarmwinery @harkvineyards @lovingcupwinery @pollakvineyards @novellawines @star.party.winery @parallaxprojectva @lightwellsurvey @flyingfoxwines @valleyroadwines @drinkpresentcompany @zoracourt @joytingwine @cataldosperfezione @eastwoodfarmandwinery @barboursvillevineyards @rosemontvineyards @lindenvineyards

76

9

Oeno Camp day ✌🏽was epic.

We visited @commonwealthcrush and learned from legends. Lee Campbell is fresh from her @beardfoundation award, Sedale McCall shared his oeno camp alum journey, Ben Jordan and Zach Clancy shared about the CWC story, Reggie and Lance about @parallaxprojectva , Jen and Karl from @novellawines , and Remy from @williamscornerwine 🤘🏽

Next stop was Valley Road vineyards to taste the Governor’s Cup winning Cabernet Franc with Stan “the man” 🍷

Then onto Flying Fox to taste the incredible botanical wines with Emily Hodson 🪻

Followed by a tour and tasting with small producers @zoracourt , @drinkpresentcompany , @joytingwine , @cataldosperfezione , and @eastwoodfarmandwinery at the Virginia Wine Collective and then dinner 🍕

Big shout out to Corbin at Timeless Transportation for getting us around safely🚐

128

14

Vitello tonnato: the classic Piemonte dish, is cold veal slices & a rich sauce built around tuna. Borgo does a subtle, wonderful version. Veal rings the dish. An emulsified sauce in the center is silky (olive oil), acidic (capers, lemon, vinegar), funky (anchovy?) but not overpowering; it's lighter & brighter than the mayo-heavy version you might have found elsewhere. The contrasts, which vary across bites with your fork path, keep things fun. Also, it's nice with a martini and some of their excellent bread.

The whole Borgo menu, like the vitello tonnato, is Italian-rooted, modern and seasonal (Chef @jordanfrosolone was at Hearth; it shows). We love coming for a bunch of plates. The wine list is very special (we just honored the great @bewitchinglee and her program at the JB Awards). So settle in and order it all. Here's what we had this time:
- Chicken Liver mousse (@andrewtarlow is one of its great champions) on Crostini, with guanciale & agrodolce
- Lasagna with earthy ricotta & lots of juicy sungold tomatoes
- a cured sardine special on toast
- a big Wood-Oven Chicken Cacciatore
- Braised Summer Beans
- The super chocolatey Sachertorteby @adammarcapastry

The rooms are pretty and will always be sentimental (I Trulli had a glorious run in the space). The location assures different waves of people across an evening, a mix from well beyond the neighborhood. A terrific team runs it all nimbly, encouraging just enough, guiding to wine & pairings, anticipating the way pros do. I'm a big fan.

#vitellotonnato #veal #capers #emulsion #イタリア料理

3

26

I finally met this SHE-ROE!

@bewitchinglee was one of the first Black women I discovered when I started working in wine.

We’ve been on countless Zooms and calls but never met in person. I came straight from the airport to meet her. She truly is a rockstar. What she is doing @commonwealthcrush with wine is amazing and delicious. Trust me, you want the Chardonel and Tannat in your wine lifestyle.

341

16

Friday. See ya there!

31

0

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! LEE CAMPBELL GRACES THE TASTING ROOM 💫

Fresh off her James Beard award, wine maestra Lee Campbell is dropping in to update us on life in the Big Apple.

It's like a welcome-home-block-party that feels like a warm hug.

FRI, JUL 31ST
5-8PM

204

9