The Mind Of A Sommelier: Lynsey Robbie

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Lynsey Robbie is the General Manager and Wine Buyer at A Tavola in Winchester. With a new owner and chef, Joe Carli, A Tavola is taking the next step in its evolution and I've recently raved about my positive experiences at this restaurant. I've also noted that A Tavola is a "brave restaurant," having taken a bold stance with their wine list, choosing to restrict their wines to a single country, Italy, which is the country of their chosen cuisine.

Lynsey Robbie first started managing the wine list at A Tavola about eight and a half years ago when the restaurant was first opening. She states it's been such a fun challenge to learn more about Italian wine and curate a list that guests can appreciate. In addition, she mentioned that it makes her so happy to see the guests enjoying the wine and food. Beyond working at A Tavola, Lynsey also loves cooking, dining-out, reading, drawing (skill at least at first grade level ) hiking, running, and attempted gardening (usually killing her plants).

Now, onto the interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
I am the General Manager. Wine buying is one of my main responsibilities (as well as one of the most fun). I would call myself Sommelier only if I passed a certification exam.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
We have an exclusively Italian wine list that aims to touch on as many of Italy’s regions as possible to showcase the variety of quality Italian wine available.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
For myself, it is a way to learn more about Italian food, wine and culture. It is amazing how much can be learned by studying the history of wine, from realizing how major events (i.e. wars, prohibition, phylloxera, etc) have shaped the industry; to how the everyday life in a small village dictates what people eat and drink. It’s all so fun to learn about. For my staff, I want them to have the opportunity to learn about some interesting as well as staple Italian wines. For my guests, I hope they are having fun trying some different wines. Italy has so many grapes and styles to offer.

How often does the wine list change?
Very frequently, there are some staples you can always find and some wines are here and gone in a few days.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
We are a small restaurant with limited space for storing wine. By changing frequently, I hope to bring in everything to taste and get to know. I would say at any given time, we are able to match a wine for whatever our guest happens to be looking for.

How do you learn about new wines?
I read books about wine, I have taken classes on wines, my wine reps are great at bringing in new and interesting things, and I taste plenty of wine, of course! Lots of wine shops have great weekly or monthly tastings. Plus, cooking and pairing at home.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?  
“Do you have something like....” if a guest doesn’t recognize what their looking for they just ask what’s most like a Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, etc.

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
The list is well received, though I am fortunate that the staff is knowledgeable. It’s important to have accurate descriptions and be able to help with food pairing. I feel the guests have the best experience when they can be guided with the wines a bit. Italian wines can be confusing and sticking with one country can seem limiting. There are a lot of world renowned wines that we don’t offer (Sancerre, Port, Champagne, Bordeaux, etc) all which get asked for by name, so it's up to us to guide the guest on the style their looking for.

Why do you use primarily stemless glassware for wine service? 
We use the stemless mainly because they break less and have stemmed glasses for anyone who prefers it or for nicer bottles of wine.

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
Making sure the list stays approachable and doesn’t become esoteric. For me its so fun to learn about historic and lesser known grapes, but I want to make sure that translates into something fun for my guests. I don’t want selecting a wine for dinner to be daunting.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
--2017 Masseria Frattasi, Capri Rosso. It's from the little Volcanic Island of Capri, off the coast of Campagna. 80% Aglianico & Piedirosso and 20% indigenous varieties of Naples. Only 600 bottles are made each year. It is completely harvested and de-stemmed by hand. Spends 6-8 months in chestnut barriques. I find it to be powerful as well as elegant. A really great hearty winter wine.
--2011 Marco Bonfante “Albarone” Albarossa. It is a hybrid of Nebbiolo and Barbera (the 2 most popular wines of Piedmont), that is then produced appassimento style (grapes go through a drying process before being pressed and fermented). It has the big tannic structure of Nebbiolo with the friendly fruitiness of the Barbera and intense concentrated flavors often associated with Amarone. It’s a fun one for sure.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
Prosecco!! Bubbles of any kind are a personal favorite of mine. As a stand alone beverage or with antipasti or french fries or dessert or cheese. Also, I love Aperol Spritz, the refreshing & classic cocktail of Venice that features Prosecco.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
We are having a 5 course Sangiovese dinner coming up April 2nd. I am really excited to show how very different the same grape can present itself.

Mind of a Sommelier: Rebecca Myers

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Rebecca Myers is the Co-Owner and Director of Wine & Service ay Loyal Nine in Cambridge, a restaurant which "focuses on New England culinary traditions." Loyal Nine serves breakfast, lunch, and supper, as well as Sunday Brunch. It's a casual spot with creative, delicious and intriguing cuisine and I'm fascinated by their wine list.

