One thing for sure that I can tell you about a day in the life of Carrie Britton is that it is hectic and she is busy, busy, busy. After a week of texting and rescheduling a time for this interview, I finally got to talk to her as she was driving to Dallas.

 

Carrie has five sons, a daughter, and 15 grandchildren. She and her husband Carl, an urologist, were high school sweethearts in Portales, NM, and came to Lubbock 30 years ago when he went to Medical School at Texas Tech. Eleven years ago she opened the Funky Door on 82nd but moved to a larger facility on Milwaukee in August 2017.

 

Carrie, who is a Master Sommelier Level II Wine Steward, admits that most of her days are about wine. “I just finished a big test. We had to do a blind tasting and name the grapes, the vintage, and where the wine is from, along with knowing the soil types for the grapes and the pests for that type of grape. It is grueling. Your teeth turn purple and the acid makes your lips sore,” she says. (The Master Sommelier test is one of the most difficult in the world. Few take it and only 8% pass it.)

 

“The first thing I do in the morning is to get online and start checking on wines through emails, podcasts, and webinars, Carrie adds. “I also subscribe to a lot of wine magazines including ‘Decanter’ magazine out of London. I just bought the wine cellar of an older man who was downsizing and I got some very rare and very old wines from him.   I have to keep up with new wines, new wine regions, and new wine laws. And I am at the restaurant a lot when I am in town.”

 

“My first wine was Boones Farm Strawberry Hill, just like every other kid,” she says laughing. Then in college, a friend from Norway introduced my husband and me to really good wine. The original door, from the 82nd location, is on my patio. And yes, I have a Wine Steward cup but those are just for decoration. Our whole family is interested in wine, yes, our family meals always have a shared bottle. My youngest son, Zak, is beverage director at the restaurant, and 13 of our staff have gone through the Court of Master Sommeliers program. Carl, my husband, and Zak have passed their Court of Master Sommeliers Level I.”

 

Carrie also adds, “I am so grateful to our loyal customers for their support and patience during the past year of Covid and now when we are all suffering from a labor shortage. This spring I hope to get back to having our wine classes.