CityBites
April/May 2006
The Sommeliers: The BEST of All
Heavyweight Sommeliers duke it out over canada’s best wines, and everybody wins
Sommeliers are very much unlike chefs. A chef is usually a lone wolf, staking out his or her culinary territory via signature dishes and secret techniques. Sommeliers are better at sharing. Put two or more of them together, and within minutes, several bottles of wine will open up and one will say to the other: “Try this and tell me what you think.” (Professionally, this is called “wine reviewing.”)
The French term sommelier literally means “wine steward.” But it goes much further. A great sommelier is a vital link between operations and customer service. Deeply trained in presentation, wine and food matching, and customer interaction, the sommelier is also a product manager and trend analyst. A deep wine cellar is a considerable investment, and it doesn’t pay to have, say, $1- million (considered a modest amount for a serious library) tied up in wines that don’t move. But above all, a sommelier is a people person—it’s about taking the customer on an absolutely rocking wine and food adventure.
Splendido
Perhaps the most delightful all-around restaurant in Toronto, high-end but with humour and humility. A focused list matched impeccably to every dish by sommelier and operations manager Carlo Catallo, who visits every table, bringing suggestions and banter. 70 half-bottles; 25 by the glass ($12-$28); and a Champagne trolley ($16-$36). Long bar, great for sampling and lingering. (Fine dining; value; bar; slick & sleek.)
By Dick Snyder
