Chef’s Roll and our sister network Somm’s List interviewed four sommeliers for our West Coast Somm Series. The series is presented by Chef & Sommelier, part of the Cardinal International family of brands.
Tami Wong was recently Manager and Sommelier at Top Chef Richard Blais’s Juniper & Ivy in San Diego, California and just took a new position as wine director at Mess Hall. She was named one of Wine & Spirit Magazine’s Best New Sommeliers of 2014.
Everyone has a story. Tell us how you knew you wanted to become a sommelier? What was your “light bulb” moment?
One night early in my tenure at 3rd Corner, I sat down with a crate of white Burgundies, a tasting grid, an atlas and a spit bucket and I haven’t been interested in much else since. All the wines were the same grape (OMG, THIS is how chardonnay tastes?) from the same small area of the world yet they were all different.
You ran the wine program at Top Chef Richard Blais’ flagship restaurant – tell us about the wine program you put together to go with his cuisine.
Juniper and Ivy features Left Coast Cookery so it is produce and seafood centered. We source as local as possible and I do the same with the wine list as much as possible, but I do get to play with the whole world of wine. I have a little bit of everything. I lean toward classic producers of classic wines from classic areas. As it turns out, I have a thing for Eastern Europe, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and these wines are great for us because they tend to be lighter bodied and not show much oak. The core wines tend to be lighter bodied with higher acidity and minerality to underline the food, not overwhelm it.
Did you have a hand in selecting the glassware when Juniper & Ivy opened? What qualities do you look for in stemware?
I did not get to choose the stemware, but next time I have the opportunity, I would look for something as durable as it is beautiful and functional.
The high shoulders of the Chef & Sommelier Arom’Up stemware were designed to help fruity red and white varietals shine – great for the rose wine revolution we are seeing more on menu’s today. What are some of your favorite roses and what do you like to pair them with?
My favorites this year include the J Brix Nomine Amoris, which is a ramato style pinot grigio grown in Santa Barbara but made in Escondido and the Schloss Gobelsburg rosé of zweigelt which is Austrian. The beauty of rosé is how versatile it can be at the table. These wines pair with 80% of our menu.
How did you meet famed Chef Richard Blais and become his wine director?
I did not meet Chef Blais until after I was already hired. My GM Dan Pena interviewed every single wine person available in San Diego and he liked the way I speak about wine the most. At first I kept a respectful distance from Chef Blais as I didn’t know what to expect so he thought I was this formal person. I do still refer to him as Chef. He is really down to earth and encourages me to “do that Tami Wong thing that you do”.
We heard you got to pour for Emeril Legasse at Juniper & Ivy, tell us more about that experience and any other “celeb” guests.
One night Tom Colicchio and Emeril dined here and Chef Blais told me that Emeril loves chardonnay, but that he didn’t know if he preferred New World or Old World – so I opened the Littorai Mays Canyon for him. He was so nice! He asked my name, shook my hand and told me he loves wine people. Another time, when their show was at the Old Globe, Edie Brickell and Steve Martin ate here multiple times, once with Paul Simon! That was a thrill for all of us, we had to work hard to be cool and not make a big deal out of it.
Tell us your strategy for doing the wine pairing for Juniper & Ivy’s weekly Chef’s Tasting Menu.
I favor the like with like strategy, where I match textures. I like wine to be like the squeeze of lemon that lifts the dish. The food is the star.
You are very involved in the wine education and mentoring scene – tell us about that?
I remember when I just started and how many people nurtured me and I love being able to pass that forward. It is so rewarding to watch people taking an interest and to see when something clicks for them. I teach a wine class for my staff every week featuring new additions to the list. Some of the most fun are the field trips I’ve been able to take them on, like when we visited J Brix in Escondido, Vinavanti Winery and Truly Fine wines.
What wine industry publications do you read?
I get hard copies of Somm Journal, Tasting Panel and Wine & Spirits. I frequently reference Decanter and Berry Brothers & Rudd.
If you could get your hands on any bottle of wine in the world, what would it be?
1971 Salon. Birth year blanc de blancs!
Do you have one tip to help select a better bottle of wine?
Know what you like and figure out how to describe it to your friendly wine professional, whether in a restaurant or a shop. We want you to be happy!
Learn more about Sommelier Tami Wong on her Somm’s List profile HERE.
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If you are interested in Chef & Sommelier stemware, contact cardinalsales@arc-intl.com or call 973-628-0900.
