Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
Culturally, wine has always been a constant in my life, but I can pinpoint a particularly heavy wine night we hosted with Fabio Porro, my then head sommelier, at the hotel where I was working. A table from the industry opened a line-up of maybe 15 or 20 bottles for a table of six throughout the night, and they poured me a glass of Proprieta Sperino Lessonna 2009 (among others), which blew me away.
Describe your wine list at Elsa
It highlights cool-climate grape varieties, focusing on Alsace and France as a whole, as well as Eastern Europe. Our wine list consists only of organic and biodynamic wines. We rotate the list constantly and are always on the lookout for niche and surprising bottles.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Would smashing a bottle of Yquem 1996 on the floor be considered a disaster?
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Lita in Marylebone, the original Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street and Le Bon Georges in Paris.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Anyone who thinks outside the box, focuses on what matters—the guest—and sets their ego aside.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
Perseverance, from Domaine La Petite Empreinte. An incredible Sauvignon Blanc made in Saint-Bris, Burgundy. Earthy, very mineral, almost waxy, with loads of tropical and stone-fruit aromas.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Fruity, fresh, smooth. Training your vocabulary is as important as training your taste buds.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
Alsace, in general—the region that we highlight at Elsa—offers incredible value regardless of the colour. We list some Grand Cru Rieslings around £90, and some Pinot Noir which are much more affordable than their Burgundian cousins but offer equal complexity and finesse. More specifically, at the moment, I’d say Domaine des Marnes Blanches Crémant du Jura, which we are pouring by the glass. A rich and textured blanc de blancs that can rival most Champagne.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Thai food with a gastronomic rosé like Rosé Marie from Le Puy in Bordeaux.
Old World or New World?
Both.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
Servers and somms who are rushing certain aspects of their job that should not be rushed, like the initial greeting or taking the order. Of course, there are tricks to speed things up, but attention to the psychology of the table you are communicating with is the reason why we do what we do. If guests are interested, or give you a clue that they could be, bring a couple of bottles to the table and give them a taste. Going above and beyond can have many different meanings and, sometimes, in the eyes of our guests, it does not take much to transform their experience and create memories.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
La Petite Empreinte, by winemakers Melissa Bazin and Romain de Moor. A young domaine helmed by two winemakers with loads of experience, honing their craft in the Jura under Ganevat and in Beaujolais under Lapierre. Also, Clément Bärtschi in Savoie, who started his own project in 2019 after working for Chapoutier and DRC. He makes incredible Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Manicle appellation.
As a sommelier, what question do you most get asked by customers?
Is this (insert any Alsatian or German grape variety) very sweet?
Which wine-producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
Slovakia. I’ve tried great bottles from David Kušický recently and would love to explore more. I feel it unfortunately suffers from a bad reputation despite offering clean, high-impact bottles at an affordable price point. Also, Alsace still suffers from a bad reputation despite offering incredible value in general.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
Scrambled eggs, white truffle and Substance by Selosse.