Wine Director, CHRIS DUNAWAY

Chris Dunaway grew up in a small farming town in Kentucky, where he was exposed to the joy and conviviality of dining experiences at frequent gatherings with his family at large. These were often supplemented with the freshest ingredients from his grandparents’ garden and even homemade wine at times. “I was fascinated by wine at an early age,” Chris contends. “A sentiment forever ingrained as a result of many summer evenings spent walking through my grandfather’s grapevines." He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Transylvania University in Lexington and next moved to New York City where he spent five years working for some of the most respected professionals in the food and wine industry including celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. He joined The Nell in 2015 and passed the challenging Level III Advanced Sommelier exam on his first attempt in 2016 - a remarkable feat. In 2019, he was promoted from Head Sommelier to Wine Director, the award-winning wine program and knowledgeable team of sommeliers.