Rebecca grew up in Bordeaux, and her first real restaurant experience began at 16 when she had a job working at a small bar & café after school and on weekends. This was the start of her wine education. A move to the United States four years later landed her at a restaurant in Providence, RI where she met her husband (and Loyal Nine co-owner) Daniel Myers. In 2007, the two moved to Boston, and she landed a serving job at Les Zygomates Wine Bar & Bistro.

After four years, Rebecca moved to Chicago and joined the team of the newly opened Parisian-style Maude’s Liquor Bar. A few months later, she continued west where she worked at A16 and, as a Captain, at Coi. However, the couple's love for the East Coast brought them back to Boston in 2012, and she joined the team at Barry Maiden’s Hungry Mother in Cambridge. Together in early 2013, the wife-husband duo formed the Hand Taste Collective, a Somerville-based pop-up group that created one-night-only dinner services at restaurants around town. Through this project, they began to develop the concept for their own restaurant, partnering with two other industry vets for its opening.

Rebecca and Daniel are currently working to open their second location, Northern Spy, in Canton.

Now, onto the Interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
Being part of an owner-operator team, we all wear many hats but we all have our area of expertise. One of my favorite parts of day to day is keeping track of the wine world at Loyal Nine and sharing it with our staff and guests that dine at our restaurant. For that privilege, I hold the title of wine steward or wine Director. I am a self taught wine lady, immersed in the food & wine world since child hood, growing up in France.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
The wine list is an ode to the Vigneron, the independent growers, farming cleanly and producing grapes on living, heathy soils. They often times are working with heritage grape varieties sometimes on the verge of disappearing. It is their life's passion that they present to us in bottle form and we are here to share their story and product with others. Many of the growers are using organic/ biodynamic farming methods and some a hands off approach in the cellar with minimal use of sulfur, leading to wines with a raw or wild feel, very alive and can also vary from bottle to bottle. That being said the list is geared towards offering great value in terms of quality, price and above all joy.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
The idea with the wine list and with wine service all together is to make the experience easy, delightful and you might be pleasantly surprised with something that you have never heard of or thought that you would order before, at times you may even get your mind blown... great wine Has a way of doing that. We strive to present you with wines that are exciting and expressive while finding balance with our environment and playing well with our food. We do a lot of preserving with pickling, curing and make our own vinegars. So with our food having a penchant towards the tangy and briny, wild wine is well matched with its lively attitude and textural tendencies.

How often does the wine list change?
Working with small producers keeps the wine list changes quite frequent, as the amount of wine produced is always limited. We try to retain working with the same producers as much as possible. Some of which we have represented on our list from the beginning, we keep several of their wines on our list in different categories, sparkling, white and red. Their wines come and go throughout the year in these different categories and we get them whenever we can. This is also great for the staff as they get to know a producers style very well and can get excited for a new release or the return of an old friend.

How do you learn about new wines?
There seems to always be a continuous stream of new producers or wines to be in touch with, so the key seems to be enabling a constant exposure to as much wine as possible at all times. whether attending organized trade tastings, importers showing their portfolios, house visits.....but the very best is getting to meet the maker behind the wine, getting a feel of who they are, their convictions and what they would express through the wine.

What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
For the wine list format and pricing, I took inspiration from little restaurants or eateries you can find throughout towns all over France. Often times they hold quite an extensive amount of wines but always organized in categories by price. So for our list, with about a hundred wines listed, if you are looking for a wine for $40 you will find a selection in white and red, and the same with a $60 option. A separate category we call 'Down cellar', includes wines priced above 60 but under 200, as nothing on our list exceeds that price. The idea is to provide ease of ordering, you always know what price you are willing to spend for a bottle when dining out.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
The great thing in working with wines that are less recognizable and unusual is that we are always being asked for recommendations, which really gives us the chance to tell you about the wine and get you excited to try something new. If you are thinking of a chardonnay, what type of white do you really have in mind, something plump and buttery or something bright and mineral focused? You might find yourself enjoying a glass of Negro Lorenzo Arneis from the Roero in Piedmont or Roditis from Slavos in Cephalonia, Greece. 

