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Sugar Bowl Team

At Sugar Bowl, dining isn’t just about the meal—it’s about the experience. Whether you’re watching the lifts spin over a morning coffee or winding down with a glass of wine at sunset, The Dining Room offers the perfect slopeside setting. In 2023, we introduced a fresh addition to the team: sommelier Clay Reynolds. With a deep passion for wine and hospitality, Clay brings a wealth of expertise and a genuine enthusiasm for the Sugar Bowl community.

We sat down with Clay to talk about his journey, his love for wine, and what he’s bringing to the table this winter.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into wine.

“I’ve lived in San Francisco for about 22 years and have been in the restaurant business here, focused on beverage and wine. Over the course of that time, I have worked at various restaurants in the city, and many of the people who frequent Sugar Bowl have been customers of mine, so I’ve gotten to know some of the homeowners. I have always loved the place, so I was super excited to be able to try and help out with the wine and beverage program.

I’m from Louisville, Kentucky originally. I graduated college with a finance degree and a math minor and ended up working in corporate finance right out of school but absolutely hated it. I was at a Fortune 500 healthcare company, and it wasn’t my cup of tea. I started working at a really great restaurant in Louisville that I had no business working at. I thought I would just be there temporarily figuring out my next steps, but while I was there, I just fell in love with hospitality, the business, and wine.

I remember watching a guy come in one night by himself and order a $100 bottle of wine. I was thinking to myself, “what the heck could possibly be in this bottle” and he just sat there and enjoyed himself and his meal. I was so intrigued by wine and what it could do, and the pleasure it brought this person. I just dove into it. 

The other factor was that I didn’t know anything, so I didn’t want to be embarrassed on a nightly basis, so I started reading books and looking things up. This was right as the internet was coming around, so I had to seek out actual reading material on the topic. Later on, I decided to move somewhere else with a bit more going on in regard to culinary and hospitality businesses. At that time, I was still a little intimated by New York, so I came to San Francisco. And in terms of wine, this is a great place to be. It’s been an adventure and a great place to be ever since then.” 

What brought you to Sugar Bowl?

“Essentially it was connections with homeowners and others heavily involved in Sugar Bowl. Some of the families were customers of ours at a couple of different restaurants that we had. So it kind of organically happened. I had a conversation with one of them brainstorming about food and beverage, and the next thing you know, they’re asking me if I have any spare time [laughs]. So here I am. And now we have put something together that is really cool.” 

What is your favorite part of being a sommelier?

“I like to focus on the point, which is the customer. I do so many wine classes, trainings, and things where the goal seems to be to amass more knowledge, not to be able to help the guest have a better experience with wine. And that’s the part I like, that’s what I like about the business. I fell in love with watching people have these experiences with wine. So I talk about wine in a unique way. I don’t like to talk about it in subjective terms. What am I tasting… what am I smelling… that’s all subjective. 

It’s like art, if you think it’s beautiful and I think it’s ugly, we are both right. It’s our opinion. But for some reason, we are not allowed that experience with wine. We are either afraid to mention what we smell and taste, or we are tricked into smelling and tasting things because we are told that’s what’s there. 

My favorite moments are when I can change someone’s mind about an aspect of wine or beverage. When a customer comes in and says, “I don’t like chardonnay” or “I don’t drink Riesling, it’s too sweet,” to be able to have them try something they might not otherwise try and see the light bulb go off, those are the experiences that I really cherish. I love being able to take care of people in that way.” 

If you were to pair Sugar Bowl with a wine, what would you pair it with?

“Oh! [laughs] I would say that Sugar Bowl most reminds me of a mature Bordeaux. It has plenty to offer upfront, for the first-timer, but it also is full of nuance and continues to change and evolve as you keep coming back to it.” 

Before the next question, do you ski or snowboard?

“I ski!”

Imagine you just had a beautiful day of skiing with friends it was a bluebird day, and now you’re heading to rest your legs and après, what do you order to drink?

“It would definitely be champagne. It’s always stocked at our house. My wife loves champagne. It’s got nuance. For me, not only is champagne celebratory, but it is also refreshing, so it’s nice after skiing, and I mean, it’s just delicious! It goes with everything. Especially fried chicken. Fried chicken and Blanc de Blancs. I cannot recommend it enough.”

Are there any wine myths you would like to bust?

“Oh, I mean there are many! But one in particular? I think that you are supposed to have red wine with meat and white wine with fish. Really you should just drink what you like. If you enjoy a certain combo, just embrace it, don’t feel like you’re doing something wrong. It’s an old-school myth that needs to be broken.” 

Join Us for a Memorable Dining Experience

The Dining Room is now open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights from 5–9 p.m. Starting December 17 through December 30, enjoy breakfast from 7:30–10 a.m. and dinner from 5–9 p.m. Come explore the thoughtful wine selections curated by Clay and toast to another unforgettable day on the mountain.