When you think of a sommelier, you might picture a snob who rolls his eyes at whatever cheap swill you’ve deemed fit to drink. If so, let Charleston’s James Beard Award-winning wine director Lindsay Willey shatter those expectations.

Yes, she has impeccable taste and can pick out the perfect label to pair with the fine cuisine cooked up by her boss, Cindy Wolf. Yes, she’s traveled the world meeting with wine growers and can tell personal stories about several of the bottles.

But she’s also a woman in a stereotypically male-dominated field and a native Marylander from a town so small it lacks a stoplight. She has a down-to-earth sense of humor, joking that she looks like a “gargoyle” after a marathon of wine tasting (she’s learned to bring a toothbrush).

Much of her job, she points out, is not glamorous: updating Excel spreadsheets to keep track of inventory amid crazy price fluctuations, opening crates of wine and making sure they’re properly stored with the labels up. And that’s the way she likes it.

“I love the solitude of being in the cellar and unpacking wine and getting ready to put it on the menu,” said Willey, who also serves as wine director for Tony Foreman + Co restaurants.

Willey is refreshingly conscious of price, understanding that many customers, even those at a high-end restaurant like Charleston, don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a wine. Looking for a bargain bottle to relax with at home? “I would look at Spain and Portugal for summer,” Willey said. Both countries offer a good bang for your buck with “charming, easy-to-drink wine.“

“She never judges you for what you’re drinking,“ said longtime friend Charisse Nichols, who worked with Willey at a former Foreman Wolf restaurant. ”She says ‘if it tastes good to you, then that’s great.’ But she can always show you something better.“

Here, let Willey show you something better. Below, in her own words, are 10 wines the sommelier thinks you should try at Charleston, ranging in price from $50 to over $500 per bottle.

Spätburgunder, Hexamer “Weissherbst” (Nahe), 2023

$50

The perfect warm weather aperitif — juicy white peach, white flowers, fresh and easy.

Rías Baixas, Do Ferreiro (Spain), 2023

$69

For any of the early seafood courses on the menu — tuna tartare especially — we have three bottlings from Do Ferreiro. Their wines made from Albariño are super mineral and vivid, almost crystalline like fruit.

Margaux, Château Le Coteau “Anthophora” (Bordeaux), 2019

$110

This is a real hidden bargain from Margaux. The winemaker makes fantastic balanced wines and also cultivates pollinators — especially bees. Each vintage of this wine is named for a different kind of bee. The 2019 vintage is generous and open.

Champagne, Guy Larmandier 1er Cru Brut Rosé (Vertus) NV

$144

Drink this as an aperitif, with early summer tomato dishes, mature cheese. It’s fresh, bright, dry — white cherry and raspberry fruit. This small winery makes really precise, fine Champagne.

Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru “Vergelesses” Michel Gay (Burgundy), 2019

$149

Michel Gay is a favorite in Burgundy. The wines are always balanced and vibrant. The 2019s (we have a few on the list) are so good right now and very fairly priced. There is a warmth in these wines that work for summer flavors.

Côte Rôtie, François Villard “Le Gallet Blanc” (Northern Rhône Valley), 2019

$195

Some Syrah from Côte Rôtie can be really tight and compact for many years. This wine does not hold back: loads of dark berry fruit, light peppery spices, fine but ample tannins — excellent for pork and veal or leaner beef.

Champagne, Eric Rodez Grand Cru “Cuvée des Crayères” Brut (Ambonnay) NV

$210

I am not sure I have ever met such a passionate winemaker — so careful and considerate about the process. He allowed our group to taste the still wines which I have never been able to do before. Meeting him was such a treat — and so is this wine! This wine is made from about 12 different wines from four to five vintages including 45%-50% reserve wines — generous and full of mineral-laced orchard fruits.

Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru “Ménétrières” Domaine Cordier (Burgundy), 2020

$294

Christophe Cordier makes a large range of white wines from the southern area of Burgundy. This is the first time he bottled a parcel of Ménétrières since the site was designated a Premier Cru. His use of oak is restrained, letting all the sunny Chardonnay fruit shine.

Castilla y León, Mauro “Terreus – Paraje de Cueva Baja,” 2010

$312

This is kind of a sleeper on the list, which is great for the wine. It’s been resting and developing in the cellar for years. Made from 100% Tempranillo from vines that are 100 years old — super concentrated inky berry fruit, exotic spices.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos des Papes (Southern Rhône Valley), 2013 MAGNUM

$518

Bring a couple of friends to share this one. It is a library release that we acquired after a visit to the winery in 2024, so it came directly from the winery to the cellar at Charleston.