ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
 | | 12/12/2005 2:40 AM |
| | I understand, jb, but if the somm pushing a wine that's not moving, there's an inherent dishonesty and you may not be getting the best wine for your money. | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Wine Lover
Posts:4834
| | 12/12/2005 3:34 AM |
| "I could care less if he is trying to move a certain wine, as long as I find it enjoyable and a good match with my meal "
Getting the best wine for my money is not a big concern of mine either. Finding a good match for my meal and enjoying the entire experience is.
BTW, how in the world would one know if someone is pushing a wine that is not moving?
jb | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/12/2005 3:35 AM |
| | They likely wouldn't. | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Wine Lover
Posts:4834
| | 12/12/2005 3:37 AM |
| So where is the harm?
jb | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/12/2005 3:44 AM |
| | The harm is in not knowing whether the somm has your best interests or the company's profits in mind. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| | 12/12/2005 6:28 AM |
| Board_O,
What do you know and understand better; wine or automobiles?
I would suspect the answer is "wine".
You have a pretty good chance knowing a little something about a wine that a somm might recommend and in most cases you probably know more.
With an automobile you probably research the hell out of it on the web and get advice from experts. But can you really trust what is written here on a website or how sure are you that the expert isn't impartial?
The whole thing melts down to a restaurant's reputation. Statistics show that if a person has a great experience they tell one other person and the word-of-mouth reputation spreads out from there. I that person has a bad experience the person will tell 10 other people and that word really spreads quickly.
How does that old joke go? The sommelier's reputation: He has served a million bottles of wine and everyone he has ever served is 100% satisfied. Maybe they'll write on his headstone that he was a great sommelier. But screw just one goat and... do they still say wonderful things about the million things he did right? Most likely the headstone will say, "Here lies Joe Blow. He's the guy that screwed a goat". | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4767
| | 12/12/2005 6:47 AM |
| Quote:
The last good experience I had was at Rubicon.
I, on the other hand use Rubicon as my example of how Somms can go bad.
Their state policy was (at the time) $25 per 750ml. OK, not cheap, but not insulting. I brought a mag for which they charged me $75. Huh? They said it was because it had an extra long cork. I shouldn't say who this is, but his name rhymes with Larry Stone. Then when I tried to talk to him about it, he was not available because we had not "ordered an expensive enough wine". We have not been back. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/12/2005 12:53 PM |
| | We were at Rubicon when Tacy Desjardin was the chef. We were very disappointed with the food. | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Wine Lover
Posts:4834
| | 12/12/2005 1:11 PM |
| As long as you are satisfied with the wine and it's match to the food, they have done you no wrong. His job is to satisfy the customer as well as keep the place profitable. If he doesn't keep the place profitable, they will no longer be there.
My overall point is that if you don't go into a restaurant with an adversarial predisposition, you might a) be exposed to something different and unique and b) learn something from someone who is intimate with both the food and the winelist. A true sommelier is a professional who has taken the time to educate themselves about all facets of wine, with an emphasis on service. That is a useful resource to 95% of the public who doesn't obsess about wine. To those of us who do obsess, we can certainly learn something as well.
jb | | | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 12/12/2005 4:55 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
The last good experience I had was at Rubicon.
I, on the other hand use Rubicon as my example of how Somms can go bad.
Their state policy was (at the time) $25 per 750ml. OK, not cheap, but not insulting. I brought a mag for which they charged me $75. Huh? They said it was because it had an extra long cork. I shouldn't say who this is, but his name rhymes with Larry Stone. Then when I tried to talk to him about it, he was not available because we had not "ordered an expensive enough wine". We have not been back.
Aside from Richard Betts at The Little Nell in Aspen I think Larry Stone was the best experience I have ever had with a somm. Although I have only been there 3 times while he was on the floor. | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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SFbaybum
Monterey Bay, CA
Grape Sorter
Posts:251
| | 12/13/2005 10:23 PM |
| That's it; in reading this thread Bord_O has convinced me to hate all Sommelliers; in fact, if one even approaches my table in the future I'm going to kick has ass.  | | | |
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Winegeek
San Francisco
Grape Puncher
Posts:766
| | 12/13/2005 11:43 PM |
| Quote:
I, on the other hand use Rubicon as my example of how Somms can go bad.
The little Napoleon strikes again! I'm with you Bob, after two awful experiences I won't go back as long as he's there.
Richard | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/14/2005 2:53 AM |
| Quote:
That's it; in reading this thread Bord_O has convinced me to hate all Sommelliers; in fact, if one even approaches my table in the future I'm going to kick has ass.
Ah, a convert. You know I've never had a cross or impolite word with a somm. I just don't normally use their services, though I sometimes discuss wine with them and offer them a taste of our wine. | | | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 12/15/2005 6:41 AM |
| funny (kinda) sidenote
As a somm tonight I tried to prevent a divorce from happening.
long story short.
Tonight we had a tennis group of 21 wealthy ladies having a private party and they all brought wine as agreed upon before hand.
The ladies brought me all the bottles to open and have ready for service.
One lady in particular was waiting in line to get to me and she was holding 4 bottles of wine. I say to her "Good evening can I take those from you to open upon your needs" she says "Yes please do and just open them all and whatever we don't get to, please enjoy with your staff". She hands them to me, and what do I see? 90 Latour, 01 Pride Reserve Cab, 97 Harlan, and 95 Araujo. I proceeded to say "Wow, you have brought some nice treasures from your cellar" she then said. "My husband is away on business and I just wanted to pick out some of his wines that had pretty labels" I asked her if she knew exactly the calliber of wines she brought as others were bringing $25-$50 retail bottles. She said "My husband in the past assured me that we don't have any expensive wines in our cellar so I am not worried". I smiled and recommended that I decant all 4 immediately. What more could I say without calling attention to her in front of her girlfriends?
I hope she doesn't get a divorce over this.
BTW I am taking home a 1/2 bottle of 90 Latour, 1/4 bottle of 97 Harlan and a 3/4 bottle of Araujo. They just didn't have enough time to finish all 27 bottles they demanded to be opened plus 7 bottles of Champagne purchased off my list. Damn my job and these customers that don't respect my opinions  | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 12/15/2005 1:30 PM |
| Quote:
She said "My husband in the past assured me that we don't have any expensive wines in our cellar so I am not worried". I smiled and recommended that I decant all 4 immediately.
Hahahaha!!!! | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13627
| | 12/15/2005 2:57 PM |
| | Hey winebrat-dude, you tried your best! | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Lover
Posts:4982
| | 12/15/2005 3:04 PM |
| Hmmmm. P!$$ off wife by telling her that her husband is a liar and that he really has $500+ wines in the cellar.....
or.......
P!$$ off husband by draining a couple thousand dollars worth of wine that he lied about having in the first place.
Seems like a no-brainer. You did the right thing. If someone is going to blow their stack over the situation, it ought to be the person who lied in the first place. Maybe he was saving the expensive bottles for his mistress! | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10373
| | 12/15/2005 3:07 PM |
| | Winebrat - what a great story. LOL. | | | |
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jaimetown
DC area
Wine Bottler
Posts:3370
| | 12/15/2005 3:13 PM |
| Funny! | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12248
| | 12/15/2005 9:24 PM |
| Very funny story, winebrat. Yes, not exactly my approach to a successful marriage. But, looking @ a bigger picture, people lie about worse things in a marriage, no? Perhapes, this is just one thing he lied about. | | | |
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