Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
GUEST EDITOR Eric Espuny is this month's guest editor. He is the General Manager and Sommelier at The Royce restaurant at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. "We Have To Be Sweeter!" T SOMMS SHOULD STEER CUSTOMERS TO DRINK SWEET, SAYS ERIC ESPUNY he world of wine is a world of fun. Consumers of today are more sophis- ticated in their knowledge of the subject compared to 15 years ago. More than ever before, sommeliers, retailers, critics and wine professionals are offering great programs and selections; education is everywhere! People are trying the labels that the professionals are recommending, and wine pairing is now part of the public's culinary experience, whether they are stepping into a gastropub, an acclaimed chef's fine-dining restaurant or a favorite Asian spot in the neighborhood. While we know what to do with a Pinot Noir, a Napa Cab or a Sangiovese, not many people are thinking about sweet wine. I say let's go for sweet! These wines seem far from the mind of the average wine-lover, and I don't know why. What I do know is that we should have more fun with fortified and late-harvest wines, and even vins de liqueur. Sommeliers shouldn't hesitate to be more adventurous with these wines and recommend them earlier in the menu. Instead of a Martini, a glass of tawny port, lightly chilled, is going to be fantastic with tapas and appetizers—the classic date or fig wrapped in bacon, for instance. Lobster agnolotti and its "bisque" pair sur- prisingly well with a sweet yet balanced Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois from the Languedoc; the dish can take on a whole different level of richness. In term of pairings, as long as the wine is sweeter than the dish, it's already set for success. Let me share with you one of the best meals of my life, which happened in the village of Sauternes. It wasn't dinner but lunch, and it wasn't an endless tasting but a one-course, one-wine meal. What was it, you ask? Lamb shank with carrots and a magnum of Château Raymond-Lafon 1978. It was with my father and Mr. Meslier, the owner of the château. The lamb was from Pauillac, and the carrots were from the garden next-door. So please, from Pineau des Charentes to Hungarian Tokaji, from creamy Moscatel to Quart de Chaumes, let's explore the tremendous aromatic complexity of these sweet wines and take no risk promoting them to the public. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LANGHAM HOTEL