Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
I remember my first tasting at work and being pretty blown away by how much there was to learn. Hearing the names of grape varieties other than Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, wine suddenly shifted in my 20-year-old mind from a low-cost, higher-than-beer ABV party drink to a vast new academic avenue. I don’t even think I’d ever really heard the word “sommelier” at that point. It was a few years after that moment that I started taking wine seriously, but that was definitely what piqued my interest for the very first time.
Describe your wine list at Legare and Luna Wine Bar
The lists across both sites are pretty different. At Legare we work exclusively with Italian wines, while at Luna we aren’t bound by region, so the list is much more varied. The word I would use to describe both lists, however, is “considered” – and they have to be, given that we’re not blessed with space at either site.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
I’m pretty sure I had an entire conversation calling Lazio “Liguria” the other day. The joys of dyslexia. All menus need a thorough spellcheck from a trusted team member before printing.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
The Drapers Arms, José and Ten Cases, all in London.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Less a person and more a concept – I really respect traditions that are all about the fun side of wine. Take Txakoli from the Basque Country. The final product is all about how much fun can we have? Wine poured from as high as possible, lower ABV so you don’t have to cut your night short – true party wine.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
In New Zealand there’s an awesome project between two winemaking couples across Canterbury and Central Otago called 15 Minute Bottles. I love their wines, but sadly they’re not available in the UK. They have a Riesling and feijoa co-fermented pét-nat that’s incredible – think minty kiwi fruit with that classic cool-climate Riesling zip.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
I think people get a little confused about what “sweet” and “dry” mean when it comes to wine. I get asked multiple times a day for “a dry white wine” with no other direction. So can I say that?
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
We have a 2016 Godello from Legado de Farro for under £50. It’s so much fun seeing wines with a bit more age singing at the lower end of a wine list. Pair that with Godello being a slightly lesser-known Spanish variety and this wine seeing some American oak, and it’s always a great bottle for getting people to dip their toes into less familiar territory.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
A cold beer and a roll-up on a sunny day.
Old World or New World?
No comment.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
Pushy upselling. I definitely see a lot less of it these days, but it’s incredibly tone-deaf. The team and I always make a point of asking guests where on the list they’re looking, price-wise, before making recommendations.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
It’s the summer of volcanic white wines. Suertes del Marqués is producing some amazing wines in Tenerife at an unbelievable price point.
As a general manager, what question do you most get asked by customers?
More and more people – especially our regulars, but quite often first-time diners too – just ask me to pick something for them to drink. No direction, just whatever I feel like opening that day or a glass that will work well with their meal. Getting it spot on is always the best part of the job.
Which wine-producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
The Canary Islands – more specifically, Tenerife.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
As tempted as I am to lean towards the wildly rare, expensive and unattainable in this hypothetical scenario, I know my last meal and bottle of wine would need to bring me comfort. Something familiar, perhaps even nostalgic. Maybe the first skin-contact wine I ever tried with friends that, at the time, blew our minds – Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli, probably the 2015 or 2016. I’ve tried their wines again recently and my palate has definitely shifted away from those styles. Or maybe the first red wine where I truly recognised floral notes and couldn’t believe I could distinguish the smell of violets from other flowers – Pala Cannonau, fittingly named I Fiori.
Or would I just make it all about me and drink a bottle of Champagne from my birth year? 1996 was, luckily, an absolute banger. Probably Dom Pérignon, just for the clout.