GLASS HALF FULL
TATLER • PROMOTION
NOSE The aroma or bouquet of a wine. Love at first sniff.
GLASS HALF FULL
LEGS Refers to the streaks of wine that form around your glass as you swill the wine around. Denotes alcohol content not quality.
It’s hard not to be optimistic about wine – the anticipation of the first glass, the savouring of the last. From velvety reds to zingy whites, Corney & Barrow supplies the finest wines to tip-top restaurants. Here, we chat to four high-profile sommeliers, dispelling the myth that good wine is just for oenophiles
I
f drunkenness is a great leveller, wine itself can often be seen as a divisive force, the preserve of snobs and elitists. Wine can frighten people – its dizzying variety and protracted history can be intimidating. What makes a wine good or bad? Why are the years important? How on earth can wine smell like tobacco or toast? And what does ‘having legs’ really mean? Don’t let the sheer volume of particulars put you off enjoying it. Corney & Barrow – esteemed wine merchants for more than 230 years – believe that one of the most important elements of wine appreciation is whether you like it. Yes, you. Swirl it, sip it, smell it, savour it. You don’t have to be a wine know-it-all to take pleasure in imbibing. To celebrate this simple fact, Corney & Barrow presents four sommeliers from four top restaurants to debunk some of your wine preconceptions (and maybe even top up your knowledge). Corney & Barrow is the wine supplier to all of these restaurants – and many more besides. They enjoy direct relationships with over 80 vineyards, ensuring that every wine bottled is exclusive to Corney & Barrow. So pour yourself a glass and read on. As James Joyce said, ‘What is better than to sit at the end of a day and drink wine with friends, or substitutes for friends.’ For more information, please visit corneyandbarrow.com
HEAD SOMMELIER , MARTIN WISHART Do you have a favourite wine region? I have always been very passionate about the Languedoc/Roussillon region in France.
CHARLES PASHBYTAYLOR
HEAD SOMMELIER , DABBOUS What does it take to be a sommelier? Hard work and a dedication to the art of wine. The best way to look at it is as a hobby that you get to do
every day. The job should be fun. You get to meet some amazing people and see some of the best parts of the world. You should never take it for granted because as soon as you do, you shouldn’t be doing the job! What’s your favourite Corney & Barrow wine? Who doesn’t like Le Domaine de la Romanée-Conti! I think the wines from Giulia Negri have to be up there. It’s so inspirational to meet someone who is in her early 20s who is creating some amazing wines. What well-established wine rule do you enjoy breaking? Drinking in the wrong order. When pairing wines to the tasting menu at Dabbous, it’s all about how the wine works with the individual dish. That may mean starting with red then going on to a sherry or sake then onto a white and even a beer after that. People too often think that it only goes white then red.
GLOSSARY OF WINE
UNCTUOUS A wine that has lush, intense, layered flavours. SEDIMENT You don’t want this in your glass. Insoluble fragments of grape pulp and skin that settle at the bottom of any wine container.
EVA DIEUDONNÉ HEAD SOMMELIER , LES 110 DE TAILLEVENT ILLUSTRATION DESIGNED BY FREEPIK
PATRICK COOPER
For those who find dessert wine too sweet, what wine would you recommend pairing with a tangy lemon dessert? I would recommend a German Riesling Spatlese, or a Vouvray demi-sec from the Loire region. Why is wine temperature important? It will affect wine on different levels of flavour. For white wines with a freshness and high acidity, I opt for a cooler temperature. But for highly concentrated whites, I allow the temperature to rise to enhance their complexity. I serve most reds at room temperature but also chill some to a customer’s liking. A warm day and a light Gamay’s can be a great idea. For sweet wines, a mid-temperature 9 to 13 degrees is a good way to maintain all the complex aromas. Consider the vintage and the style (a very old Tokaji or Sauternes is best at room temperature).
MID PALATE The perception of the wine’s weight, acidity and fruit flavours in the mouth before swallowing.
What was your first experience of wine? The first time I saw someone swirling wine in a glass was with my dad when I was 12 years old. It was a Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Cru Bourgeois in Moulis en Medoc. My education was very concentrated in Bordeaux style. Studying gave me the opportunity to discover all the
HOW TO SOUND LIKE A WINE-BUFF ZESTY: adj. a simple, fruity white wine what you say: ‘I have the most charmingly you to try.’
zesty wine for
what you mean:
‘Much better than that plonk you served me at last week’s supper club.’ RICH: adj. robust and fruity what you say: ‘This wine is so rich and full-bodied.’ what you mean: ‘Far better than my husband in every respect.’
