Meet Your Sommelier
Every pairing on Oenvy is reviewed by a real, certified sommelier.
Morgan Dannels
Head Sommelier & Pairing Director
Ask Morgan how he got into wine and you won't hear the usual story about a transformative bottle in Burgundy. You'll hear about the floor of the Emmy's Governors Ball — pouring for a room full of people who could order anything in the world and still wanted someone to tell them what was good.
That's the instinct Morgan has spent a career sharpening. After working high-profile events with Patina Catering in Los Angeles, Morgan earned Level 2 Sommelier certification and spent years as a Wine Specialist at one of Colorado's largest retailers, Bubbles Liquor World. He has even poured at events for Wine Spectator, and recently poured for the owner of Silver Oak at a local tasting event. Today Morgan operates the wine program at Cloud Wine Bar — leading staff training, hosting tastings, and building a room where nobody feels like they have to pretend.
At Oenvy, your sommelier reviews every pairing before it earns the “Certified Sommelier Approved” badge. Crafting the “what to say” scripts, tweaking the recommendations, and ensuring every suggestion is something he would stand behind at his own dinner table.
A Few Questions for Morgan
Quick takes from your sommelier — the wines he reaches for, recommends, and can't live without.
What is your favorite wine to pair with food?
Chenin Blanc. It has wonderful acidity and stone fruit notes with, often times, a bit of sweetness. This makes it a bit of a “Swiss Army Knife” in its ability to fit different pairings. The sweetness works well against spicy foods or with a light dessert, like a tart or parfait. Its acidity can pair well with rich, creamy sauces, but it can also be dry enough to elevate lighter dishes.
If you had to pick one wine to drink the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’d have to go with Priorat. Grenache coming from ancient vines on rugged hillsides in one of the oldest quality wine producing areas in Spain creates incredibly concentrated and powerful wines for this usually light bodied varietal. It’s a bit of an industry secret, but has enormous quality for the cost.
What do you find yourself drinking for an everyday, weeknight occasion?
It does depend on what I’m eating, but if we are generalizing, Barbera is an excellent, high acid, light bodied, and cost effective varietal I always seem to come back to. It might not work for your big juicy steaks or braised beef dishes, but if we’re talking about weeknight meals, this easily complements most pastas, bbq, salads, burgers, pork, and even chicken. Don’t be afraid to get an inexpensive bottle of Barbera for whatever your weeknight throws at you.