What happens when a field biologist watches Somm on Netflix and decides to become a sommelier?
Nabilah Rawji was supposed to be a field biologist — the kind who spends 12-hour days hiking through the Amazon. Then a family stroke changed her plans, a nonprofit job disappeared, and a Netflix documentary pointed her toward a career she’d never considered. What followed is one of Toronto wine’s great scrappy origin stories: 60 cold messages to strangers, two replies, multiple restaurant jobs, and a rapid climb from zero to Advanced Sommelier.
We get into what Somm doesn’t show you about working in restaurants, how Nabilah built her career, and what it takes to be a sommelier and a parent in an industry built around evenings. We talk about Restaurant Lucie, her wine consulting and education work, and the challenge of putting a price on your own expertise.
We also get into her magical wine travels, the current struggle facing Vinequity — the organization she co-founded to provide scholarships and mentorship — and why Nebbiolo has “resting bitch face.”
This Wine Has Resting Bitch Face — Nabilah Rawji
00:00 “Nebbiolo has resting bitch face” 00:36 The 80% overlap between field biology and somm work 04:07 The stroke that ended the PhD dream 05:53 Unemployed on the couch, watching Somm on Netflix 08:31 60 cold messages, two replies, three jobs at once 10:48 Why a Toronto restaurant floor isn’t her hardest job 12:15 Zero to certified in 18 months — inside the Sunday study group 15:23 The new Restaurant Lucie 20:28 The blind pour that broke a guest’s brain (Ontario vs. New Zealand) 23:11 Two nights a week: making motherhood fit fine dining 30:26 “Please tell me to hit send on this invoice” 34:39 Vinequity’s do-or-die year — where your $20 actually goes 41:24 Why Nebbiolo’s attitude is worth it: an Alto Piemonte pilgrimage 46:24 Standing in the Cretan sea, feeling terroir 51:17 Why somms across the world call each other
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Episode 25