Sommelier Supreme

André Hueston Mack moves with purpose. Whether he is “nosing” a glass of wine to determine its bouquet or closing a deal on a new venture, there are no wasted actions.

Even as we sat down for a nearly two-hour, wide-ranging interview at The Avery in Tulsa, the world-famous sommelier was also able to take a business call, check on why one of his sons wasn’t in class and create content for his popular social media accounts.

This is the pace Mack has lived his life since he found his calling more than 20 years ago. The belief that the iron was hot has led Mack to build a multimillion-dollar company, while also being a winemaker, a restaurateur, a graphic designer, an author, a social media influencer and a globe-trotting sommelier.

“I realized that I was in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says. “I was in a moment that had a trajectory that could change not just my life, but my grandchildren’s children’s lives. Real generational wealth. But understanding that this moment—not chasing it, but understanding that this moment is very fleeting.”

The life the 53-year-old Mack has chosen was not something that was offered at any high school career day. The New Jersey native created a presence in a wine industry that had been built on exclusivity. But Mack’s fierce belief that he belonged in that world, despite not having grown up in it, allowed him to create his own unique space.

This was never Mack’s intention in his formative years. But like many great origin stories, it had its beginnings in Oklahoma.

In the early 1990s, Mack followed his then-girlfriend to the Sooner State. He enrolled in classes at Oklahoma City University and took a job waiting tables at the local Red Lobster. It wasn’t glamorous, but he now recognizes it was a life he took for granted.  

“In hindsight, when I look at it, I didn’t realize how free I was,” Mack says. “When I say free, like no constraints. The responsibility level was pretty low. I think I walked away with a lot of memories and knowledge.”

Mack moved back to Texas and eventually worked at Citicorp Investment Services for two years. When Citicorp merged with Citibank and Travelers Group in 1998, he was offered severance, which meant he didn’t have to rush out and find another job. He ended up spending his days hanging out, trying to save money and watching TV.

It was then that Mack discovered Frasier Crane. More specifically, the hit TV show “Frasier,” which aired from 1993 to 2004. The “Cheers” spinoff starred Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane, who had moved back home to Seattle to kickstart a new career in radio.

Frasier lived a luxurious, upper-crust life. One in which he stayed in a high-rise condo in downtown Seattle frequenting the theater, art openings and the finest restaurants where he enjoyed the finest wines.

“I fell in love with wine by watching old episodes of ‘Frasier,’” Mack says. “On the surface, it was funny. But as you start to watch it a little deeper, they had this camaraderie around alcohol, mainly wine. And I just remember, I was just fascinated by it. When you watch something, you want to be a part of that show or live a little piece of their lives. Wine was the most accessible thing to me.”

For Mack, who grew up listening to hip-hop and drinking beer in 40-ounce bottles, wine became aspirational, and it gave him a beacon toward which to aim his social life.

“They seemed like they were having so much fun with wine that I wanted to also,” Mack says. “I learned how to say Gewürztraminer, because they said it on the show. I realized that Sancerre was having a blanc, a ’61 Bordeaux was a great vintage, Haut-Brion was one of those famous wineries from Bordeaux.”

According to Mack, the show did more than teach him terminology. It gave him the courage to walk into a wine shop for the first time in his life.

“I went into the wine shop and that was it,” Mack says. “I realized that it wasn’t as scary or intimidating as I thought it would be. Wine people love to share their knowledge. And from that day, you know, they put me on to things that they like.”

That could have been the end of Mack’s story. He could have just become a regular patron who consumed different varieties of wine and gone back to work for another bank.

Instead, something in him clicked. He began to learn everything he could about wine while getting back into the restaurant business. He took a job waiting tables at The Palm in San Antonio, while going on a tasting spree as he tried hundreds of different wines.

That was the first place he heard the term sommelier and knew that it was for him.
The job description for a sommelier includes curating the wine list to complement the restaurant’s menu, educating staff and customers about wine selections and conducting wine tastings.

However, Mack saw they were putting on a show for customers, as well. Along with making sure they paired the correct wine with the house special, he was there to entertain and give the people something to think about and discuss.

That discovery allowed Mack to separate himself from the more reserved, old sommeliers that would appear in films like Sideways, A Good Year and, of course, Somm.

Mack’s decision seemed to have paid off. Nearly 18 months after watching his first episode of “Frasier,” he was the sommelier at the prestigious French Laundry in Napa Valley.

After being awarded the title of Best Young Sommelier in America by Chaine des Rotisseurs, he accepted the position of head sommelier at Per Se in New York City, which he held for three years.

Since then, Mack’s life has been a whirlwind of business opportunities. From starting his own restaurants to traveling nearly every week to be a guest sommelier, the grind never stops. He is extremely proud of the fact that June 28, 2010, was the last day he ever worked for another person.

Mack was able to accomplish all of this while he and his wife, Phoebe Damrosch, were raising four kids.

“I told myself if I ever find something in life that I’m good at or show potential for, I’m never letting go,” says Mack. “I’m going to squeeze the life out of it. That’s the whole wine thing. When I find there’s a path, I said, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’”

This passion has turned Mack into likely the most well-known wine enthusiast in the real world and on social media. He has more than 950,000 followers on Instagram (@andrehmack) while his YouTube videos (World Wine with Andre Mack) have been viewed millions of times.

People flock to Mack’s content not only to see him talk about old and new bottles of wine, but also to take in the lifestyle he has built.

“I think what led to a lot of those opportunities is, it was kind of like Where’s Waldo? Every week, I was on a plane in a different market, and people could follow along on my journeys through me posting on social,” Mack states.

It hasn’t escaped him that he is doing all of this in an environment where Black men are as rare as a 1945 Romanée-Conti. So, while he may not speak on his struggles in this area publicly, he knows his presence speaks louder than words.

“Obviously, there aren’t a lot of people [in that world] who look like me,” Mack says. “Because every time I show up, I challenge the status quo. I’m proud and actually honored to carry the torch, to illuminate the path for others to follow. For anybody to follow. Because what they won’t tell you is that those white boys are inspired by me, too.”

In 2007, Mack founded Mouton Noir Wines, which produces a line of Oregon wines and merchandise. After a seven-year legal battle with Mouton Rothschild, it changed to Maison Noir Wines.

Mack’s product line is made of self-described garage wines that range from $181 to $273 a bottle. The names (O.P.P. Pinot, In Sheep’s Clothing, Free Gamay, Bastardo Jackson) and black-and-white graphic labels showcase Mack’s distinct style and irreverence toward the standard wine culture.

He knows there’s potential for even more growth.

“The wine and the public figure thing haven’t even combined yet,” Mack says. “Most people don’t even know that I have wine over here. So, the growth of the company hasn’t benefited from the success of my personal brand yet.”

Mack hopes to change that in the next five to 10 years. He has no plans to slow down the hectic travel schedule that saw him visit seven countries in just the first three months of 2026. Less than a week after leaving Tulsa, Mack touched down in Lagos, Nigeria.

Mack believes he has gotten to this point not just due to his impressive palate or his extensive knowledge of wines. The work, sacrifices and drive to be the best leave no time to sit around and marvel at just how far he has come. When the goal is “total world domination,” introspection has to take a backseat … for now.

“I don’t reflect, because I felt like I should have already been there,” Mack says. “I don’t look back because that, you know, all that just (messes) your neck up. I think for me, I don’t even leave time to enjoy it. Because I think that in hindsight, I could have seen where it all could have gone wrong. And that is something I can’t entertain.” •