Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleni Rigas.
Hi Eleni, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello my name is Eleni Rigas! Originally from Ithaca, New York, in the Finger Lakes wine region, I graduated from Cornell University in 2018 with a Bachelor of International Economics and Business Management. During my Junior year, I took Professor Cheryl Stanley’s acclaimed “Introduction to Wines” class at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and discovered my passion for the wine industry.
In the Fall of 2018, I moved to Marlborough, New Zealand. There, I worked with Babich Wines, the largest family-owned winery in the country with one of the largest Organic vineyards. At Babich, I worked as a vineyard team supervisor during the growing season and vintage Cellar Hand during harvest. I aided in producing New Zealand’s famous Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines.
After travels throughout Australia, NZ, and Europe, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Romania, Croatia, and Greece, I moved to Germany’s Rheinhessen region to work with a small, family-owned winery across all aspects of their business while learning the German language. Hand-harvesting Riesling from the Rheinhessen’s famous “Kirschspiel” vineyards and learning generations-old techniques of Riesling production were clear highlights.
I returned to the United States in 2021, seeking a vibrant, coastal city with a strong food and wine culture, and moved to Charleston, SC. In Charleston, I took over the position of Sommelier and Wine Manager of the French family-owned “Bistro a Vin.” At Bistro, I curated the wine list and a French-focused retail wine selection and held wine tastings every Tuesday featuring 3 wines from around the world. In April of 2023, we transformed “Bistro a Vin” into a private event space and opened “Azur Charleston” in an adjacent space, formerly a French cafe. I curated Azur’s wine list, incorporating Spanish and Italian wines into the selection to pair with the chef’s Mediterranean-inspired Spanish tapas, Italian meatballs, and French charcuterie offerings. I transitioned to holding wine tastings every Wednesday evening. I have given nearly 100 wine tastings to date and have been nominated two years in a row to the Charleston City Paper’s “Best of” list for “Best Sommelier” through my work with Bistro a Vin and Azur Charleston.
To add to the many ways I engage with the Charleston food and beverage community, I have recently joined the team at MINA Group restaurant’s new and acclaimed “Sorelle” as a Sommelier. Head Sommelier Simon Kaufmann is a fantastic person to work with and a colleague I consider a mentor. Sorelle’s extensive wine list features predominantly Italian wines and grape varieties that perfectly pair with Sorelle’s Sicilian-inspired Italian cuisine. In the coming months, I look forward to expanding and creating new partnerships with “Wine and Talk About It” and to continue working and growing with several of Charleston’s exemplary restaurants.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge I faced in starting Wine and Talk About It was self-generated and was the idea that I had to do everything myself – the idea of being a “lone warrior,” if you will, to feel accomplished. While I have an excellent educational background and years of experience working internationally and domestically, starting a business requires a great diversity of knowledge to be successful. I overcame this obstacle last year when I realized there is great strength in partnership and collaboration – that asking for help is not a weakness and that I have a fantastic community of knowledgeable people and resources around me who want to see me succeed. Some of them are the wine-tasting students I have known since my first days working in Charleston! I now see myself as a collaborator with a fantastic community of peers and professionals who have brought my vision to life. I am so grateful to the many people who have, and continue to, advise, support, and otherwise contribute to my personal and professional life in many ways!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Wine & Talk About It?
In January 2023, I launched a wine education and consulting company, “Wine and Talk About It,” through which I provide wine list curation and wine program advising, along with private and corporate wine tastings and classes. Wine and Talk About It’s mission is to provide accessible and fun wine education to consumers seeking to heighten their knowledge and comfort level about a beverage they already love!
Sommeliers are often perceived as having inaccessible knowledge to the public. They are known to use terminology that makes little sense to consumers, leaving them feeling inferior and unable to fully understand what was said about their wine. My goal is to be a Sommelier for the people, where information is presented in an easily understood way that brings customers into the experience of knowing about and enjoying their wine. Ideally, to a level that they would feel comfortable being the one leading the conversation around wine among their peers at the next dinner party!
Wine and Talk About It classes are designed to be highly educational and focus on specific regions and styles of wine. People with all levels of wine knowledge are welcome, and I greatly enjoy tailoring each class for specific groups of wine students. On the consulting side, I work closely with local restaurants and wine retail outlets to curate and run wine programs that meet and exceed the goals and expectations of businesses and their customers. When curating wine programs, I consider the client’s customer base, food offerings, budget, and many other factors. I include in-person events for clients, including wine tastings, wine dinners with food pairings created by fantastic local chefs, weekly wine features shared on social media, and wine clubs!
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
This is a tough one! I had an amazing childhood. I am very fortunate that my family traveled a lot when I was younger, and we continue to go on wonderful trips as a family to this day. One favorite is as a young girl, my parents brought us to stay on Skaneateles Lake at the Sherwood Inn, a beautiful historical town. They got my sister and me our room, and I remember walking in and thinking it was the most stunning place I had ever seen. We got dressed up (my sister and I in matching dresses) to go down to dinner. I love everything about it – the Inn’s staff and how friendly they were, the nice decorations and big armchairs in the lobby, and the amazing food, specifically a creamy bowtie pasta with andouille sausage. I have so much appreciation for hospitality and food to this day – back then, all I was missing was the wine! Another favorite memory from later in my life, when I was 22, is traveling with my sister to the island of Corfu, Greece, and finding the same beach that my dad traveled to when he was young and took a backpacking trip around Europe. The same man and his now-grown son were selling fruit and soft drinks on the beach and remembered our father!
Contact Info:
- Website: (coming soon)
- Instagram: wineandtalkaboutit
Image Credits
Andrew Cebulka Photography
