George Walker pours the Wade Cellars chenin blanc at GRNoir Wine & Jazz.
PROFILE
Wine for the people Popping bottles of history with George Walker. BY SAM EASTER
// PHOTOS BY BRYAN ESLER
Here is something important to remember about George W.C. Walker III: Before he was 21 years old, he was in West Michigan, already studying for his sommelier exam. Years have passed, but Walker always has had the same precocious talent. It’s taken him from culinary school in Muskegon to personal projects — like a WGVU series on food and a community cooking class — to working in the Michigan wine industry. Now in his late 20s, he’s joined Wade Cellars, the Napa Valley winery helmed by former NBA superstar Dwyane Wade. Wine is perhaps the central focus of Walker’s life, taking him all over the world. In late October, he’d just returned from a trip to France, and he was electric with enthusiasm — for not only the drink itself, but the little histories in every bottle. 18
G R A N D R A P I D S M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2
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