Sandy Block, a Master of Wine, is the Vice President of Beverage Operations of Legal Sea Foods, overseeing the wine program for all of their restaurants. Sandy is an iconic, knowledgeable and well-respected figure in the local wine scene. I've met him numerous times at various wine events, and those he has hosted at Legal Sea Foods are usually fascinating and educational experiences. The wine lists he has created have often offered some of the best values of any local restaurant.
Sandy, an Honors graduate of Vassar College, earned a Master’s Degree in American Intellectual and Cultural History from the State University of New York. He previously worked as Assistant VP of Wine for Horizon Beverage Company, and as General Manager of Whitehall Imports and VP of Product Strategies for the Whitehall Companies. In 2004, Sandy became the VP of Beverage Operations of Legal Sea Foods.
He was also the first American on the East Coast to be certified as Master of Wine, and is one of only 353 individuals worldwide to earn this title. He holds membership in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, and received the Diplôme d'Honneur from the Corporation des Vignerons de Champagne. Sandy’s extensive credits include serving as Wine Editor for The Improper Bostonian. He serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Cheers Magazine, the Executive Symposium Committee of Sante Magazine and the Executive Board of Boston University’s Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center (where he has taught advanced courses since 1999). He developed the curriculum for the accredited Wine Studies program at Boston University and for several years taught a wine tasting course at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.
Please note that Sandy's interview primarily deals with the intriguing wine program at the 2nd floor dining room of Legal Harborside.
Now, onto the interview:
What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
Sandy Block, Master of Wine, VP Beverage, Legal Sea Foods
Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
We call it the Legal Harborside Collection; it’s a book of rare wines (none are available at any other restaurant in Boston in the vintage we are offering) selected specifically to balance the restaurant’s culinary offerings. My guiding principle is that in wine, everything begins with “terroir,” that mysterious alchemy reflecting harmonies of soil, climate, grape variety and the grape grower's art. Just as Chefs can only create magic with the freshest of hand-selected ingredients, wines of authenticity and character are only possible when expressing unique regional or vineyard origins. In homage to this vision, the Collection focuses on wine whose personality originates from an individual place; wine, for the most part, whose identity reflects a single family’s connection to the particular parcel of earth that it tends. Each has its own story, illustrated briefly on the menu with notes and images that evoke the place and its singular personality, as well as the family behind the vineyard. The great majority of wines are offered in both a 750 ml. (bottle) and a 375 ml. (half-bottle) size, which our service team will pour into a carafe at table, in order to encourage maximum exploration. There are 85 selections.
What are your objectives with the wine list?
To intrigue guests with unusual bottles they’ve never before experienced that will create harmonies with the food they order. To entice them to return.
How often does the wine list change?
Because these are all limited production small (in some case microscopic!) lots, I change the list whenever a wine runs out of inventory at our distributors’ warehouses.
Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
Not omissions as much as areas where it’s been hard for me to find wine that fits all the criteria. These omissions are primarily mainstream wine categories, interestingly enough. There’s no Pinot Grigio, only one Merlot (and a high end one at that). Moderately priced North Coast California Cabernet. The requirements of being family-owned, terroir-based, exclusive in the state and satisfying our quality criteria, while working in a complementary way with items on the menu, have made these categories difficult.”
How do you learn about new wines?
Through direct relationships with our small group of wholesale distributors and their suppliers.
What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
We strive to keep the prices accessible and reasonable. Offering any of the wines on the list that are below $75 by the half carafe, and by the glass, enables us to encourage maximum experimentation without having to commit to a full bottle.
What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
Something along the lines of “I’ve had Cakebread before and I love it, but what’s this ‘Cuttings Wharf Ranch,’ I’ve never heard of that.”
What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
Not enough wines in a particular category (Italy, for example).
What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
To maintain a healthy balance among comfort zone wines, adventurous selections, covering different styles and price points.
Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
Trimbach “Cuvee M” Riesling, 2013 from the Alsatian Grand Cru of Mandelberg, just an intensely stony, mineral-accented wine with brilliant length ($49, $26 half carafe, $13.50 by the glass), and for a red, the Neyers "Evangelho Vineyard" Carignan, from Contra Costa, 2014 (same price as the Trimbach), a foot-trodden, earthy, monumentally spicy red, of which there are only 100 cases produced in the world.
Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
The 1997 Schloss Schonborn Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Spätlese, from the Rheingau, because it’s rare to have such a delicious 20+ year old white wine available, and the Alto Moncayo “Aquilon,” Garnacha, Campo de Borja, 2011, possibly the most delicious rendition of this amazingly underappreciated grape I’ve ever tasted.
Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
I have to go with two that I’ve selected from barrel. The Sonoma-Cutrer “Les Pierres Vineyard” Single Barrel Private Select, 2016 is a wine that I picked out at a blind tasting while it was still undergoing maturation in spring 2017, that comes from the vineyard’s B North and B Middle North Blocks, and is a beautiful expression of earthy, citric minerality reflecting its stony terroir to perfection (and thrilling with lobster!). The 2015 Pellegrini Family "40 Year Commemorative Cuvée" Pinot Noir, from its Olivet Lane Vineyard in Russian River Valley is a “once and forever” wine of which just 5 cases were crafted for the Sonoma County Wine Auction in 2016 and captures the essence of Russian River; juicy and rich, with silky tannins, featuring notes of bing cherry, spice, toast, and mocha.
Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
Just how gratifying it is to see other wine professionals dining in the restaurant.
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