The Perfect Pour

Video posted December 4, 2018 in Arts & Entertainment by Shannon O'Brien.

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While studying theatre at the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, Sean Caviston got a job waiting tables where he first got exposed to wine and fine dining.

“I wasn’t committed to poverty as an artist,” Caviston laughs as he recalls his time in New York. “You have to be all in. I always remember one of my professors saying, ‘If there’s anything else you feel as though you do better than this that you could pursue a career in, then you’re already done in this career.’ So, I was making really good money as a waiter in New York City.”

After graduating, Caviston found himself turning down more acting gigs and taking more steps to become a professional waiter. He worked his way up from general manager, learned how to become a chef operator, and even owned his own restaurant outside of Philadelphia.

“I found the Nittany Lion Inn because after I sold my restaurant and had been an entrepreneur for seven years, going back into what I call the boxes- meaning chains- where all 50 restaurants do the same thing and all the managers talk the same talk, it was a jacket that didn’t fit real good.”

After joining the Nittany Lion Inn, Caviston helped create an identity for the inn by creating an extensive wine list, an exceptional food and beverage program and has even become a sommelier. He now serves as the Wine Director and Restarurant Operations Manager.

The process to become a sommelier is separated into four steps. These steps include learning everything there is to know about wine including wine regions, the grapes used, the growing process and even which barrels are used. Caviston is currently a Certified Sommelier a member of the Society of Wine Educators and hopes to eventually become a master sommelier.