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
The challenge is being able to turn people on to wine made in a less conventional way, just be open to trying something new, getting out of your comfort zone can be very rewarding. People care about what they put in their bodies and are enjoying getting into wine made with no additives, farmed from grapes not covered in pesticides. However it is very much thanks to the server staff who care to learn about each wine and get excited about the message and really get to know the wines as well. We talk about and taste wines at the restaurant on a regular basis, we also love having the growers come visit us and talk wine with everyone here. 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
Some of our best value wine is from Meinklang, a family run 'mixed farming operation', located along Austria's eastern border with Hungry, in the middle of the national park Neusiedlersee. The Michlits family truly celebrate biodynamic principles of diversity, growing crops, cultivating wild insect colonies, raising farm animals including a herd of Angus cattle providing natural fertilizer for the farm. Angela and Werner Junior run the wine side of the farm, cultivating a variety of indigenous grapes surrounded by natural ponds and wild grasses. They work minimally in the cellar using ambient yeast and maturation in concrete egg-shaped containers. A bottle that we love and are pouring by the glass right now is their 'Burgenlandred', it's a juicy blend of Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, both native Austrian grapes. A vibrant, fragrant red with tart berry fruit and a light dry finish that keeps you coming back for more. Their wines are so great that we also had to have their 'Foam', naturally sparkling wine, and Gruner Veltliner for white, all poured by the glass. 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
     A wine from Hubert and Heidi Hausherr, that is very unique is the 'Altengarten' 2012 bottling. All of their wine is very unique and really special. They are located in Alsace, and farm a very small estate in the village of Eguisheim. Everything is done manually from plowing the fields with the help of their draft horse Skippy, hand harvesting, and at the time their grapes were pressed in an old wooden manual vertical basket press. They strive to represent the terroir and make their wine in a natural way without additives or filtration. They will typically make field blends, multiple varieties grow together, are picked and fermented together. They do not follow the norm for the area nor do they take the easy road in any way. The reward is this wine, a blend of Riesling & Gewürztraminer, it pours a hazy golden color, intense aromatics of wild flowers, tropical fruit and spice escaping from the glass. It drinks full bodied & inciting with complex flavors of baked nectarine, Meyer lemon and pink pepper corn, but also oxidative with a nutty, savory, dry sherry finish. It is alive and evolving as it reacts to the air and the temperature in the room, dream wine. 
     Another Unique winery is Rocco di Carpenetto, Lidia and Paolo run a tiny winery and agriturismo (essentially a B&B), in the village of Carpenetto in the Alto Monferrato hills of Piedmonte. They make natural wines from old vines in the Ovada, using spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, unfiltered with very little sulfites. They take care of everything themselves, up to the bottling and labeling. they Their 'Losna', local dialect for lightning bolt, it's a spirited, big red made with Dolcetto grapes, a beautifully structured wine balancing chewy tannins, intense dark berry fruit and raw textured mouthfeel. A stunner! 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
     A wine that I will always love to drink as long as it will be, is Cascina degli Ulivi, Ivag. RIP Stefano Bellotti, a pioneer become guru of biodynamics, no longer of this earth. His revolutionary winemaking and authentic practices in Novi Ligure, Piedmont, have influences many and have forever changed the face of the wine world. This wine is made of cortese grapes, from wild vineyards scattered about the hills of Gavi, zero sulfur is added and it is bottled unfiltered. 'IVAG' is Gavi spelt backwards reflecting his non conformist methods. The wine pours a cloudy deep straw color, drinks bold and earthy, expressing it's wild personality with notes of yellow fruit, raw nuts and bread. 
     For a view into the independent growers life I would recommend a documentary called 'Natural Resistance' by filmmaker Jonathan Nossiter, a group of natural winemakers in Italy stirring the pot. Among other winemakers that we work with Stefano Belotti participated in the making of this documentary.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Leo Keka

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Leo Keka is the owner of Alba Prime Steak + Seafood and Zef Cicchetti & Raw Bar in Quincy Center. A native of Albania, he fled the impoverished former communist nation in 1990 by swimming across a lake to a refugee camp in Montenegro, before finding his way to the United States. Keka, unable to speak English at the time, landed his first job in the industry when he was hired as a dishwasher by fellow Albanian-American and celebrated restaurateur Anthony Athanas of late Boston culinary landmark Anthony’s Pier 4. Keka soon became a server, displayed a natural knack for hospitality and quickly worked his way up through management at both Legal Sea Foods and Grill 23 & Bar, before opening his fine-dining Quincy Center restaurant Alba in 2001. Such an inspiring story!

Now, onto the interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
I’m the owner of Alba but also the wine director. Wine is one of my great passions and I love that part of my job. We have a great, great staff that is very knowledgeable about wine and about our wines in particular. But at the end of the day, even as the owner, I pick most of the wines on our list and I’m proud to do so.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
Our wine list is focused on American/California cabernets and Oregon pinot noirs with a heavy selection of Italian reds: super Tuscans, Barolos, Brunellos. Those big hearty Italian red wines. We have some great options and sell a lot of them.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
Our goal at Alba is to offer a great bottle of wine at a great price, no matter the guest’s taste or budget. I think a lot of wines are subject to over-pricing in restaurants. We try to avoid that. We try to come in at a very fair price for our guests. Our wine list I believe rivals that of any of the top steakhouses or restaurants in Boston. But our prices are much more affordable.

A lot of the reason why is for me very personal. We grew up very poor in Albania. We didn’t have great restaurants. We had very few material pleasures. One of those pleasures was wine. I remember one Christmas night when I was about 15 my mother brought home this giant 18-liter bottle of red wine that my grandparents had made. It was amazing.

