The Mind Of A Sommelier: The New Edition

I know plenty of wine lovers who select a restaurant based, at least in part, on the nature of their wine list. They'll peruse the restaurant's website, hoping to find a copy of the wine list online so they can scan it, to determine whether there is anything of interest or not. If the list isn't online, they'll speak to their friends and others, trying to gather information about the nature of the wine list. If they find the wine list isn't particularly interesting, they may decide to dine elsewhere.

As such, a restaurant's sommelier can play a vital role in a restaurant's success. I'm using the term "sommelier" at its most basic definition, referring to the person in charge of a restaurant's wine program, even if they are not a "certified" sommelier. They might refer to themselves as a Wine Director, Wine Steward, or some similar term, but I'm collecting all of those people under the "sommelier" designation for the purpose of my series.

I want to delve more deeply into the minds of local sommeliers, to better understand their decisions when creating wine lists, and to know more about the inspirations, challenges and joys of their work. I want to showcase some of the best local wine lists, and highlight some of the most intriguing and delicious wines on those lists. Hopefully this will also help my fellow wine lovers decide which restaurants to visit.

I appreciate and admire those sommeliers who create an intriguing wine list, one which consists of excellent and interesting wines, those which pair well with a restaurant's cuisine. I hope to gain even more admiration for their profession through analyzing their decisions, processes, and challenges.

Six years ago, in 2019, I began such an endeavor, to enhance my comprehension of such matters and to share my findings with my readers. Over the course of just over a year, I interviewed eight sommeliers, who were different in many ways. This allowed me to obtain a better overall perspective on their wine lists. However, I haven't added to this series in five years, and feel its time to resurrect it for 2026, to interview more sommeliers.

Here are the basic questions I ask each sommelier, noting that the sommeliers don't have to answer any specific question if they did not want to do so. They are also free to expand into related areas that I might not have asked about. 

• What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else? 
• Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
• What are your objectives with the wine list?
• How often does the wine list change?
• Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
• How do you learn about new wines?
• What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
• What is the most common wine question asked by your guests? 
• What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
• What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
• Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
• Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
• Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
• Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service? 

I will be contacting some local sommeliers, hoping to find some who are willing to participate in this process. And if you're a sommelier interested in participating, feel free to contact me as well. There are no specific deadlines so please don't feel rushed. Besides answering the questions, I'll also request a photo for the article, as well as a brief bio.

For those sommeliers who choose to participate, I will then highlight each sommelier and their fascinating answers. I hope my readers find their answers to be both interesting and informative. If you enjoy this series, or even if you don't, please post your comments here. With your feedback, I can hopefully make this project even better.

I should also give much thanks to the sommeliers who previously agreed to participate in this endeavor! 

Sommelier Interviews:
Jesse Eslin of The Table At Season to Taste (Cambridge)
Bruno Marini of Chopps American Bar & Grill (Burlington)
Christopher Williams of Harvest (Cambridge)
Sandy Block of Legal Harborside (Boston)
Jose Luis Betancur of Tuscan Kitchen-Seaport (Boston)
Leo Keka of Alba Prime Steak + Seafood (Quincy)

Lynsey Robbie of A Tavola (Winchester)

Rebecca Myers of Loyal Nine (Cambridge)