We had the good fortune of connecting with William Whelan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi William, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
To carve out a successful career in the food and wine industries, you have to be uncompromising in your embrace of the hustle. These are not career tracks for people hoping to make a glamorous lifestyle change, who think it’s all about vineyard tours and lavish dinner parties. Sure, many people who found themselves in food and wine industries did so because they wanted to break off from other traditional, 9-to-5 work forces. But the people who have staying power? They’re the ones who grind, who are uncompromising in their hustle. I think there’s a misconception that creatives, artists, or really anyone who finds themselves making a living outside of corporate America, are somehow passive and docile in their pursuit of success–like the only people who grind are on Wall Street or something like that. My experience couldn’t be further from that reality. I’ve seen a lot of people drop off the wagon once they realized that their job was to move beyond the portrait of wine professionals strolling through vineyards and waxing poetic over a bottle of Nebbiolo. At the end of the day, not everyone is built for this and it’s painfully obvious when someone isn’t. Being an entrepreneur in food and wine is incredibly, incomprehensibly difficult. Without the understanding that it takes as much or more hustle than creativity, it’s almost impossible to succeed.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In addition to running the Winestyr platform and selecting the wineries that we work with, I moonlight as somewhat of a food and wine industry utility player. I’ve had the opportunity to work private events as a sommelier since leaving the floor full-time, consult with restaurants on their beverage programs, and work with small, family-owned wineries seeking to grow their businesses. Making a viable living in the wine industry is incredibly difficult. The industry is dominated by a handful of multinational corporate giants and in most cases, everyone else is in a rat race for scraps. In 2015, I was working 70 hours a week at a wine shop for $11 an hour with no real options for moving up and I asked myself, “Why am I even doing this?” I could have gone back to being a sports journalist like before or actually submitted my applications for the MFA programs I was interested in. But that’s when I really embraced the struggle and decided that the passion I had for wine, for the people who work the land and help guide grape juice to something so much greater than the sum of its parts, was worth dedicating my life to. Now I look for that same quality in the wineries I work with or the chefs that I partner with. If someone is pushing the limits of what they, or anyone else, thinks is possible then we need to be working together.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Denver and the surrounding areas have gone through so much change since I was a kid but I know that for me, the places who have stood the test of time always have a soft spot in my heart. Starting off a trip to the area anywhere but Boulder, to me, is a mistake. Dropping down over the hill on Hwy 36 and seeing the Flatirons tower over town is something everyone should experience. Boulder has so much to offer between Eben G. Fine Park on Boulder Creek, any number of breweries, and of course the hiking from Chautauqua, but no one should visit town without spending an evening at The World Famous Dark Horse. It’s the kind of dive bar that’s become too rare in towns like Boulder where new developments take precedence. Order a basket of hot wings, a Jiffy burger, and a pint. No trip to Denver is complete without taking down some green chile and my favorite place for that is El Taco de Mexico on Santa Fe. This neighborhood, like much of Denver, has gone through a lot of changes with gentrification in recent years but this spot has been around for nearly 40 years.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Anyone who’s worked in as many corners of the wine industry that I have has had at least one mentor and at least one person who gave them a shot despite being traditionally unqualified. For me, the person who fits the bill on both accounts is Dave Reuss, wine director at Shanahan’s Steakhouse in Denver. We took our Level I Court of Master Sommeliers class and test together and we instantly felt a kinship with each other thanks to our drive and ambition. A few years later, he hired me at Black Cat Bistro in Boulder where we oversaw the wine program and sommelier service on the floor. He’s sitting for his Master Sommelier diploma this fall.
Instagram: @William_Whelan
Image Credits
Matt Sisneros