I was hooked on that taste and on the celebratory aspect of drinking wine. I loved it from the beginning. My dad had tried before to get me to drink beer. I didn’t like it. I still don’t. But I’ve loved wine from that moment I first tasted it. I still remember drinking that bottle of wine today.

So that desire to make great wine affordable still influences our list. I’m willing to sell wine at a lower price than other restaurants if it means somebody can experience a wine they might otherwise have missed and enjoy that feeling I felt that Christmas night as a teenager back in Albania. I think our combination of world-class wine at a fair price is the big reason why we sell so much wine.

How often does the wine list change?
We’re always getting in new bottles if they fit our program. But big picture the wine lists changes substantially every six months to reflect new vintages, new bottles, new trends. We probably sample 500 to 600 bottles every six months, find the great picks, and revamp the menu to reflect those tastes. But at any given time we might pick up something new if I really like it and it fits our program.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
I’d love to serve more sparkling wine. I don’t think people drink enough champagne or sparkling wine. Americans in general tend to think of champagne as something you celebrate with, a special occasion wine, and not something you enjoy on its own or with food. Great sparkling wine is tremendous with a variety of foods. I wish more people would order champagne with their food like they do a bottle of chardonnay. We’d certainly offer more. I’d love to sell more.

How do you learn about new wines?
I’m always keeping up with Wine Spectator, following wine auctions, the wine blogs, following global trends. And we have a steady stream of vendors through here most every day showing off their newest bottles. We move a lot of wine for all the big houses in the region so they’re always eager to show off their best new stuff. So we stay up on top of things that way, too. Just by tasting and talking about wine every day with other people who know and love wine.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
Our guests are already well educated about brand-name wines. So they typically want to know what’s the next thing we have that tastes like the wines they already know. So we like to steer them to new wines, about the winemakers, the wine-making regions. I think it’s up to us to lead them to the next great bottle of wine. We want them to buy a bottle because we like it ourselves. But of course we want to make sure it fits their taste profile.

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
People are always trying to get more. We have 400 to 500 bottles on the list. We’re trying to pair our wine with our food and also be true to our brand. But there are always more options. People always want more options. Even with the hundreds of bottles we offer, people want more choices. They might ask for something from South Africa or Argentina because it’s great wine they read about or heard about somewhere. But usually those wines aren’t on our list. They’re not consistent with who we are and you can’t carry everything.

We also lack Sake, for example. Sometimes we’ll have a really great Sake. But not usually. It’s not part of what we do. But sometimes people ask for it. You can’t be everything to everybody. But with that said we work hard to ensure our wine list is consistent with our food and our influences and that we offer high-quality wines at a good price.

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
The greatest challenge is trying to keep current choices consistent with past choices. Does that make sense? This is what I mean: somebody comes in and asks for a bottle that they loved. They may be a regular or somebody who comes in only a once a year. But we don’t carry that bottle anymore. The vintage is gone. We ran out. The distributor is out of stock. Whatever the case might be. But we need to make sure we have something comparable in terms of flavor, quality and price point that’s consistent with the great bottles we’ve offered that guest in the past.

So we have to know what our guests expect. The flavors, the styles, the prices. And we have to make sure those options are available, even if the label on the bottle changes. It’s a challenge. But it’s also one of the most enjoyable parts of the job.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
     We sell a 1-liter bottle of Caymus Cabernet for just $95. So naturally we sell a LOT of Caymus. I believe we are the No. 1 single-unit restaurant in Caymus sales in all of New England.
     Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay is another great deal for just $45. It’s from California. It’s very balanced. Pairs well with a lot of food. It’s sexy. It kicks ass. It’s a chardonnay lover’s dream and at $45 we sell a lot of it.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
     Our Masseto 2015 is a pretty rare super Tuscan. A 100-point wine. An outstanding special occasion wine. A great wine to enjoy among friends. A unique blend of super Tuscans with a lot of complexity. It’s a wine most people would drink and it remember it forever. We sell it for $900 when it might run you $2,000 somewhere else in Boston.
     Also, we’re lucky to be one of the few restaurants in the region to carry Sassicaia 2015, which Wine Spectator named its No. 1 wine of 2018. This is one of the world’s great wines and we sell it for just $315.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
If I have to drink wine for myself, it would be anything from Howell Mountain in Napa. I love the earthiness of the wines in that region. I like the tannins. I like big wines that need decanting. Great spices. Howell Mountain wines remind me of Old World wines. We carry wines from Robert Craig, Dunn and La Jota vineyards in Howell Mountain.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
My experience in this industry was forged soon after I moved here from Albania at some of the greatest restaurants in America most notably Anthony’s Pier 4, Legal Sea Foods and then Grill 23. When I landed in Boston I couldn’t even speak English. But Anthony’s Pier 4 had one of the best, most expansive wine lists in America and a very demanding customer base. I learned the wine business, and I learned the language, pretty fast. Then I feel like I refined my knowledge at Grill 23, which had that outstanding wine list and still does today. I learned a lot at both places and met people passionate about food and wine.

