Three Questions with Our Mentors
with Lucy Anderle
Alicia Towns Franken
Tonya Pitts
Gary Obligacion
Priyanka French
We at Wine Unify have the privilege of working with mentors so impressive, so diverse, and so experienced that it’s hard not to pepper them with questions all day long. Four of our mentors — Tonya Pitts, Gary Obligacion, Alicia Towns Franken, and Priyanka French — took the time to answer a few of our most pressing queries about the world of wine, blind tasting, food pairing, and the role of the sommelier. Here are their answers below:
What is your favorite food & wine pairing and why?
Gary Obligacion: Favorite is probably steak with Puligny-Montrachet (white, not red). It's a somewhat uncommon pairing, but I love how the wine brightens and cuts through the rich flavors.
Most memorable pairing would be torchon of foie gras served with poached Seckel pear and aged Balsamic vinegar at The French Laundry (somewhere around 1999) paired with Mantlerhof Roter Veltliner Beerenauslese. It was a transcendent moment for me in how perfect a pairing could possibly be.
Priyanka French: Bone Dry Riesling and Tandoori chicken. For me, this pairing was the first time I realized the sync between my [Indian] heritage and the career I chose. The linear acidity in Riesling cuts through the fattier yogurt marinade with the lemon, lime flavors complementing the spices very well. Traditionally you would squeeze a piece of lemon/lime on the chicken before eating it. The petrol based flavors found in traditional Rieslings complement the more charred, grill flavors of the chicken. All in all, meant to be.
Alicia Towns Franken: Bubbles and French Fries — the acidity and bubbles in the wine cut right through the salt and oil in the fries, making you want more fries, then more Champagne, then more fries, then more Champagne, then…
Tonya Pitts: Alaskan halibut with a red wine mourot sauce, potato leek gratin paired with Skipstone Faultline Cabernet Franc, Sonoma 2009. It was my ‘aha’ moment, I realized I could push the envelope with fish and red wine pairings. I didn't have to play it safe. By breaking down the components of the dish, I can create my wine pairing. The more challenging the wine, the more inventive I can become. Ultimately, I am helping to create the dish based upon the wine. In this instance, the creaminess of the fish, the fat, acid, butter in the gratin, the richness of the red wine sauce helped to balance the mineral, tannin and fruit in the wine. It was a perfect match … an unusual and daring pairing; it was the gateway for my countless Bordeaux dinners.
What is a 'sommelier' to you? What does the role embody?
Gary Obligacion: The sommelier needs to be the best "captain" on the floor. The sommelier needs to be knowledgeable about every ingredient in the food, every mark for every course, every second of timing/pacing for the diners/kitchen/floor, and be an expert on wine. Being adept at only the beverage component is a disservice to the overall guest experience. Every detail is important. The wine or the pairing can be perfect, but if any of the other elements is off or even missing entirely, the wine gets forgotten and the great tidbit that the Sommelier knows or tries to share no longer matters.
I would add that the best sommeliers are teachers, students, hosts, bussers, food runners, confidants, guides, concierge, and tour guides...sometimes all at the same table. The balancing act of utilizing all the skills is what is most important. What is the benefit of knowledge if you're not able to share it?
Priyanka French: A sommelier for me is a person of connection. They are the translators if you will, between the myriad wines, regions, and producers for the consumer. Wine can be daunting, and a good sommelier not only helps you learn about wine but also keeps you educated about the nuances that makes each wine unique. I find the most passionate sommeliers to be guiding forces for the industry — keeping the consumers abreast of trends, unique grape varieties, interesting producers and quality related aspects.
Alicia Towns Franken: A sommelier's goal in all of this is to help more people enjoy wine. A sommelier should enhance the customers experience and educate but also have fun.
Tonya Pitts: Essentially, I am the steward of the wine. I am knowledgeable on all aspects of beverages, food and I can hold a conversation on just about any subject. But, my overall job is to make sure my guests’ needs are met. I am the person that embodies hospitality no matter what role I play in any given situation. Unfortunately and fortunately, there are those of us who this spills over into regular life .... In other words, we are the ones you want as your wingman or woman socially. I am the ultimate host or social companion.
How do you feel about blind tasting and the role it plays practically for a wine professional?
Gary Obligacion: This one has been debated every which way. I'd say this. I appreciate the skill of blind tasting. I think it serves to hone the knowledge of a wine professional by focusing on individual traits in a wine well beyond sight, smell, and taste. The funnel system that I learned from the Court of Master Sommeliers in the 1990's gave way to the tasting grid. That grid in turn has been refined over the years to its current iteration. Blind tasting is a great learning tool for people of all levels, but it is just that — a single tool.
Priyanka French: I think blind tasting is incredibly important. As you learn to taste wines, we unconsciously create biases in our mind about wines based on varieties, regions, vintages and producers. When you taste blind, you don't have any of those hints or supporting information and you learn so much more about your ability to recognize and describe nuances. With winemaking, I find it to be such a valuable tool when assessing across trials or cooperages. I love it when I am surprised by the reveal — keeps you humble!
Alicia Towns Franken: Evaluating a wine objectively without unconscious bias can be a great way to hone tasting skills, but sometimes you're just (un)lucky.
Tonya Pitts: I like blind tasting. It is an analytical process to me. It makes me think about the nature of the liquid that is in the glass. What is it composed of, where did it come from and I can be transported to that specific place at the moment. The same can be said of a wine memory for me as well. As a wine professional, it hones your skill for wine flaws, varietal identification, age and site placement. I think it gives you a better understanding and love for the liquid, we call wine.