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.
Victoria Young is Sommelier at Addison, Southern California’s most acclaimed fine dining restaurant, helmed by Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef William Bradley.
Everyone has a story. Tell us how you knew you wanted to become a sommelier? What was your “light bulb” moment?
My light bulb moment was more of a slow turn of a dimmer switch into full blast. Four years ago, brand new to San Diego, I made a promise in a job interview to learn everything I could about wine so as to fulfill the basic needs for a serving position. After offered the job, I buried myself in books, chasing after the knowledge I didn’t yet have, and found the subject of wine completely engrossing and the adventure has continued ever since.
You help run the wine program at one of southern California’s most celebrated restaurants – tell us about the wine program and some of the highlights of the cellar.
As someone who loves wine, it’s a dream to work with such an incredible cellar. We feature over 3000 selections on our wine list with an emphasis on Burgundian wines. Some highlights include our collection of First Growth Bordeaux as well as a range of vintage Madeira dating back as early as 1880.
When serving some of the finest wine, how important is the glass and the presentation? What qualities do you look for in stemware?
When pouring wine into glassware that is not only the appropriate style but also perfectly clear, it’s just an incredible feeling. Before you even taste the wine, you can already appreciate its beauty.
Chef & Sommelier’s Cabernet Stemware is known for its clarity. How important is clarity to a sommelier?
Clarity is undoubtedly important as it is required to showcase a wine’s true attributes.
How did you become the head floor sommelier at acclaimed Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef William Bradley’s restaurant?
Lots and lots of hard work. The standards at Addison are kept at an extremely high level and, as both a backwaiter and bartender, I honed my abilities at the restaurant while developing my wine knowledge and palate in my spare time.
Chef Bradley is constantly innovating and creating new dishes, tell us about your interaction with him and how you do your wine pairings?
We keep an ongoing conversation with the chefs, especially with the introduction of new elements or concepts. Menu changes reflect a shifting in seasonality, often with an emphasis on luxurious ingredients. We build the wine progression around the creativity of the kitchen utilizing a range of classic and playful pairings. The challenge evolves nightly.
Do you get to taste every dish?
Yes and no. We have the opportunity to try new sauces and individual components that contribute to the main flavors of a dish, but a single dish can see minor alterations throughout the course of a night. Sometimes entire menus are sometimes built to accommodate dietary needs. Keeping pace would be quite a feat.
Chefs nowadays have to accommodate for last minute dish changes due to allergies and sensitivities – how does that affect wine pairings?
Wine pairings are decided daily but always remain flexible. Last minute changes are a regular feature of the job and we are always ready with different wines to suit a completely revamped menu. We are also able to accommodate wine preferences, though we do cherish the opportunity to pour our guests something they may never try on their own.
Working at such a prestigious restaurant you must get to uncork some pretty special bottles – can you tell us about some memorable ones?
The first bottle of 1982 Château Mouton-Rothschild I ever opened was a momentous occasion as it was not only drinking fantastically, but it was the first extremely delicate and valuable bottle I was to open and decant without guidance.
We hear you are pursuing level 3 Court of Master Sommelier credentials? What is the process and how do you prepare?
In a restaurant like Addison, so much can be gained from simply paying attention. By reading bottles, combing through the wine list, organizing the cellar, and tasting mindfully, all the small interactions with wine can add up to an education of its own. Daily study is irreplaceable and flashcards are everywhere. Just everywhere.
What wine industry publications do you read?
I most often venture through the articles of the Guild of Sommeliers and Burgundy-Report. I am also quite fond of the blog Matching Food & Wine as a pairing resource and regularly tune into the education-based podcast Wine for Sophisticated Homies for comic relief.
If you could get your hands on any bottle of wine in the world, what would it be?
I’d love to become friends with a bottle of Pétrus.
Do you have one tip to help select a better bottle of wine?
Keep an open mind and try wine you might be unfamiliar with (with the guidance of a sommelier, if need be). There are so many styles of wine in the world, there’s a good chance you will find new favorites if you allow for the opportunity.
Learn more about Sommelier Victoria Young on her Somm’s List profile HERE.
Are you a Sommelier, Winemaker, Winery Owner or other Wine Industry Professional? Join & be featured on our wine network HERE.
Are you a Chef, Culinary Photographer, Food Stylist, Food Blogger, Farmer, or other Culinary Professional? Join & be featured on our culinary network HERE.
If you are interested in Chef & Sommelier stemware, contact cardinalsales@arc-intl.com or call 973-628-0900.