I wanted to carry that passion forward here at Alba and sell the same wines but at a better price. I’ve got to meet so many great winemakers, producers, sommeliers and have had the pleasure tasting a lot of wine. It’s helped me create a palate where I can tell you everything I like or don’t like about a wine and then convey those experiences to my staff and to my guests and hopefully help people make educated decisions about their wine.

I’ve taken all those experiences and brought them here to Alba and love sharing them with our guests. It’s really the same passion I learned that Christmas eve when I was teenager drinking my grandparent’s wine. If people get anything out of dining at Alba, I hope that get that passion and pleasure we get from serving great food and great wine.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Jose Luis Betancur

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Jose Luis Betancur is a Chilean native who immigrated to the United States at age 27 where he began working in the hospitality industry in Boston. When he relocated to New York City, he worked for the TAO Group where he was inspired by their commitment to hospitality. It was during his time working for TAO Group that he took a great interest in wine and spirits. Luis went on to take a program of wine studies at the Sommelier Society of America, and received his certification as a sommelier. He also work for Patina Restaurant Group where he established mentors with whom he also constantly communicates.

A few years ago, Betancur was relocated to Portsmouth, NH, with his wife. He worked as a Sommelier at Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in Boston, MA, for over three years. He was the head of beverage education for the staff at Babbo and regularly holds wine education classes for the public. For the past six months, he has served as Beverage Director at Tuscan Kitchen Seaport where he constantly develops and overseas the program there. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and exploring wine regions around the world.

Now, onto the interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
Sommelier or “wine guy” when working the floor, but Beverage Director on my business card. 

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant. 
The wine list at Tuscan Kitchen is mainly focused on Italian wines with about 20% dedicated to wines from the rest of the world. 

What are your objectives with the wine list? 
My main objective is to have wines on the list that everyone can enjoy… this includes wines at every price point for every pocket and occasion. For example: wines with familiarity for business meetings and comfort dinners, as well as those that will make people excited to try new wines from different regions, grapes and unknown low production producers. 

How often does the wine list change? 
Understanding what is happening in the market and in the wine world is important in order to manage a profitable beverage program. The wine list changes seasonally and even more often than that if I find a wine with unique characteristics that I think would be a great addition to the program. 

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
French wines are minimally represented since Tuscan Kitchen is more focused on Italian wines. I would like to add wine from some obscure and exciting appellations known for their food and wine pairing, such as Jura. 

How do you learn about new wines? 
I’m constantly learning from articles, colleagues, and distributors. I attend many seminars and wine tastings. I love working the floor where I also learn from my guests. 

What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
The strategy is very simple: finding great quality wines in order to deliver great value, adventurous, and hard-to-find wines. 

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests? 
“What do you recommend from [a particular area] that will go great with my food?” Others will ask, “What’s your driest red or white wine?” I like when guests ask questions because this allows me to build conversation, making the experience memorable. 

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list? 
I haven’t been criticized personally, but I do think that guests would like to see more classic well-known West Coast wines; we are always sourcing ideas from our guests. 

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier? 
To continue learning and improve every day in order to deliver an extremely memorable experience not just to our guests, but also to our staff through team education. 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list? 
     Erbaluce Antoniolo: Erbaluce is an ancient grape native to Northern Piemonte. A grape that showcases floral aromas of ripe citrus fruit with a hint of white blossoms. Bone dry on the palate with ton of texture and electric nerves. A fun wine for those who like viogneir from France. The Antoniolo family owns over 14 hectares under the watchful eye of their pioneering mother, Rosanna.
     Mauro Molino Barbera d’Asti ‘Leradici’ (root of the family): This is an outstanding family-run estate producing only 12 hectares. This amazing medium-body red wine has great black, earthy and red juicy fruit with a hint of spice. This wine has a ton of character with a beautiful lingering bright finish. It’s a wine that can be enjoyed with pizza or charred steak. 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
     Murgo Nerello Mascallese Rose traditional method: Nerello Mascallese is an ancient grape to Sicily, mainly vinified as a red still wine. In this case, The Scammacca del Murgo family has been producing this electric red fruity, yet crisp, bright traditional method sparkling wine for over a century. This wine is great to drink at any time but also pairs well with your favorite fresh seafood, fried calamari, or lamb.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
     Cerretto Barolo ‘Brunatte’:  The Cerreto family is one of the largest landholders in the Piemonte region. Here, like with many other Langhe producers, identity speaks first. Brunatte is the name of the single Cru, where the grapes are coming from. This wine showcases innovation and the identity of the land. Red rustic cherries with a hint of sweetness mid-palate, with leathery round tannis of a classic Barolo and a great bright finish around the edges. A great wine to enjoy with your favorite truffle meal.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
The wine list at Tuscan Kitchen Seaport is always evolving. I take into consideration all aspects of the wine market and trends. I always aim to give guests a great experience. I do my best to deliver what we all look for in a dining out experience: the beauty of wine, and food.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Sandy Block

