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At Home with: Eunhee Kwon

09.12.25

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5 min read

At Home with ETO: conversations over a glass of wine, relishing the small moments, and personal rituals that make our spaces our own. 

Eunhee Kwon (@ehk.vin) approaches wine with the kind of clarity that only comes from living and working in two creative spaces. A career in design instilled an affinity for details that she’s taken into a pivot into hospitality, as a sommelier. The varying wine preferences across a table, the subtle shifts in colour and character of wines as they’re poured, or the details that turn service into true hospitality - a career in wine gave her a new language for paying attention. This grounding in details, guided by instinct and motivation to tell a story through wine is central to her work as a sommelier.

It’s this attentive perspective at this time of year - as the nights blur together and the holidays are well and truly upon us - that can guide us towards choosing carefully, drinking with intention, and stretching a beautiful bottle across a few nights rather than rushing to finish it. In Eunhee’s world, amongst her fast-paced New York life, that kind of mindful pleasure over a glass of wine sits central to her time intentionally spent at home. 

For this chapter of At Home With, Eunhee lets us into her world in New York: a life shaped by design, community and the joy of learning something because it fascinates you. From the career leap that brought her into wine, to the regions she relies on when hosting, this is a glimpse into her life during a season spent slowing down.



ETO: You were working as a designer before making the leap to wine and training as a  sommelier. What prompted that transition, and what was the scariest part? 

I had always been interested in the food and wine world, and had been taking wine classes for fun here and there. When I got laid off—twice—during the pandemic, I took a more intensive course to distract myself from the disheartening reality of the promised “stable” nine to five career not being as stable as I had thought. Once I passed the Certified Sommelier exam and was offered a sommelier position unexpectedly, I decided to make the career change and take a chance on the wine journey. The scariest part was frankly the financial aspect of being in the hospitality industry. Unlike corporate roles where your paycheck is predictable week after week, it’s not quite the case in restaurant jobs, so having to navigate that as an anxious person was tough to get used to.

Are there any skills from your design background that translate to your work in wine?  

The attention to detail. Whether it’s something as seemingly small as cutting the wine bottle’s foil cleanly or noticing changes in microexpressions of those who are dining, every detail matters for a great guest experience. Paying attention and noticing, sweating the small things allowed me to learn the trade much more quickly and be more adaptive.

What's the biggest misconception people have about wine that you're trying to  break down through your content?  

That wine is difficult and snobby! Gone are the days the gatekeeping and snobbish attitude were normalized—wine is all about community. While it can definitely feel like there’s a barrier to entry when it comes to learning more about wines, it doesn’t have to, especially with an increasingly welcoming community of wine lovers, wherever we are in our respective journeys. I hope to make deeper, nerdier parts of wine less intimidating and easier to understand, and I try to achieve that with simple illustrations and videos that make it all less serious and precious.

What are your go-to wine spots in NYC right now, and what makes them special?  

I like no frills spots that have both great wine lists and food like Chambers or Lei (pictured) Their wine lists are full of gems regardless of whether you want to keep it low key or in the mood to splurge a little, from more accessible price points to the special wines that are worth spending more. The food is always on point and truly never disappoints, and the atmosphere is both warm and welcoming yet vibey, perfect for any occasion.

Is there a wine or wine region you're particularly excited about at the moment, or  one you think is underrated?  

I’m a Burgundy girl through and through. It’s the region that really blew my mind and got me into wines in the first place, and it’s also one of those regions you can study forever and still feel like you’ll never know enough about or taste enough of. The history, the winemakers, the vineyards, the legacy—they all fascinate me, and Burgundy will forever have my heart.

Our campaign is called 'At Home with ETO.' During the holiday season when  you're hosting, how do you cater to different palates? If you had to keep three bottles on hand that work for most guests, what would they be and why? 

When it comes to hosting, I think the name of the game is variety and range. I always have a sparkling, a white with a touch of sweetness, and a medium-bodied red on hand for hosting. Some still think Riesling is all just sweet, but there’s a wide range of sweetness you can choose from. Especially because they are high in acidity, that tartness plus a bit of sweetness makes it super versatile, creating magic especially when it comes to richer food we have around this time of the year. For medium-bodied reds, I gravitate towards Pinot Noir, since it can have both earthiness and fruit, going well with not only turkey and other poultry, but also ham, mushroom or other sides, and so much more.

 As the holidays approach, do you have a go-to wine, object, or indulgence that you love to give as a gift? This could be something you’ve discovered recently, a classic you always return to, or just a personal favourite. 

When gifting, I always think back on what the person I'm gifting doesn't have. If they're curious about wines, I love gifting a pretty wine key or a reusable wine bag. For friends who like hosting, cute glassware or ceramic plates that are their style. I think for me the key is trying to find something unique that they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves that's beautiful yet functional, and wouldn't take up too much space either.

Eunhee Recommends

With the colder season, I get excited about more textured wines. Of course I love my white Burgundies for fuller bodied wines, but I also love underrated grapes and regions like Albillo from Ribera del Duero like Dominio del Aguila Albillo Viñas Viejas or Listan Blanco from the Canary Islands like Suertes del Marquez 'Trenzado', Envinate 'Palo Blanco' —they’re layered with minerality and salin that complement various types of food, from seafood to hearty stews.

There are many winemakers who apprenticed at renown wineries around the world who have now established their own in relatively under the radar wine regions such as these, and it’s exciting to have so much to explore. 

Cheers, 

Team ETO

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