Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
july 2017 / the tasting panel / 43 When I was younger, in my enthusiasm to turn guests on to new wines, I once insulted a guest in front of his family. Have you ever done something like that? What is your experience with suggesting wine to guests? I was working in the East Bay and there were some great wine shops and importers that were opening me up to all this fantastic stuff. When guests would come in and say they wanted a big, rich California Chardonnay, I would say, 'No, no, no, you've really got to try this Chablis or Falanghina or Riesling from Germany. The Chardonnay would be too rich and really doesn't go with our food.' As I was standing there, I kept thinking, "I don't know what's wrong; I'm just not getting through to the guest." Only later did I realize that I was the problem because I wasn't listening. We were young punks with overinflated opinions of wines and our own wine knowledge. Unfortunately, we were running around the din- ing room and inflicting them on our guests when we should have been listening. With the prevalence of sommeliers in restaurants these days and the attention paid to the field from the press when becoming a Master Sommelier, there is an expectation that we would know everything about wine. How was it for you when you became a Master? Yes, I definitely noticed a change—not so much in what people drank, but in the fact that everything I said about wine sounded so much smarter and guests just assumed I knew everything about wine. So I would say something similar to, "Do you want to drink what you like?" Or, "Are you interested in a new experience?" I think sometimes a guest will feel intimidated by an MS, but the vast majority of sommeliers out there—whether they are in the CMS system or not—do not judge you by what you drink; they just want you to enjoy yourself and have a great time. Many restaurants leave wine education as an after- thought, saying, "If we have the time, maybe we'll get to it." I know at Manresa you really take education to heart. What are some of the things you have found that are particu- larly successful? I think we can always do more, but the one thing that sticks with me is to bring something every day. It can be just some news about wine. It could be a new wine on the tasting menu pairing. I think you need to tailor training to your individual restaurant. At our restaurant, we have two full-time som- meliers on the floor, so our servers do not need to handle the wine list in any great detail. In other types of restaurants, the server is crucial to handling wine service and recommenda- tions to the guest. If you build the culture of wine in your establishment by bringing wine to the table every day, the rewards will be great. Chef Kinch is extremely creative with vegetables and produces some fantastic dishes. How does this factor into your decisions with regard to the wine pairings? It isn't a huge issue for me, as there are lots of wines that work with the dishes, but sometimes it becomes an issue of guest perception. We have had menus that favor a majority of white, rosé and sparkling wine, and a lot of times I get asked, "So we are getting red wine next, yes?" Sometimes during summer we might have a seven-course menu with only one red wine. We are lucky here in that we get to taste every dish on the menu, so we get to test out which pairings are the most successful. What advice would you give to younger sommeliers that are working their way into the field? I would say, find a program that you are interested in and take any job to just get into the environment of that place. Spend time there to grow into the role you desire, while learning all you are able. The other would be to not assume there is one straight path and to get experience in multiple positions and types of restaurants and become proficient at many different forms of service. There are fine-dining restaurants that have great programs and great sommeliers, but learning what is out there will better enable you to find the right fit for you. You have a terrific list; how many selections? About 900 to 1,000. Do you maintain a separate cellar to pull from for the list? No, everything that is purchased goes on the list pretty quickly. We do offer a lot of older selections, so these need to be sourced through auction, winery libraries and fine and rare wine specialists we find reputable. You get to taste a lot of great wines here; what are some of your most memorable bottles? Guests can bring in some pretty amazing wine. Last year, I got to try the 1971 Ridge Eisele, a unicorn wine, made only once. A group of collectors did a Ridge Vineyards–focused dinner with Montebello Cabernets from the '60s and '70s. It was really interesting to taste the Eisele alongside all those older Montebello wines. Also a Cheval Blanc 1947. I am pretty amazed sometimes with how well some California Cabernets age over the course of time, particularly bottles from the late '60s and '70s. What are you drinking for yourself? I drink a lot of German Riesling, whether it is a dry or fruity, off-dry style, a lot of Chenin Blanc and Chablis. Northern Rhône Syrah such as Gonon, Clape or Allemand for reds. That's an area where we are seeing a lot of new younger producers, and you can find some really good wines. "If you build the culture of wine in your establishment by bringing wine to the table every day, the rewards will be great."