OK make that two confessions. When I had originally drafted this
entry, it was about six months ago when I was starting to lose a little
bit of focus on wine itself. I could easily change the title, but I
think this is more likely to entice [potential] readers. Ha! So, now
that you're suckered in, let's begin...and let's see if you can spot my
change of heart.
When I first started writing this, I
was starting to wander from my 'wine geek' ways. I was becoming more
involved with the service and hospitality aspect of my job, and in doing
so...falling victim to my own creation.
What does this mean?
In a word...BRAND.
I
mean, I really used to know a lot about wine. I knew obscure varietals,
forgotten regions...history and culture of places Wine Spectator
wouldn't even think to look. That was fun for me.
Don't
get me wrong, I could still blind taste and analyze wine like I used
to...but I was just falling out of love with [mostly] irrelevant
knowledge.
So what was I into? Oh...drinking KRUG and
Montrachet all day. I mean...let's be honest, would you really stick
with a G-Shock after being handed Rolex after Rolex?
Because
of the nature of my job, it's location and the reach of the company I
work for, I have had access to a LOT of wine that would otherwise be
considered 'out of reach' for most of us- First Growth Bordeaux, DRC,
Grand Cru Montrachet...top shelf producers like Gaja, La Tour, Lafite,
Petrus all the way to Harlan, Scarecrow, Colgin etc...(You get the
point).
When you drink and taste this stuff on almost a
daily basis, it's actually very difficult to recalibrate your palate
back to reality. It was such a new world to me- not only
exploring/enjoying the wines, but also the people who produce them and
the people who buy them.
There is a thrill that exists
about executing the perfect wine service...especially when handing a
thousand-some-odd dollar bottle of wine. I became addicted to this
thrill. I mean, as a wine professional, you're really supposed to treat
EVERY bottle with that kind of respect...and I do, but it's different
when it's the real deal.
Generally speaking, the
guests who order these high end bottles like to talk about the wine with
their sommelier. Which means, "have some with us". Best words ever
spoken into a bottle of Unico, I tell you. Sometimes they know a lot
about wine and want to engage in debate/conversation...other times, they
simply have the ability to buy something that they would like to learn
more about.
In this atmosphere, I was learning so much
about (and loving) high end wines, that I found knowledge of more
esoteric wines to be taking a back seat. I was giving in to wines that
*I* found more appealing, and was focusing on learning more about the
top producers because that's what helped me sell and discuss them.
For
a good while, I couldn't care less about the stellar $13 wines coming
from a small village just outside of Umbria...but I could tell you the
differences between the 7 year verticals of Blaine-Gagnard
Batard-Montrachet I had.
If I lived my life "For the
'Gram", I'd be all set. (#sommlife). But alas, I'm not on instagram, and
my life needed a bit more depth after awhile.
I
avoided a lot of mixers and tastings for awhile, because of the types of
Sommeliers that I would run into. You know, the type that were more
into wine than the satisfaction of their guests. The type that is always
vying with another for who knows the most about the least. Quality be
damned, at that point...it just has to be obscure. You know...hipster
somms.
Ive had these hipster somms try to sell me on
things that were interesting on paper, but were of very low quality. You
can tell they're in love with the idea of it, but probably couldn't
taste the difference between their beloved wine and a bottle of grease.
I've tasted plenty of wine in my time...I have no FOMO when it comes to
grapes, so they better be good.
The combination of my
expanding knowledge of fine wines, and my growing distaste for hipster
wine only led me to alienate lesser known producers and regions even
more. It did, however, cause me to really focus on my service. Honing my
hospitality skills, with knowledge and charm loaded and at the ready at
all times. One thing I never lost, though...was sincerity.
Sincerity-
No matter what bottle you (or we) choose, I genuinely want you to enjoy
it. What does "enjoy" mean? I don't mean "to like it". I mean you spent
$50 and felt like you spent $100 on it...or you spend $100, and you
felt like you spend $200. Believe me, I've spent $300 on a bottle of
wine and have gotten $50 service, and I would never wish that upon any
of my guests.
I guess what i'm trying to say is that
(IMO) REAL somm life is about falling in love as much as possible. Love
the wine, love the guests, love the job...everything else follows.
Maybe one day i'll decide to sign up for a sommelier master class of some sort. Maybe.
But right now, i'm just loving the process.
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