theresa paopao hails from hilo, hawaii, where as a youth she feasted regularly on taro and umeboshi. sometime after stints as a carpenter, a dancer, and a special-effects creator, she found herself at the yale school of drama studying technical design and production. and sometime during her schooling, she realized she needed a change of scenery. she moved to boston where she fell in love with restaurant life and the world of wine. she spent time at the federalist, and the sweet life cafe, before landing at ana sortun’s oleana in 2004 as manager and then wine director. among other accolades and achivements, paopao is certified by the court of master sommeliers. with these experiences, she joined momofuku as wine director in september of 2010.

beth may be the only leed-ap certified sommelier in town. she left a career in urban design and development to cut her wine-stained teeth with david lynch at the john dory. at momofuku ko, she resists the temptation to pair every dish with champagne or beer, and expands the selection to include small production and natural or land-driven wines.