Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419
THE MESSAGE In Praise of Roger Dagorn "W Dagorn has been teacher, mentor, adviser and confi dant to hundreds of industry fi gures since entering the fi eld in the 1970s at his father's legendary New York restaurant, Le Pont Neuf. In the past four decades, the diminutive Dagorn—he stands just fi ve foot two—has racked up a giant-sized mantle of achievements. Among the fi rst Americans to Roger Dagorn is the Wine Director for Porter House in NYC. become a Master Sommelier, he has been honored by Chefs in America as the Best Sommelier in New York and by the James Beard Foundation. Currently Wine Director of Chef Michael Lomonaco's Porter House restaurant, Dagorn has shared his knowledge with hundreds of somms, in addition to teaching formal classes at the French Culinary Institute and at the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn. "Teaching others," Dagorn notes, "has always been an important part of my life. It's a never-ending process, and I am always learning myself, whether in dealing with guests on the restaurant fl oor or in exchanges with students. " —Morton Hochstein A Breath of Fresh Heirloom A The honorees (left to right): Benjamin Musolf (Campo di Bocce, Livermore); Peter Grano≠ (Ferry Wine Merchants, San Francisco); Reggie Narito (Southern Wine & Spirits); Chris Sawyer (The Lodge at Sonoma); Sarah Bondick (Gather, Berkeley); Kris Margerum (L'Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley); Wilfred Wong (BevMo!); Kelly Mitchell-Jacks (Bistro Jeanty, Napa Valley); John Rittmaster (Prima, Walnut Creek); Thomas DiBiase (Barn Diva, Sonoma); and Traci Dutton (Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley). hen it comes to wine, Roger Dagorn was the answer to our prayers," says Karen Waltuck, proprietor of the legendary Chanterelle restaurant in Manhattan. Dagorn, who was creat- ing a wine following at modern Mandarin restaurant Tse Yang, was lured to Chanterelle, where he built up its wine sales for 16 years until it closed in October 2009. Wine Country Somms HE TASTING PANEL honored 11 top wine country somms and educators, a gather- ing that took place at the lovely Restaurant at Wente Vineyards. Each honored wine profes- sional received a magnum of Wente Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon and a salute in our magazine. See page 86 for an in-depth look. T Matthew Straus. t the height of a fast-moving sommelier career, working with L.A.'s Campanile, L'Orangerie, Sona and Grace, as well as Boston's Federalist, Matthew Straus decided to quit, attend cooking school, then open the intimate Heirloom Café in San Francisco's Mission district, using 3,000 bottles he'd collected since 2002 as an instant cellar. To pair with his simple yet uncommon dishes, Straus offers 20+ wines by the glass, ranging from familiar favor- ites like Qupé Marsanne and Catena Malbec, to uncom- mon fi nds like Foureau Vouvray Demi-Sec and Rolet Arbois Trousseau. And of course, a 200-label cellar that he literally chose for himself. The $25 corkage goes down to $10 if you bring a bottle from 2002 or older—maybe even less if you offer to share with the chef. "You run a wine list for years," Straus tells THE TASTING PANEL, "and you fi nd yourself just fi lling categories. Now, I'm buying wine that I love to drink." —E. C. Gladstone 20 / the tasting panel / september 201 1 PHOTO: CARRIE COOLIDGE PHOTO: JOHN CURLEY