RACK: noun. framework for storing wine. what you say: ‘What an excellent rack you have.’ what you mean: ‘I really wish my wine bottles were orderly.’
that
VINTAGE : noun. the year the grapes were grown what you say: ‘What a good vintage!’ what you mean: ‘As am I, fyi.’ TART:
adj. sharp or acidic in taste what you say: ‘It certainly is a little tart’ what you mean: ‘Just like that new girlfriend
rest of the areas in France for the first time. Pinot Noir from Burgundy and Alsace and the Rhône Valley. Wines from the Languedoc, Corsica and the rest of the world. What’s your favourite wine and food pairing? I really like pairing wine with cheese. Because it’s only one product on the plate, one sensation, you can do some local pairing. Like a Comté cheese with a glass of ChâteauChalon – expressing the same terroir. Or a glass of Arbois Sacha for something more fruity and fresh – a hint of a nutty note. What wine would you serve on a first date? Something with character, a little bit spicy, round and on the fruit, like a beautiful Syrah from the north of the Rhône Valley. My favourite is Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine from Gangloff – or a lovely Domaine de Montcalmès for something more accessible.
PIERRE BRUNEL LI HEAD SOMMELIER , L’ENCLUME
What wine is light enough to enjoy on a hangover? A fresh off-dry citrusy Riesling from Mosel (Germany) with a light alcohol content such as the 2012 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese from Joh Jos Prüm. If you could only take one bottle of Corney & Barrow wine to a desert island, what would you choose? Corney & Barrow are agents for a lot of top Burgundy producers.
of yours.’
I would most probably go for a mature Pinot Noir from Domaine de La Romanée-Conti, such as a 1990 la Tache (one of their Monopole Grand Cru Vineyard from Vosne Romanée). What wine would you suggest to go with scallops? Hard question… depending on the garnish: cooked with chorizo, a soft red wine full of fruit with a crisp acidity such as a delicious Gamay (2012 Domaine Labruyère Moulin a Vent Grande Cuvée). Prepared as a ceviche with a bit of olive oil, citrus and ginger, why not a refreshing white wine from South-West France (2013 Irouléguy, JeanClaude Berrouet’s Herri Mina) to highlight these crisp flavours. Finally, try scallops with poultry juice and hazelnut accompanying a rich oaked white wine from Napa Valley (2012 Chardonnay Cakebread Cellars Reserve) to enhance those nutty flavours!
NOSE The aroma or bouquet of a wine. Love at first sniff.
GLASS HALF FULL
LEGS Refers to the streaks of wine that form around your glass as you swill the wine around. Denotes alcohol content not quality.
It’s hard not to be optimistic about wine – the anticipation of the first glass, the savouring of the last. From velvety reds to zingy whites, Corney & Barrow supplies the finest wines to tip-top restaurants. Here, we chat to four high-profile sommeliers, dispelling the myth that good wine is just for oenophiles
I
f drunkenness is a great leveller, wine itself can often be seen as a divisive force, the preserve of snobs and elitists. Wine can frighten people – its dizzying variety and protracted history can be intimidating. What makes a wine good or bad? Why are the years important? How on earth can wine smell like tobacco or toast? And what does ‘having legs’ really mean? Don’t let the sheer volume of particulars put you off enjoying it. Corney & Barrow – esteemed wine merchants for more than 230 years – believe that one of the most important elements of wine appreciation is whether you like it. Yes, you. Swirl it, sip it, smell it, savour it. You don’t have to be a wine know-it-all to take pleasure in imbibing. To celebrate this simple fact, Corney & Barrow presents four sommeliers from four top restaurants to debunk some of your wine preconceptions (and maybe even top up your knowledge). Corney & Barrow is the wine supplier to all of these restaurants – and many more besides. They enjoy direct relationships with over 80 vineyards, ensuring that every wine bottled is exclusive to Corney & Barrow. So pour yourself a glass and read on. As James Joyce said, ‘What is better than to sit at the end of a day and drink wine with friends, or substitutes for friends.’ For more information, please visit corneyandbarrow.com
HEAD SOMMELIER , MARTIN WISHART Do you have a favourite wine region? I have always been very passionate about the Languedoc/Roussillon region in France.
CHARLES PASHBYTAYLOR
HEAD SOMMELIER , DABBOUS What does it take to be a sommelier? Hard work and a dedication to the art of wine. The best way to look at it is as a hobby that you get to do
every day. The job should be fun. You get to meet some amazing people and see some of the best parts of the world. You should never take it for granted because as soon as you do, you shouldn’t be doing the job! What’s your favourite Corney & Barrow wine? Who doesn’t like Le Domaine de la Romanée-Conti! I think the wines from Giulia Negri have to be up there. It’s so inspirational to meet someone who is in her early 20s who is creating some amazing wines. What well-established wine rule do you enjoy breaking? Drinking in the wrong order. When pairing wines to the tasting menu at Dabbous, it’s all about how the wine works with the individual dish. That may mean starting with red then going on to a sherry or sake then onto a white and even a beer after that. People too often think that it only goes white then red.
