Erich Schliebe has been a part of the L'Espalier team since 2004. He escalated the ranks from waiter to manager before finally finding a home in the beverage department in 2006. Originally from North Carolina, Erich moved to Boston to get a Masters degree but found he couldn't escape the restaurant scene that he entered as a college graduate with no appreciable job skills. As he explains, "I was drawn to wine because a good bottle has everything I like about literature: there's a bit of history, geography, sociology, economics, science, and psychology to both." On the floor, Erich brings a laid back attitude to explaining and suggesting wines, often comparing them to things like a Turner painting, Bruce Lee, or The Ramones. He enjoys hosting the Wine Monday (and Cheese Tuesday) events because it gives him an opportunity to demystify the world of wine, play with pairings, and get over his shyness. Besides wine, Erich's passions are beer, the Oakland Raiders, and his wife and daughter, not necessarily in that order.
