Nittany Lion Inn’s passionate sommelier-in-the-making shows how wine industry is evolving

Richie Woodham, general manager of the Nittany Lion Inn’s Lionne restaurant and sommelier-in-the-making, loves to share his growing wine knowledge with diners.

Every evening during the dinner service at Lionne, the Nittany Lion Inn’s plush American brasserie, Woodham does the rounds, stopping at each table to introduce himself to guests, chat a bit about this and that, then suggest wines to pair with their orders. A 2022 Domaine Laporte Sancerre for a hearty portion of fresh linguine with asparagus pesto and mixed vegetables. A 2021 Tempranillo to accompany a coconut curry chicken breast served over black rice. A glass of port or sherry to enhance dessert.

“When I mingle with customers, I try to get a feel for what kind of person they are and what kind of palate they have,” Woodham, 33, said. “If they already have their first beverage, that gives me an idea of what they like. But the idea is to get them to like something new, because most people always go for the same stuff, you know.”

Woodham, Lionne’s general manager in charge of wines, is relatively new to the world of wines, having started his studies at The Court of Master Sommeliers America just two years ago. He’s passed the introductory sommelier certification, the first of a tough four-level course, and has recently taken the exams for Level 1 certification.

He can make out the subtle differences and almost imperceptible variations between the shades of red — ruby, crimson, cherry — in red wines that indicate the kinds of grapes they’re made from, their age, acidity and other attributes. It’s a solid first skill, Woodham says, to have under his belt, and one he’s looking to build upon as he continues his studies. Woodham is passionate about wines and eager to learn as much as he can about them.

“When I started bartending, I realized how unique wines are, and how they have an expression and a vision of their own,” he said. “Every wine has a story, a history behind it, and that’s fascinating.”

It’s also somewhat intimidating, he confesses, for a young Black man who had no exposure to wines growing up (Woodham is a first-generation American, his parents are Jamaican) to embark on a path that “often feels like it wasn’t necessarily paved with me/us in mind.” But the wine industry is evolving, Woodham says, and slowly becoming more inclusive and welcoming to diverse voices through greater representation, education and improved access.

“I want to continue pushing that forward by introducing more people of color to wine in a way that feels approachable, authentic and empowering,” he said.

Woodham grew up in Allentown and studied hotel, motel and restaurant management at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schneksville. He enjoys sharing his growing knowledge of wines with Lionne diners. Among them, of course, there are oenophiles with sophisticated knowledge and palates. But there are others, Woodham says, who might never have tried a Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine that is neither too sweet nor too dry and that he’s grown to love for its smoothness.

These are the diners he loves to connect with.

For Woodham, learning about wine felt like the right step in his career. Since his first job as a banquet server at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, he’s gained both back- and front-end experience in the hospitality industry — but he knew early on that he far preferred being out front and interacting with guests.

At the American Ale House in State College, where he worked as assistant general manager and bar manager before joining the Nittany Lion Inn, wine had become an important part of Woodham’s purview. “I decided I might as well try to master it a little,” he says.

He connected over wines — and watches, another of his passions — with Kurt Witzken, the Nittany Lion Inn’s general manager, at Barrel 21 Distillery & Dining last August. The bar there was short staffed, so Woodham went over to help out, and struck up a conversation with Witzken, not knowing who he was.

“He came in wearing a really nice timepiece that we talked about, he asked for wine, and I kind of schmoozed him on something special,” Woodham said. “And then we got to talking. He asked me who I was and what I did. I wasn’t even looking for a job at the time, I was comfortable where I was, but he said, ‘you know, I might have an opportunity for you, if you’re interested.’ I said, ‘I’m always interested in listening.’”

Of course, when Woodham met with Witzken and his team a few days later, and learned that the opportunity was at the soon-to-be-reopened Nittany Lion Inn, he could not say no. He’d known about the Inn for years, he says, and he’d always wanted to work at the heritage establishment.

“Richie brings with him a wonderful set of knowledge about wine to the table,” said Brandon Yocum, the Inn’s food and beverage director, who joined the Nittany Lion Inn last June from the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. “He is currently studying to become a certified sommelier, and we cannot wait to see what new wines he will be able to bring into Lionne Restaurant and the 1855 Lounge.”

Since it reopened last September, the Inn has been steadily building up a team — “we’ve hired two new managers since Richie came on board,” Yocum said — that is working on ideas to honor the Inn’s history and legacy and also attract new clientele from different demographics. Trivia nights and jazz nights with local bands are now a regular feature at the 1855 Lounge, which also hosts whiskey tastings and has beers on tap.

“We’re featuring Pennsylvania breweries now,” Yocum said, “and on the fourth Tuesday of each month, a rep from one of the breweries comes in to give a talk.”

Woodham has added a few choice wines to Inn’s existing wine list and every week, he picks two-to-four wines to introduce guests to. He would like to offer wine tablets — digital menus that guests can click on to learn more about a particular wine’s characteristics, history and provenance. Woodham also wants to curate a private cellar list of exclusive, high-end wines and champagnes. Some of these — a 2013 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2010 Harlan Estate “The Maiden,” a 2008 Dom Perignon — have been a part of the Inn’s cellar since before the hotel’s renovation.

As he continues his sommelier studies and learns more about high end wines, Woodham is hoping to broaden that list.