Owner-at-Large

"I think I'm done here."

That was me, somewhere around the tail end of the pandemic, pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head. After 15 years in restaurants and hotels, I'd hit my limit. You can only take so much emotional and physical beating in hospitality before you start asking: what else could I possibly do with all this experience — but with less stress?

The answer arrived, as the best ideas often do, after a night of ingesting "herbal supplements." The name, the concept, the whole shape of what would become Rocks + Acid — all of it, in one night. I had a workable business plan within 24 hours.

It's a long way from my strict, Catholic, alcohol-free upbringing. But those 15 years taught me a lot — the indecent and the valuable in equal measure — working my way from casual spots like The Corner Kitchen in Asheville to Michelin-recognized rooms like Eleven Madison Park in New York. And the less glamorous education — the logistical and financial acrobatics of actually running a profitable business — came from my years at The Fearrington House in Pittsboro, as Beverage Director and Assistant GM for the hotel. Somewhere along the way I also picked up my Advanced Sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a handful of local and international publications have been kind enough to write about the shop since.

So what's the point of Rocks + Acid? I wanted to drink the wines that excited and inspired me back in New York, right here. I wanted something small but mighty — a third space for the Chapel Hill community, built around the wines I'd actually chase down myself.

It's a long way, too, from 13-year-old Paula, who dreamed of being a neonatal surgeon. (Delulu much?) But I love where I landed — the crossroads of hospitality and wine, with a stress level I can actually live with.

What's your favorite wine?
For the record, this question stresses me out. Am I drinking it myself or with others? If with others, will they actually appreciate it if I open that bottle? On its own or with food? Is it hot out? Where am I even drinking this — fancy restaurant, beach, or at home folding laundry? Yes, I have a favorite wine for every one of those scenarios.

TL;DR: grower Champagne.

Favorite grape?
Classic? Riesling. Esoteric? Timorasso.

If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?
Sugar baby.

Owner & General Manager

"Who is going to embrace my oddities?"

I was baptized in wine during college, managing the tasting room at the Biltmore Estate winery — a front-row seat to every possible taste on earth, and many busy weekends playing Hoover Dam to the holiday crowds. Turns out I love the thrill of semi-controlled chaos.

After my hospitality degree, I bounced through hotel AGM roles before landing, somewhat reluctantly, as a hostess at Herons at The Umstead. That "mere" hostess job turned out to be the hand-carved path into fine dining and Forbes 5-Star rigor — and eventually, Junior Sommelier.

I loved learning under some of the region's best chefs and an Advanced Sommelier, but standing at attention, repeating names five times, and watching my tongue at every table started to hurt more than it taught. So I went looking for somewhere that would embrace my colorful side, and found it running the beverage program at ÃN Asian Cuisine — my first real shot at building a wine list exactly as I wanted it.

That job ended abruptly when the business closed in early 2017 — which, in a plot twist, is how I met Paula. I'd just lost my job and had to awkwardly email my Ruinart rep to say I was no longer a viable buyer. She insisted I still come to lunch anyway. I showed up to find Paula de Pano — freshly back from EMP in New York, already a name people spoke of with reverence — sitting right there. She walked me out after lunch and told me to swing by Fearrington for an interview. Nearly 10 years later, we're still side by side. Two very different peas, same pod.

The most important thing we do at the shop: finding the right fit for each person walking in. Wine is suggestive — don't be embarrassed about that. Every wine is built for different needs, and I use my language degree daily to read between the lines and find what actually fits. We're not mind readers, but in this field, we're about as close as it gets.

Favorite Wine?
I drink like I dress: according to the weather and my mood. I lean light and aromatic but pivot situationally — I'm not having Picpoul with BBQ ribs. Higher altitude and cooler climates excite me most: Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d'Aosta, the Pyrenees, Alsace, the Loire. But I could also bathe in a good coastal wine. Flexibility is the whole game.

Favorite Grape?
Aromatic, I'll die on this hill. If the bouquet doesn't smack you in the face, it's not aromatic enough. All the usual suspects, plus Muscat, Malvasia, Moschofilero, Famoso, and every color of Traminer there is.

If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?
Assuming hospitality hadn't finished me off yet — running a hotel in the Caribbean. 🙂

Contact

Lead Sommelier

"I don't think any of this really matters."

