Somm Corner is a chance for us to check in with some of our favorite sommeliers and ask them some spicy questions.
Marie Cheslik · Chicago
SPILL: Prior to COVID-19, did you see any major shifts in how wine menus in restaurants/bars were beginning to look or be laid out?
Marie: It’s an exciting time for wine in America. We’ve got lots of innovative, fresh viewpoints that are making American wine culture less intimidating and infinitely more accessible. The intensity of these shifts can take on different forms, depending on the restaurant or bar. Take Chicago’s own Michelin-starred restaurant Spiaggia, who was just nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award for best wine program. They’ve always had a pulse of who they are, but are willing to accept new points of view. They have a vast list with their cornerstone being Italian classics while introducing newer, lower-intervention winemakers. It takes a pro like Beverage Director Rachel Lowe to understand that business is business, and a wine might not be your personal favorite, but knowing what is good quality and fits with your food is what makes a good beverage director. To examine the bigger shift in what wine menus are doing, let’s take a look at another Jame Beard Finalist: Night + Market Sahm in LA. Grabbing hold to the natural-wine movement, you’re looking more into the “nothing added, nothing taken away” philosophies found in Alice Feiring and Isabelle Legeron, and less of the definitive works of Kevin Zraly and Jancis Robinson. I’d say smaller curated programs like these embrace the novelty of natural wine and focus on small, passionate producers. Not to say a classic wine can’t be a small producer, but the contemporary spotlight is undeniably in the mindset of taking a look at sustainable agricultural practices and how that can fit into modern tastes. These lists also make for great learning opportunities. There’s plenty of pretense in wine, and I do think these natural lists can turn that on their heads. If you read ‘Loire Valley’ on a red bottle of wine, the wine enthusiast may do a disservice by automatically assuming it’s Cabernet Franc when it’s actually Grolleau. But does knowing any of that increase your enjoyment of the bottle? For people who have no idea that Loire Valley is a place, it doesn’t matter what the grape or the style is like. You just start asking yourself: Do I like this? Does it go with the food I’m eating? Or the beautiful patio I’m sitting on? These questions are what make wine fun to me. The major shift in wine programs is honoring the classics, yet embracing the new, fun, and the financially accessible, all with a goal of supporting winemakers who respect their product.
SPILL: From a wine buyer perspective, what did you experience during the European wine tariff debate?
Marie: As a buyer, I have to admit that not a lot changed on my end with the 25% increase in October. I received very few emails in October that prices would increase on my end. By January I was getting preemptive e-mails of what could happen with the 100% increase. If we were to pass that 100% tariff, I would be telling a different story. I’m partially deferring this question to the people who really ate most of that cost: the importers and distributors. For my Tenzing rep, Randall Bush, he called it “mass hysteria” on his end. Companies were asking themselves “Who would take on the costs in a competitive marketplace?” They decided it would be them. Laos, for a “show of good faith” they would not pass on the costs to the restaurants and consumers. In short: I did not see any increases in price because the importers and distributors we work with empathize with all aspects of their business, from the winemakers to the restaurant. I do have to keep in mind that tariff increases are a political tactic that could easily be used again. If that time comes at least I know I’ll have good people looking out for me. If that’s not a healthy community I don’t now what is.
SPILL: When restaurants + bars reopen, is there any shift you hope to see in what, or how, consumers and guests are drinking wine?
Marie: We live in an incredibly food-conscious generation, where food and wine is tied in with our pop culture. Guests these days are naturally curious and open minded, but there are lots of things that can hinder that exploration in wine. Whether it’s lack of knowledge, cost, or what they think they’re “supposed” to drink, most people will reach for things that are familiar. I’d love to see a bigger push for what we do at Elske: frequently train your entire front of house staff. Education empowers your team and enhances the guest experience; it’s a win-win. Training your back server the same way you train your servers allows anyone to answer 80% of questions your guests may ask. What a great experience it is to ask anyone about a wine by-the-glass or their favorite bottle of red under $60! More thoughtful, charismatic conversations lead to guest trust and refocuses on what’s most important: their experience. People are willing to explore and drink all sorts of wine when they have a great staff to bounce around ideas. We do weekly blind tastings, mock-services, food & wine pairings, and “wine schools” that go over various topics. It can be a lot of labor but the result is well worth it.
SPILL: Your go-to vino while being sheltered in place.
Marie: Gotta support my friends at Red & White Wines, Rootstock, and All Together Now. They all do a wonderful job of picking something out that is special for you; put your trust in them! My favorite wine of quarantine has been Sylvain Pataille’s Aligoté. Tastes like fancy white Burgundy but for a fraction of the price. Aligoté is one of those lesser known French grapes, but if you wanna drink like the French do, this is an easy way to dive in.