GLOSSARY OF WINE
UNCTUOUS A wine that has lush, intense, layered flavours. SEDIMENT You don’t want this in your glass. Insoluble fragments of grape pulp and skin that settle at the bottom of any wine container.
EVA DIEUDONNÉ HEAD SOMMELIER , LES 110 DE TAILLEVENT ILLUSTRATION DESIGNED BY FREEPIK
PATRICK COOPER
For those who find dessert wine too sweet, what wine would you recommend pairing with a tangy lemon dessert? I would recommend a German Riesling Spatlese, or a Vouvray demi-sec from the Loire region. Why is wine temperature important? It will affect wine on different levels of flavour. For white wines with a freshness and high acidity, I opt for a cooler temperature. But for highly concentrated whites, I allow the temperature to rise to enhance their complexity. I serve most reds at room temperature but also chill some to a customer’s liking. A warm day and a light Gamay’s can be a great idea. For sweet wines, a mid-temperature 9 to 13 degrees is a good way to maintain all the complex aromas. Consider the vintage and the style (a very old Tokaji or Sauternes is best at room temperature).
MID PALATE The perception of the wine’s weight, acidity and fruit flavours in the mouth before swallowing.
What was your first experience of wine? The first time I saw someone swirling wine in a glass was with my dad when I was 12 years old. It was a Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Cru Bourgeois in Moulis en Medoc. My education was very concentrated in Bordeaux style. Studying gave me the opportunity to discover all the
HOW TO SOUND LIKE A WINE-BUFF ZESTY: adj. a simple, fruity white wine what you say: ‘I have the most charmingly you to try.’
zesty wine for
what you mean:
‘Much better than that plonk you served me at last week’s supper club.’ RICH: adj. robust and fruity what you say: ‘This wine is so rich and full-bodied.’ what you mean: ‘Far better than my husband in every respect.’
RACK: noun. framework for storing wine. what you say: ‘What an excellent rack you have.’ what you mean: ‘I really wish my wine bottles were orderly.’
that
VINTAGE : noun. the year the grapes were grown what you say: ‘What a good vintage!’ what you mean: ‘As am I, fyi.’ TART:
adj. sharp or acidic in taste what you say: ‘It certainly is a little tart’ what you mean: ‘Just like that new girlfriend
rest of the areas in France for the first time. Pinot Noir from Burgundy and Alsace and the Rhône Valley. Wines from the Languedoc, Corsica and the rest of the world. What’s your favourite wine and food pairing? I really like pairing wine with cheese. Because it’s only one product on the plate, one sensation, you can do some local pairing. Like a Comté cheese with a glass of ChâteauChalon – expressing the same terroir. Or a glass of Arbois Sacha for something more fruity and fresh – a hint of a nutty note. What wine would you serve on a first date? Something with character, a little bit spicy, round and on the fruit, like a beautiful Syrah from the north of the Rhône Valley. My favourite is Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine from Gangloff – or a lovely Domaine de Montcalmès for something more accessible.
PIERRE BRUNEL LI HEAD SOMMELIER , L’ENCLUME
What wine is light enough to enjoy on a hangover? A fresh off-dry citrusy Riesling from Mosel (Germany) with a light alcohol content such as the 2012 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese from Joh Jos Prüm. If you could only take one bottle of Corney & Barrow wine to a desert island, what would you choose? Corney & Barrow are agents for a lot of top Burgundy producers.
of yours.’
I would most probably go for a mature Pinot Noir from Domaine de La Romanée-Conti, such as a 1990 la Tache (one of their Monopole Grand Cru Vineyard from Vosne Romanée). What wine would you suggest to go with scallops? Hard question… depending on the garnish: cooked with chorizo, a soft red wine full of fruit with a crisp acidity such as a delicious Gamay (2012 Domaine Labruyère Moulin a Vent Grande Cuvée). Prepared as a ceviche with a bit of olive oil, citrus and ginger, why not a refreshing white wine from South-West France (2013 Irouléguy, JeanClaude Berrouet’s Herri Mina) to highlight these crisp flavours. Finally, try scallops with poultry juice and hazelnut accompanying a rich oaked white wine from Napa Valley (2012 Chardonnay Cakebread Cellars Reserve) to enhance those nutty flavours!
