Parker Story
Burdell | Oakland, CA
September 2026
At 22 years old, Parker Story got his first industry job at Tannin, a restaurant and wine bar in Kansas City, Missouri, where he developed an affinity for the energy and pace of service. Over the next six years there, he worked his way up from a server to the restaurant's assistant general manager, building leadership skills and a passion for wine while learning everything he could from his mentor, Sommelier Barry Tunnell. Story then joined the team at Ça Va, where he dove even deeper into wine under the guidance of Sommelier Caitlin Corcoran.
After the pandemic hit, Story and his wife relocated to the Bay Area. He joined the team at Sommelier Scott Harvey's Urban Wine Brokers and started to develop relationships with local wine professionals in the area. In 2023, Story started working at Decant SF, where he spent the next two years fortifying his knowledge of wine while working with the owners, Sommeliers Cara Patricia and Simi Grewal.
In 2025, Rising Stars alum Geoff Davis reached out to Story to see if he was interested in getting back into restaurants. Story soon took over as the wine director at Burdell, Davis' acclaimed Oakland restaurant. Since then, he has built a focused, yet varied list that emphasizes value, flexibility, and benchmark producers and wines of the best quality. He offers a wide range of acid-driven wines that pair well with Davis' complex, nostalgic dishes. Outside of Burdell, Story is growing and producing his own Zinfandel with help from Chris Renfro's 280 Project. He also runs the wine program at Vinyl, a local listening bar in Alameda, and supports organizations like the Opportunity Orchard, which helps families pay for summer programs and activities.
2026 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
