It’s the first day of spring and Tira Johnson can’t believe her luck. A rare rosé is on the shelves at Irving Bottle and it’s coming home with her. Her excitement is palpable—and contagious.

If you’ve ever glanced at a wine list and wondered what in the world to order, you need a dose of Johnson. A sommelier and Bushwick resident, Johnson works at Terroir, a wine bar in Tribeca owned by Paul Greico. When she’s not behind the bar, she’s learning more about wine in two tasting groups, studying, and teaching wine classes. Wine, like any other subject, can be studied and enjoyed and there’s no shame in starting at the beginning.

Bushwick Daily spoke to Johnson at her favorite local wine shop, Irving Bottle. Now she can give recommendations in her sleep, but it wasn’t always this way. Johnson started learning about wine when she was a host at a San Francisco restaurant, spending chunks of her paycheck at the wine shop next door.