What do top sommeliers look for in a wine? Canopy contacted ten renowned sommeliers from restaurants in "The World’s 50 Best" list to find out…
What do you look for in a wine?
"A wine should make you smile"
- André Bekker (Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden)
“When I buy wine for our restaurant there are many characteristics that I look for, but for me the most important is complexity, balance and length. There are other characteristics like intensity, elegance and typicity that also help me decide.
“For me personally, I always believe that a wine should make you smile. When I’m smiling from the first sniff of the aroma then I usually know that it’s going to be good, and I get quite excited.
“Good quality wines have more complex aromas and flavours. They often have several layers that develop over time which I find intriguing. Higher quality wines have a good balance between acidity, tannins, sweetness, alcohol and fruit concentration. When one of these components dominate or is lacking the wine is not in perfect harmony.
“And then the finish: when the flavours of the wine linger and don’t seem to end, I’m definitely smiling.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from wines from Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piedmont. I often find myself drawn to wines from these wine regions. These wines age well which makes them a good investment for the restaurant and myself.”
"Wines that make you want to meet the person or visit the land"
- Hironobu Hara (Florilège, Tokyo, Japan)
“Wines that make you imagine the producer's face and the landscape. Wines that make you want to meet the person or visit the land.
“I think the wines of Mr Okamoto of Beau Paysage Winery in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, are one such example. I was able to visit there for the first time this summer, and it was a good memory for me to be able to drink the wines there.
“The wines he makes are a bit mysterious, there is not much information and not much media exposure, but that is why he is someone who makes you want to meet him in person.”
"Our concern with climate change influences our choice"
- Kristell Monot (Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain)
“First of all, we try to cover the main regions locally speaking, as many of our guests come from abroad and they are used to demanding local wines. As we are situated in a wine region (Basque Country), we take care of offering local names of course, especially those who tend to follow an environmentally friendly philosophy, meaning organic or biodynamic methods, respectful to climate change.
Click HERE to read the full article.