I remember thinking this walking past the Bell Tower at UNC, right before finishing my linguistics degree. Without getting technical, I’ll say that none of the research I was doing was going to make the world any better. In fact, I was pretty sure that none of it would even make anyone’s day any better.

That epiphany hit me like an SUV — a comparison I can make well, since I've also been hit by a real SUV (0/10, do not recommend, but story for another day). I was locked in the ivory tower, and suddenly needed out.

I landed a job as lunch manager at Restaurant Provence in Carrboro in 2016, promoted to GM three months later — a role that included wine buying, something I was deeply unqualified for. (My distribution reps have my eternal gratitude.)

Then the pandemic hit Restaurant Provence harder than that SUV, so we closed and reopened as Mosaic Bistro. I later moved on to become the opening GM at Bombolo in Chapel Hill, then managed the legendary West End Wine Bar.

That's when it clicked — every guest interaction can change someone's day, in ways big or tiny, hundreds of times a week. An industry full of opportunities that linguistics never would’ve given me. I knew I was home.

Wine, for me, is about bringing people together — for celebrations, devastations, everything in between. Rocks & Acid is the pinnacle of that. We know two-thirds of our guests by name. We've hosted two weddings and a funeral. What better job could there be?

Favorite wine?
For me, wine is very often more about the people you share it with than what’s in the glass. A thoughtfully made wine shared with friends, both with a story to tell, is impossible to beat.

(Fine—it’s Chablis.)

Favorite Grape?
I love all my children equally. Chenin Blanc for beauty and versatility, Albariño for everyday drinking with friends. But also — justice for Chardonnay!

If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?
Personal assistant. (Céline Dion, I'm very poachable.)

Contact

Sommelier

“I guess we care about wine now.”

I often get asked how I ended up in wine. The short answer: by accident. Turns out that's a common thread among wine professionals — nobody's dreaming of "sommelier" at age 12.

The longer answer: my Napa-obsessed California parents dreamed I'd be a sommelier or an artist. I thought both ideas were silly and leaned into the "science and math are the only real path" mindset — starting at NC State as a statistics major (and finishing with a degree in French). Meanwhile, I started bartending the second I turned 21, purely for the money.

Eventually shots and beers got boring, and I moved to Durham after graduation to chase craft cocktails. I fell in love with mixology and, for the first time, could see a future in hospitality. To bolster my resume, I got a wine certification — nothing serious, until it was.

Suddenly wine became all-consuming — the crossroads of art, culture, science, geography, and history. It paints a picture of the world and the people in it, bringing people together while expressing the individuality of the winemaker and the place.

I showed up at Rocks + Acid on opening day in 2022, asking Paula de Pano for a job. Two years later, I left to work as a floor sommelier on the restaurant side. Two years after that, I came home to the shop.

Seems my parents got their wish after all.

Favorite Wine?
A hard question with a different answer depending on the day. But the Bandol Rosé from Maubernard gave me my "a-ha" moment — I'd never been able to pick out tasting notes until that wine. Everything clicked.

Favorite Grape?
All things aromatic — Malvasia, Muscat of Alexandria, Grenache, Frapatto. If it smells like flowers, count me in.

If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?
Translator or artist. Flower arrangements speak to me too.

Sommelier-in-Training

"I like a flight of wine and a flight TO wine!"

I came into this role through a love of learning new things and seeing the world. I studied in Italy in college and while I didn’t drink then, I fell in love with the country. Studying wine has been on my mind ever since.

After the pandemic, I was lucky to explore several very different industries ranging from floral design to bike mechanics to production assistant work, and now I’ve landed in the land of the grapes!

While I still feel new to the world of wine, I adore being in a place where I can open the door to others who may feel apprehensive about starting to explore with me. Teaching helps me learn, and I’m lucky to be learning from the best coworkers at Rocks + Acid. 

I still have a love for travel and for Europe in particular, and recent endeavors have brought me to the Portuguese island of Madeira for extended trips. This means I get to combine my loves, and I'm doing my best to become the resident expert on Madeira! That being said, if you don’t see me at the shop, there’s a decent chance I’m overseas—or at one of my many other jobs!

Favorite Wine
Anything smoky!

Favorite Grape
Chenin Blanc, versatile and varied. There is always an expression of Chenin to be found that is accessible to newbies!

If not wine?
Floral designer in Europe or psychedelic therapy researcher (also in Europe)