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

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.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Christopher Williams

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Christopher Williams is the Beverage Manager and Sommelier at Harvest, located in Harvard Square. Harvest is an iconic restaurant, having been in existence for over forty years, which is a huge accomplishment. I recently dined there, attending a The Book & The Cook event which involved Hacking Whiskey. It was a fun and tasty event, with plenty of inventive cuisine.

Christopher Williams has always shown a passion for the hospitality industry, starting as a server at age 18. He graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2009 with a degree in Psychology and began his interest in wine education in 2013 when he served as a waiter & wine steward at Bone's Steakhouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Christopher became a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2016. After serving as a sommelier at The St. Regis Atlanta, Christopher moved his talents to Boston and started as the restaurant manager and sommelier at Grill 23 & Bar, and for the past year, he has been making his mark at Harvest.

Now, onto the Interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
Sommelier, I prefer that title because it defines who I am and what I do for my profession. I specialize in providing the finest beverage service and engaging with our guests about different wines from different regions of the world, along with pairing wines from my list with the food our chefs prepare daily.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
The wine list at Harvest covers the classic representation of wines from regions all over the world. I believe that the wine list a sommelier builds should never be about themselves or what is “trending” for the moment. Our job should be to have a wine list that is fun and engaging, but also true to the character of the wines grown in a particular region.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
I want to continue to be an excellent wine steward like my predecessors before me and add more wines to the list that will grab the interests of all the guests that visit Harvest. They say there is a wine for everyone and my goal is to have a list that is approachable for the guest looking for something of “value,” but also consists of wines that a true wine connoisseur will look through and notice some rare wines from smaller producers that may not be well known to the masses.

How often does the wine list change?
The wine list changes fairly often, sometimes 3-4 times a month due to our futures program and changes in vintages. I try to keep a nice rotation of wines so when one is out, I have plenty of options on reserve to choose from and replace with. It’s great because a guest that dines with us one evening may return a month later and notice newer selections on the wine list.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
I would like to add more Riesling options for both the Alsace and German sections of my wine list. I’m in love with Riesling and unfortunately, I feel people are hesitant in trying it because they believe all Rieslings are sweet. There are dry, off dry, sweet and sparkling representations of this grape. Riesling is so versatile you can match almost anything to it!

How do you learn about new wines?
I learn about new wines from my fellow sommeliers, vendors and even guests that come in to the restaurant. They are always excited to tell me about their recent trip to a country and the wines they had a chance to try. In this profession, you are constantly learning something new every day about wines from all over the world.

What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
Pricing structure for Harvest’s wine list is marked in a way that is fair to our guests, I try to provide as much value as possible for each section of the list..

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
The most common wine question asked by my guests is what area on my wine list can they find “value.” I tend to lead them straight to Argentina or South Africa because they can provide excellent wines that are priced very fairly on a wine list..

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
The most common criticism I receive from guests about Harvest’s list is that they would like to see more wines with significant bottle age to them. It can be quite the task trying to find wines from the 90’s or early 2000’s that would not cost a pretty penny on the wine list..

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
I think my greatest challenge as a sommelier is fighting against the negative image some people have towards someone in my position. Back in the day sommeliers were thought of as arrogant and snooty towards those who would not spend a lot of money for a bottle of wine. Even now I hear stories from people about their recent visit to a restaurant where the sommelier was trying to sell them a bottle of something they thought was cool or better than what they had originally asked for assistance with. Very few sommeliers act like this and they can make it harder for the rest of us to build trust with our guests who may be hesitant in asking for help. A sommelier above all should always show humility and remain humble. It is always about the guests and their experience, we should never try to force our beliefs or opinions on to someone unless they genuinely wish to know what we like to drink. A good sommelier always wants to help you find a bottle of wine that you truly will enjoy at a price point that you feel comfortable spending..

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
One of the best valued wines I have on the list at Harvest is the 2016 Stag’s Leap Hands of Time from Napa Valley for $66. It is a popular wine on my list made by an iconic estate that at one point in history beat Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion in the 1976 Judgement of Paris blind tasting.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
One of the most unique wines on the list is the Chateau Musar from Lebanon. When you think of a Cabernet blend most people would not think of Lebanon, most likely they would go straight to California or Washington state. It is full-bodied, savory and yet has an elegance to it that is quite wonderful.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
My favorite wine at Harvest is the 2015 Radio Coteau Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay from California. They make cool climate, single vineyard wines that are out of this world, very terroir driven..

