Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/948966
march 2018 / the tasting panel / 77 Red, white, sparkling—which is the current flavor of choice? Ryan Stetins: We sell a lot of sparkling. When you look at the list, it's about a 50-50 mix of red and white. We get interest- ing runs, though: Sonoma Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Italian reds, Greek whites. It's table by table. Do you get a lot of winemakers? Stetins: Oh, yes, and tons of assistant winemakers! So, what is the big seller? Must be Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Stamp: You would think so. When we opened, we kept a secret tally on the number of days that would pass when we didn't sell a bottle of Napa Cab. We have 30 Napa Cabs on the list, but they [the winemakers] make Cab all day and want to try something new in the evening. Stetins: The first bottle of Napa Cab we sold was to a couple from out of town. We went 17 days before that without selling a bottle, believe it or not! This place is so cool. I can see it becoming the ultimate spot in town for a "final final" and for hospitality workers when they're finished with their shifts. Stetins: We hope so. We keep the kitchen open until 11 p.m. every night. We also have a family meal nightly where it's $20 for the meal and a glass of wine. Best deal in town. Revenue so far? Stamp: About 50 percent wine sales in the restaurant, then 35 percent food, and 10 percent retail wines to go. The rest is in education. How did you two get together? I know you both from the Master Sommelier program. Stetins: We got together with this idea at the GuildSomm Rudd Roundtable. It was a few years after we met and we hatched the idea—in the cellar, no less. And here we are four years later . . . I noticed some familiar faces here in the front of the house. Stamp: Correct. Everyone here is involved in the sommelier program at one level or another. In terms of education for them and customer satisfaction, it's the perfect fit. What is the average price of a bottle sold here? Stetins: About $80. We try to be fair with pricing so our guests can find something interesting by the bottle. Our retail is between $10–$35. I brought something to taste today. This is the Delas 2013 Crozes- Hermitage Blanc Les Launes—absolutely delicious. Stamp: Northern Rhône white wines are increasingly a category I find myself going back to. I love the weight and the texture. Stetins: It has wonderful acidity for a Rhône white. Great body and structure. How do you select the wines for the list? Stamp: Ryan and I sit down together and taste. If we both like it, great. If one of us doesn't, the person loving the wine has to make the good argument to keep it. For the retail shop, our Retail Manager Kassie McPherson becomes part of the selection process. I love it—you actually know what's in those bottles. What an original idea! Stamp: Yes, that's why we keep it to 100 SKUs! How about staff training? Stetins: Are you kidding me, Fred? Every day here is staff training for all of us, including chef and kitchen staff. We also feature wine seminars for both the trade and aficio- nados. On some Monday nights we do "World Tour" classes and feature the wines of different regions, while on Fridays and Saturdays we have "Jumpstart" classes for people just getting into wine. I've been saving this—what's your corkage fee? It has to be a killer here. Stetins: It's $15. We don't want to gouge people. Fifteen dollars?! Well, you'll come to your senses one day. Stamp: The one important thing is that our retail section is totally separate from our restaurant list. So, you have the option to buy a bottle here, drink it here, and just pay a retail markup and small corkage fee. Stetins: Where else in Napa Valley could you sit down and drink a bottle of wine for under $30? It sounds like you sat around with a bunch of sommeliers and listed every complaint they have about the industry, then made sure your business model avoided every one of them. Congratulations—I think you are the first people to achieve wine nirvana! According to Fred Dame, MS, Ryan Stetins and Matt Stamp, MS, have achieved "wine nirvana" at Compline.