Name: Mr. Mark DeWolf -
Nationality: Canadian –
At the moment: Canada -
When a customer asks for advice on selecting wine what, in your opinion, would be the best approach?
The best approach is understanding the customer’s preferences first. I think our job as wine professionals is not to dictate, nor to place our preferences upon them, but help the guest discover the style of wine they will enjoy. If, in the process, we open their eyes to a new varietal, or region, and help them on a journey of new discoveries, all the better.
What is your philosophy about glasses? Are you working with well-known brands or are you considering new brands as well? How do you decide?
Function over brand for me. I don’t live in world where I can justify spending exorbitant amounts on glassware. I need to rely on the basic principles of having a nice stem that can be easily held, a decent sized bowl, and an appropriate shape. For all round usage, Riedel’s Overture White Wine glass works very well. Particularly, in my case, as my sommelier work is almost exclusively tasting events. I host bi-monthly events for 24 people, in which I am host, sommelier and chef. As you can image, I need reliability, efficiency, functionality and cost effectiveness. When pouring only a couple ounces at a time it is perfect. Schott Zwiesel’s entry level Riesling glass, is a similar size and has nicely tapered shaped. Again, ideal for doing pairing menus. From a pure functionality of what I do, these glasses work well. Of course, I have some nicer glasses at home for those special bottles.
What advice would you give people on pairing wine with food?
Think with your heart, not just your head. Both food and wine illicit emotions. While there are guiding principles in terms of balancing weight and structure of food and wine that should be followed, remember to think also about how the food makes you feel and find a wine that matches the emotion. A deep, rich, earthy stew might conjure memories of cozy nights at home on a cold winter’s eve. What would you want to drink then? That invariably will make, a good pairing. On the contrary a dish featuring fresh vegetables or shellfish, for example, makes me think of summers at the beach, or a picnic at an oceanside cottage. I am likely to present a coastal white with some saline-like characteristics reminiscent of sea spray.
Should a Sommelier(e) taste the guest’s wine?
A sommelier should nose a wine to ensure it is not corked or oxidized, for example. If the sommelier after that isn’t sure of the condition, then they can ask the host if they would like them to taste given the uncertainty. In my case as I do only pairing menus, we taste before the guests arrive, so I am fortunate that way. Of course, if competing in a sommelier competition be sure to read their rules of service first, and follow what they say.
What are the key ingredients for creating a wine list for a restaurant and what is your opinion on pricing wine in restaurants, do you have tips on how to determine markups?
A wine list should serve the customers needs first, not the sommelier’s taste. By serving the customers needs, you are already one step further along in terms of serving the other most important customer, who is the owner of the restaurant. Be sure to deliver wines that fit your menu and the price point of the guest. In terms of mark ups, I think there are number of strategies that work, but ultimately be fair to the customer, be fair to the owner. I believe there isn’t an industry standard markup, nor should there be. It frustrates me when a casual restaurant does the same three times markup a fine dining restaurant does, despite not having a sommelier, decent glassware or trained servers. Wine should be thought of like food. Give the same steak to a line cook working off a griddle at a diner versus a well-trained chef at a steakhouse grilling their steak over wood fires or imported Japanese charcoal and the results are not the same. The diner should have a low markup and the fine dining much higher to reflect that restaurant’s investment in the overall experience.
How do you manage to stay on top of the changes in the wine industry?
By day I am Director, Editor of Food & Drink for various newspapers in Canada, and Content Manager, Editor of ASI Magazine. Luckily enough I get to interview amazing people all the time. This, in itself, helps me stay in tune. Although, without that, it would be difficult as I live in a region, Nova Scotia, that although it has a small wine industry, is on the periphery of the wine, sommelier world.
How would a new vineyard get its wine noticed and what is the best way for producers to improve their chances of being listed?
Focus on quality. Produce wine that is appropriate to your place, regardless of global trends. Believe in, always nurture, and don’t veer away from your core values…and hire a good label designer.
If you were a wine, which variety would you be, and why?
Perhaps Barbaresco. I am by nature an introvert, which surprises a lot of people, because I invariably talk in front people all the time, whether at one of my private events, or in a lecture hall. I try also to be a very nice, genuine and caring person. But I am also an entrepreneur and business owner, so when I need to be I can be a little ‘tannic’, so to speak, occasionally. Barbaresco is a wine that sometimes needs a little coaxing to reveal itself but when it does can be quite beautiful, opening and engaging. It also has enough underlying tannic structure to be balanced and overall, the wines are quite thought provoking.
Which top 3 types of wine (your faves would we find in your home wine collection and what’s your desert island wine?
Definitely some old Barolo from classic producers such as Giacomo Conterno, Mascarello, and those beautiful old Borgogno wines. Likewise, I always want to have some Brunello di Montalcino on hand. Too many great producers there to name just a couple. Finally, a plug for my region, Nova Scotia Traditional Method sparkling wine made by the likes of Benjamin Bridge, Lightfoot & Wolfville and L’Acadie Vineyards have a fountain of youth quality to them. Always nice to pull out an older version such as a 2004 Benjamin Bridge Brut Reserve and serve it to someone that has never had a Nova Scotia sparkling wine before. It’s fun to watch their amazement.
As far as a desert island wine. Assuming that desert island is somewhere warm and tropical, and if I am going to be there for a while, I will be cooking up fresh fish, hopefully with some fresh coconut and other tropical ingredients. In this case, the wine has to be white, and a white wine that I dream about, and always delivers for me is Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vielles Vignes.
Any interesting suggestions about magazines or online platforms?
There is an amazing one called ASI Magazine - www.asi.info/asi-mag/
Cheers Mark
Looking for a Sommelier job? Feel free and check out on this www.sommelier-jobs.com/sommelier-jobs/
Looking for the perfect wine list? Feel free to go to link
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