Meet Sally Stewart | Wine shop owner & former sommelier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sally Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sally, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Houston, Texas in the 1990’s with two older parents as an only child. My dad was well into his 60’s when I was in elementary school and I spent the majority of my time with my mother that was a stay at home mom.

My mother was an incredible cook and loved to experiment in the kitchen with new techniques and recipes. She found cooking as a form of self expression and turned a past time into a delicious passion. I picked up on her recipes and started to participate from an early age; I could tell food had a very different meaning in my household than my friends’ growing up!

throughout my childhood, we continuously tried new recipes, flavors and ingredients that gave me insight into different cultures and traditions which only sparked my interest to learn more! I took a Culinary Arts course in high school that took my childhood interest to the next level: professional cook. I competed in culinary challenges against other students in the state of Texas and placed first and second in many competitions. This path helped me hone my skills, gave me a competitive edge and set my career path in the food and beverage industry from a very young age.

My love for food started at an early age and it allowed me to transition into wine fairly seamlessly at 21 years old where I took a wine course in college.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I was forced to quit my job as a sommelier in my fine dining restaurant in Manhattan shortly after receiving an ALS diagnosis, I was told I had an average of 2-5 years left to live, and I was just 32 years old at the time.

Receiving this devastating news changed everything for me. I had to reevaluate my entire life and what to do with my time.

My partner Steven and I decided to move to Colorado during the summer of 2020 and take advantage of the unusual opportunity that life had presented.

We opened our wine shop, Denver Wine Merchant, with our own money and with the intention of opening the best wine store imaginable.

It was incredibly challenging: we moved and opened our business mid pandemic while I was dealing with a terminal diagnosis! I was losing my ability to walk and speak, but that didn’t stop me from continuing to pursue my dreams! Almost 3 years later I’m doing surprisingly well despite the odds against me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Drive through the mountains. See a show at Red Rocks, Eat at Safta, explore RiNo, 16th Street mail, get some baked goods from Bakery Four and a biscuit sandwich at Denver Biscuit Company, see the cats at the Denver Cat Cafe, and check out the delicious food in Aurora.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s nothing more fulfilling than when your partner in life shares your dreams and goals, and my life partner Steven, was courageous in encouraging us to follow our dreams in owning and operating the best wine shop imaginable.

Steven Washuta is my life and business partner and his fearless and ambitious attitude fueled us both to pursue starting our own wine business.

Website: https://denverwinemerchant.com/

Instagram: denverwinemerchant

Facebook: denverwinemerchant

Image Credits
Credit sally Stewart