Catherine Fallis

The Climb

Cornell University sits at the start of a path that moved from kitchen discipline into cellar responsibility and then into wine-facing leadership. At Le Cirque Restaurant, Catherine Fallis began as Chef's Apprentice, where kitchen tempo sharpened the habits that later matter in service: timing, precision, and attention to detail. She then became manager of the award-winning restaurant Villard House at Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York City, working in the structure of fine dining where coordination is part of the craft. From there, she served as Wine School Coordinator and Cellar Master at Windows on the World, a role that joined instruction with the upkeep of wine itself. That foundation widened in Hawaii, where Catherine Fallis worked as sommelier at beachfront restaurant in Hawaii, then as wine director at wholesale beverage group in Hawaii, while also taking part-time work at wine shop in Hawaii. The sequence reflects a trade education built on the floor as much as in study: selection, retail, service, and the daily mechanics of moving wine to the guest. Later, as Los Angeles area manager at Seagram Classics in Los Angeles area, she took on a broader commercial remit, before moving to wine buyer at Beltramo’s Wines & Spirits and then sommelier and wine director at Aqua in San Francisco. The result is a career that lands in ownership with a full view of the channel.

Today

At Planet Grape LLC in San Francisco, California, United States, Catherine Fallis works from a wine practice that favors access over gatekeeping. Champagne sabering sits within that practice as a named specialty: a service technique that requires control, timing, and a clean finish. The larger point remains consistent across her work: wine is presented as something to be understood and used, not kept at a distance.

Signature

Catherine's signature dishes include Ten Grapes to Know and The Ten & Done Wine Guide. The value in both names is utility: they break wine into forms that can be handled, remembered, and put to work without extra varnish.

In Their Words “It was during these travels when she first experienced wine not as an elite beverage but as something interesting and accessible, and has maintained this approach to wine ever since.”

Recognition

Catherine's honors include Master Sommelier.