April/May 2018 61
MASTERS
of theGRAPE
Tips on POURING and PAIRING from
South Bay’s TOP SOMMELIERS. BY L.M. ARCHER
They can open a bottle with the flick of a wrist;
they can pick up the subtle forest floor and cranberry
notes of a Russian River pinot noir, make
an informed guess about the time it spent in new
French white oak barrels, and then pour it with
authority. Sommeliers, those professional, passionate
wine experts found in every fine dining establishment,
are a breed apart. In the foodie-centric
Bay Area, they can be as celebrated for their reservoir
of knowledge and skills as a masterful chef.