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service? 
Harvest’s wine list is constantly evolving, and I believe in feedback from my guests no matter how small the detail may be. I want our guests to truly enjoy themselves at Harvest and know that I am always happy to talk to them about various beverages. I want people to know that they can come “across the river” as they say and enjoy a nice glass or bottle of wine in Cambridge at Harvest.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Bruno Marini

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Bruno Marini is the Director of Food and Beverage at Chopps American Bar and Grill, located at the Burlington Marriott. I've previously given raves to Chopps and it was one of my Top 50 Restaurants of 2018. I believe it is under-appreciated, worthy of far more attention than it receives. I've had the pleasure of meeting Bruno on multiple occasions at Chopps, including at some of their excellent wine dinners. If you've never been to Chopps, it is time for you to check it out.

Bruno Marini graduated from Johnson & Wales University in 1991, and gained experience working at famed restaurants Biba and Pignoli. In 1997,  he stepped into his first General Manager position at the high-end fusion-style eatery, Ambrosia, where he oversaw the restaurant’s growth and development alongside their celebrated chef and owner, Anthony Ambrose. In 2000, Marini assumed the role of General Manager at The Federalist, a French restaurant with an esteemed wine program, which encompassed an impressive collection of more than 32,000 bottles and 2,700 selections of fine and rare wines. In 2015, Marni joined the team at Chopps American Bar and Grill and currently serves at the Director of Food and Beverage of Pyramid Hotel Group Boston.

Now, onto the Interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
I prefer Wino, but Wine Director would be appropriate.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
We have over 375 selections of wine – well-balanced selections of full and half bottles representing California, Italy, Pacific North West and a sprinkle of French, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
To cater to our guests. It’s not about what I like to drink, it’s about what the guests are looking for and offering them a quality list at a solid value.

How often does the wine list change?
We maintain a consistent list. We update vintages on a regular basis and revise the wines by the glass 2-3 times a year.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
We try to keep our placements reflective of items that sell, but we are always looking for new additions from our guests’ recommendations.

How do you learn about new wines?
Well, I’m not a wine geek so I don’t go to tastings or belong to wine clubs, but I meet with my wine vendors on a regular basis to see what’s new in the market. I am also very fortunate to have close relationships with winemakers and owners, so I love to get the inside scoop on new releases or trends.

What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
Be fair, competitive, offer deals and don’t be obnoxious when possible. I review wine lists in the area and try to stay at least 12-18% cheaper. Wine lists are usually marked up 2.7-3.2 times the cost of wine and you will find that there are some great deals on our list.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
“Will this go with what I am eating” or better yet, “Will I like it?”

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
I’d say if there is one thing, it would be not having a very specific wine that someone visiting is looking for. We try to maintain a very friendly wine list, this means there is wine that has name recognitions and hits all price points.

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
Consistently educating staff about new wines, changing trends, and what to offer guests for the best dining experience. 

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
A rock star Sonoma wine maker is Clay Mauritson. He is young and an innovator. He is known for his Zin from Rock Pile but makes a series of Single Soil Cabs called Loam, Positas and Suther. Also, any wine from Realm is super unique.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
Wow! Tough one, but I really enjoy wines from Gaja-Italian and Kelleher Family-Napa.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service? 
I am proud to have created & managed the 1st Grand Award-Winning Wine list in Boston for 5 years straight. At the time only 83 restaurants in the world had the award given by Wine Spectator. Now, Grill 23 & Bar has that award and I could not be prouder for them. I was also fortunate to make, bottle and sell my own wine with legendary wine maker Su Ha Newton of Newton Vineyards in Napa. Our current wine list is friendly, extensive, familiar and reasonably priced and I hope our guests enjoy the selections.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: Jesse Eslin

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Jesse Eslin is the Wine Director at The Table at Season to Taste, located in northern Cambridge. I've previously given raves to The Table, and was quite taken with their intriguing wine list, enjoying some delicious selections from their list, including the Hild’s Elbling Sekt. Jesse was one of the first sommeliers I thought of when I created my new series, The Mind of a Sommelier.

Jesse’s deep dive into wine came when he worked at Craigie on Main and learned as much as he could. He says “working and learning at Craigie On Main with Chef Tony Maws and his amazing team was like going to graduate school for wine. It was crazy, intense, exhausting and I loved learning as much as I could.” In 2016, Jesse opened The Table at Season to Taste with Chef Carl Dooley, creating new wine pairings every six weeks when the Prix Fixe menu changes.

