Sommelier Julee Resendez
|
An Interview with Sommelier
Julee Resendez
By Jim Clarke
Jim Clarke:
What did you learn about wine working in your grandparents’
vineyards?
Julee Resendez: Every
summer I was shipped off to help work in the vineyards,
and the whole family would gather for the harvest. So I
really saw how grapes are grown and how they respond to
the soil and environment. My father was a chef, so the rest
of the year, when I wasn’t in the vineyards, I was
often helping him in the kitchen. That taught me about food.
JC: What brought you back
to wine after your time managing restaurants?
JR: I was always interested
in the wine side, but it took a long time before I thought
I was ready. I had to learn first. I had great support from
my mentors; people like Jean-Luc de Du, Dominique Simon,
and Tim Atkins all really encouraged me. After tasting a
lot I finally got serious and read everything I could get
my hands on. Traveling is also important – getting
your hands in the dirt, looking around, and seeing what
the vineyards look like. If olive trees are growing down
the street, that means something about the climate and the
vines. The education part was so much fun, and finally I
felt confident enough to really do it.
JC: The restaurant Colors
had an international menu, with dishes from all over the
world; how did that come through when creating the wine
list?
JR: Colors was a chance
to create something all my own, but at the same time they
had a certain environment they were aiming for. The list
is very international, to go with their theme; I couldn’t
find any worthwhile Chinese wines, for example, but almost
everywhere is represented, within reason. The Italian section
is a bit larger, mainly because the investors are Italian.
JC: On the other hand,
Aquavit has a very specific, Scandinavian focus;
what wines did you find to work best with that menu?
JR: German Rieslings,
absolutely – we had so many of them. They pickle and
brine everything. Beer also worked well – a chocolaty
Porter, for example, and we did some good Sherry pairings.
You had to go outside the normal stuff. And if people wanted
to try something unusual, we were glad to open it; we didn’t
worry about spoilage.
JC: You formed the Vino
Vixens last year, a group for female sommeliers; what sort
of things does the group do?
JR: Originally we were
thinking of getting a tasting group together. Every week
we do a different format, but we always touch on history,
winemaking procedures, and tasting. It’s 11 girls
now, and we try to nurture the person and not just the wine
knowledge. We hope to expand it – to bring more wine
awareness to girls in college, for example. Also for networking
– if someone’s specializing in Italy, then we
can refer her when that’s called for, and so on.
JC: You’re consulting
now, helping various restaurants develop their wine programs;
do you miss being on the floor?
JR: Yes. I like the excitement
of a busy shift; it’s like stepping into a hurricane.
Hopefully you become the eye of the storm; you look at the
room and read it, and know what the guests need before they
even become aware of it.
JC: I understand you’re
working on a book about wine and its history; what is its
emphasis?
JR: It’s a wine
education book – the story of wine. I want it to be
something you can both dive into and read end-to-end and
refer to when you need certain information.
