Lee Campbell

The Path

Training at the University of Virginia gave Lee Campbell the start; the trade came from service floors, cellars, and production. Campbell moved first into hospitality as personal assistant to head chef Nora Pouillon at Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C, then into front-of-house and wine work as maître d’ at Verbena in New York City, floor manager at Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City, and wine director at Andrew Tarlow's restaurant group in Brooklyn, New York. Production widened the remit. Campbell later worked as winemaker at Common Wealth Crush in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, before returning to restaurant wine leadership, where she serves as wine director of Borgo.

The Work Today

Wine direction at Borgo in New York, NY sits at the center of Campbell's current practice. Her specialty is natural wine, but the category is less the point than the method: using the list to connect diners with farming, place, and the people behind a bottle. “I know that wines are going deeper and deeper into the natural realm, and I don’t mind it.” “Having a wide playing field is fun.” Agriculture runs through the work as clearly as hospitality. Campbell puts it plainly: “I could be in wine, but I could be grassroots, and I could be about the farmers.” At Borgo, that approach is informed by time spent across restaurants and a winery, with the same attention to service and sourcing.

In Their Words “I could be in wine, but I could be grassroots, and I could be about the farmers.” “Having a wide playing field is fun.”

Acclaim

Lee's honors include 2026 James Beard finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Next Wave Awards, Wine Professional of the Year (2024).