Now, onto the Interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
Wine Director

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
Our wine list is a constantly changing creature that should make almost anyone happy, as long as they are willing to step a little out of their comfort zone, which is almost a prerequisite for eating here.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
I just want to have fun with it, and make it easy for guests to make a quick decision. Early last year, I tried to add a larger selection of bottles to the list for the sake of it, and found that it did more harm than good. Most of the time, guests come in knowing exactly what they are going to do, menu wise, and I don’t think they wanted to bother looking through a list that had 100-plus different options, so they would punt and just order a couple of wines by the glass. I think it’s an overlooked quality to make all of your decisions very quickly and have the rest of the night to just enjoy the company that you are with, so I trimmed it way back, and it feels much less intimidating.

How often does the wine list change?
The wine list changes pretty frequently. Inventory wise, we don’t buy a whole lot at a time, so it gives us the flexibility to change it up whenever we feel like. The pairings change every time the menu changes, and we try to be seasonally conscious in what we put on the list in terms of glass pours and bottles. The weather tends to dictate what direction our guests want to go, drink wise.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
The challenge is keeping the wine list small – we have a tiny restaurant, tiny kitchen, and you can imagine, a tiny wine cellar. So of course I am tempted to have bottles from every region, every grape – but we keep it tight and flavorful and memorable here.

How do you learn about new wines?
It’s a mix of tasting a lot of new bottles from the awesome distributors that we work with, falling down the rabbit hole of book surfing and online articles, and just scrolling around SevenFifty and researching things that look interesting.

What is your strategy on pricing the wines on your list?
As with everything here, our prices come with tax and hospitality included in the price. There can be sticker shock included in this pricing structure when looking at a wine list, so I just have to work that much harder to find really good wine at really good values. It seems to all work out. I appreciate that our guests seem to trust me and jump right into the pairings I suggest. We have bottles at various pricing levels; I like to think it is an adventure that is worth the ride. I try to take care of guests who are coming in regularly, and love wine, but can’t break the bank on it. And equally important is taking care of our guests who are coming in for a special occasion and want something quite celebratory.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
I’d say it’s “What should I drink?” Because of the wide variety of the flavors on the menu, you can go in a bunch of different ways, depending on your mood. Most of the wines that we have are high acid and medium bodied, food-friendly wines that can morph and bend depending on the dish.

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
I’d say if there is one thing, and I don’t know if it’s a criticism, it’s that guests often times are unfamiliar with what we have to offer. I think having a short list with a bunch of obscure grapes or familiar grapes from different places is a fun way to get our guests to broaden their horizons and place their trust in us to give them something delicious. I think the way the menu sets up, guests are much more comfortable putting their whole experience in our hands. Plus, it’s stimulating to have that interaction, rather than have a guest just cold order a cabernet.

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
I think the pairings are a fun challenge. Carl loves flavors from all over the globe, and oftentimes, flavors that would be much easier to just give over to a crisp lager. I think that’s the excitement in wine though. It doesn’t have to be so serious, and it has a place at the table along with these cuisines that have a lot of spice, a lot of energy. Every pairing is not going to be absolutely perfect, but it’s fun to see how certain aspects of the wine and the dish play together depending on what bite you take.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
Generally speaking, if wines have a little bit of sweetness to them, they are going to play well with a variety of the spices that you will find on the menu. The Dandelion from Alberto Nancleras is an off-dry albariño from the Rias Biaxas in northwestern Spain. It’s like drinking the wine version of lemon sherbet sprinkled with sea salt. I love wines that feel like a lightning bolt, and this definitely falls into that category.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
I love the Broc Cellars Counoise. Chris Brockway makes some really cool stuff out of a warehouse in Berkeley, California and this is my favorite. Counoise is a blending grape commonly found in the Southern Rhone in France, but really shines on its own. It has this really bright, spicy fruit and is just a pleasure to drink. If fresh, new world Pinot Noir is your thing, you will love it.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
The sparkling wine that we are pouring by the glass, Hild’s Elbling Sekt, is my latest obsession. It’s gorgeous. It smells like walking into a flower shop. It’s dry, crisp, lively, and the glass is almost impossible to put down before it’s empty.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
I really appreciate the guest trusting us and going along for the ride. I am a happily obsessed wine geek and of course could talk wine all day and night. And I do. There is always something new to learn and try. Here at The Table at Season To Taste we love embracing the new menu every 6 weeks, which also means a new wine list, new breads, new desserts – all new pairings - it’s an adventure and we appreciate that it seems to be working, and I am just so grateful to this community.

The Mind Of A Sommelier: A New Series

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 new 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.

In the coming weeks, I'll start posting interviews with a number of local sommeliers, allow my readers and I to delve into their minds. I hope these interviews are well received, and if so, the series will continue. If you enjoy this series, or even if you don't, please let me know. With your feedback, I can hopefully make this endeavor even better.

And if you're a sommelier and you would like to participate in this series, please contact me and I'll explain what's involved, a rather easy process.

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)