Trummer's On Main

He has a story for every wine, champagne and port that he carries in his 8,000-bottle wine cellar. His relationships with wine makers and vine growers cultivates his intimate, expansive wine list that ranges from small, new world grapes to ones that date back 100 years. Virginia native and Sommelier Tyler Packwood is a locally renowned addition to the critically acclaimed Trummer’s On Main and one that comes by way of one of the Nation’s finest culinary destinations.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Packwood’s love for wine has taken him to great places around the globe. He began in the hospitality industry at Opus One in Munich, Germany, working for six years as Restaurant Manager and Sommelier. Part of his job included building of the wine list and creating proper storage for the wines. He also created and arranged a dinner featuring Tom Shelton, then President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, in 1999.

Packwood eventually returned to the States to take on the positions of Server, Cellar Master, Service Captain and eventually, Wine Director at The Inn at Little Washington, where his love for wine truly flourished. Through pursuing an interest in wine, participation in creating the wine program followed. He developed timelines for the tasting and delivery of wines to ensure smooth handling and availability. Through the reorganization of the wine department, the title of ‘Cellar Master’ was created for Packwood in 2002. Later that year, Packwood found and facilitated the purchase one of the largest wine acquisitions in the history of The Inn at Little Washington.

Packwood also attained two strong accolades during his tenure with ‘The Inn.’ While solely representing the wine department in 2002/2003, he preserved the Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award of Excellence” along with having passed the “Court of Master Sommeliers” introductory course examination on March 24th, 2003. This led to an invitation to attend the advanced level in October 2007.

Looking to diversify his repertoire, Packwood went on to Foti’s Restaurant in Culpepper in 2005 as Restaurant Manager and Wine Director. He both directed the start up of a new American-Mediterranean cuisine restaurant and began the monthly “Sommelier Dinner.” Within six months, the restaurant achieved a three-star review by The Washington Post and was named one of Washingtonian’s “100 Very Best Restaurants” in 2006.

He returned to ‘The Inn’ in 2006 for three years as Wine Director. It was a return that came in the way of an invitation by the management staff…A compliment to Packwood of his accomplishments. Not only was he solely responsible for all decisions relating to wine purchases and the direction of the list, but he also controlled and maintained the budget and inventory, along with having furthered the wine education of the employees.

It was also during this time the 30th anniversary of The Inn at Little Washington took place at the historical Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. Packwood facilitated the wines for the 600-person dinner. He procured 100% of the wine donations.

In June of 2009, Sommelier Tyler Packwood began his commute from Sperryville, Virginia, to Clifton, Virginia, building his new wine playground at Trummer’s On Main. A walk-in cellar with mahogany, glass-enclosed doors displays the depth of Packwood’s knowledge. To complete the experience, he also has a private wine tasting room that seats 12 and has a full view of the wine cellar. He has built a wine list that is over 5,000 and growing. From $25 to $3000, from new world to old world, Packwood’s depth of bottle offering appeases the most discriminating of palates.

To lend further depth to the wine program at Trummer’s On Main, Packwood worked closely with Barboursville Vineyard’s wine maker Luca Paschina to create two exclusive labels for the restaurant… a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon complete the pair of exclusive vintages.

Tyler Packwood brings a strong character and presence to Trummer’s On Main. One that is home grown and nurtured by the finest of grapes and vines.