David Keck
Goodnight Hospitality | Houston
December 2019
Before David Keck mastered the art of identifying notes in wine, he made a career out of musical notes. As a young opera singer and Columbia University student, Keck began waiting tables in order to make ends meet. After graduating in 2004, then studying voice and opera at The Juilliard School, Keck took to Houston to further his education by pursuing a master’s degree in music at Rice University. Meanwhile, Keck was pouring vino at local wine bar Cova. Beginning to fall in love with wine, Keck became a cellar rat and eventually the bar’s sommelier.
He quickly gained an affinity for wine education, working as a sales representative for Prestige Wine Cellars in 2011, before joining the Uchi team as the beverage director in 2012. Keck then spent three and a half years refining his knowledge at Camerata at Paulie’s as the wine director and general manager. While there, he received his Master Sommelier pin from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Finally ready to start his own project, Keck recruited Chef Felipe Ricco and Restaurateur Pete McCarthy to launch honky tonk concept Goodnight Charlie’s. In 2019, the Keck-led group, now known as Goodnight Hospitality, brought on Master Sommelier June Rodil and has gone on to open Montrose Cheese and Wine, Rosie Cannonball, and new concept, March, which is slated to open in 2020. Keck was named one of Food & Wine’s “Sommeliers of the Year” in 2016 and is the founder of LoireFest, a festival celebrating Loire Valley wines.
