Saturday 2 p.m.
ring ring ring...
"Good day sir," Timothy answered.
"Is a manager there?" asked the caller.
"Timothy speaking, (sommelier) may I help you?"
"Do you have Silver Oak on your list?" said the gentleman.
"No—but we have many great California Cabernets...Diamond Creek...Bryant Family...Grgich...Duckhorn," Timothy said politely.
"Whoever is doing your wine buyin' doesn't know what they're doing—I'm from the Bay Area," claimed the client.
"Good day sir," Timothy responds placing the receiver down.
ring ring ring...
"Good day sir," Timothy answered.
"Is a manager there?" asked the caller.
"Timothy speaking, (sommelier) may I help you?"
"Do you have Silver Oak on your list?" said the gentleman.
"No—but we have many great California Cabernets...Diamond Creek...Bryant Family...Grgich...Duckhorn," Timothy said politely.
"Whoever is doing your wine buyin' doesn't know what they're doing—I'm from the Bay Area," claimed the client.
"Good day sir," Timothy responds placing the receiver down.
When I reflect on this conversation I will always find it quite amusing. I am always diplomatic when it comes to wine, but off the record, Silver Oak's inside joke is to call it Silver Joke. It's not that it's a bad wine, but the people that drink it tend to put the snobbery into wine. There's always diners that want to impress their guests and show off how much they know about wine. They want to try and stump the sommelier by chatting about the review and score they just read about in the Wine Spectator or Robert Parker. It's always a little strange and awkward when a client is trying to tell you about all the great local pinot noir he recently drank while vacationing in Bordeaux.
Honestly, I constantly read reviews , but I really don't care about scores and numbers. I am not a critic. I am a service professional trained to objectively assess wine and serve wine warranting a client's preferences. Wine doesn't have to cost a lot of money to be good. I would rather serve a complex, obscure, food-friendly $50 bottle then a $500 bottle that is overpriced, high in alcohol, and one-dimensional. Wine doesn't have to be expensive or have a high score to be great!
Honestly, I constantly read reviews , but I really don't care about scores and numbers. I am not a critic. I am a service professional trained to objectively assess wine and serve wine warranting a client's preferences. Wine doesn't have to cost a lot of money to be good. I would rather serve a complex, obscure, food-friendly $50 bottle then a $500 bottle that is overpriced, high in alcohol, and one-dimensional. Wine doesn't have to be expensive or have a high score to be great!
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