Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine...
Growing up in Austria, I was never exposed to wine as my parents never drank it and as a young adult I have never been introduced to wine. The first moment of being interested in wine was when I started at a restaurant in Belfast in 2013. I have made the decision to transition from working in tech to working in hospitality. During my first weeks I was introduced to many wines and the first wine that stuck with me and that I have liked most was a white wine from Rully (from Burgundy’s Côte Chalonnaise). At that time I was 27 and couldn’t believe how I have never tried anything like that. Better late than never!
Tell us about your wine list at The Raby Hunt
The wine list is quite diverse in terms of styles and varieties although I would have to admit it is Old World heavy. The focus is on white wines as we serve only one menu and it is quite fish and seafood heavy. My list is ever growing as I took over last year the list with 90 labels. We are currently at around 250 different labels and my aim is to have around 500.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Luckily I haven’t had any major wine-related disasters yet. The closest thing to a disaster was when I was talking with a guest a lot about Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume and New Zealand. They eventually went for one from Styria, Austria. At that time I also had a Pouilly-Fume available by the glass that was in the ice bucket and when I went to top up the guest, I looked at the wine but did not notice after talking so much with this guest about Sauvignon Blanc that I took the Pouilly-Fume with me. I only realised while I was pouring that this was the wrong bottle. I apologised and the guests laughed it off and said I did nothing wrong because I was still giving them Sauvignon Blanc. They took it with humour which helped for me not to get too mad at myself.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
I always admired the list by Pascaline Lepeltier when she was at Racines NYC and I can’t wait to see what she will do at her new place in New York (Chambers). Apart from that, I have always been in awe of the list of Geranium in Copenhagen and I love going to Noble Rot’s original restaurant on Lamb’s Conduit where my friend Bronte always is looking after me with as some special older vintage wines by the glass and tricky blind tasting wines.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
I have the most respect for sommeliers that have been around for decades and keep on working in our profession and setting an example. People that come to mind are the legendary Serge Dubs, Aldo Sohm or Eric Zwiebel, I am sure I have missed out some other big names but I admire people that stick at it for so many years.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve ever come across?
I was fortunate enough to try the 1961 Château La Mission Haut-Brion on two separate occasions and this wine was both times tremendous. It is also my mother’s birth year and maybe I have a little emotional connection to that wine and year because of that.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Fruity, funky and grassy.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment (and why)…
It is definitely a magnum bottle by Domaine Belargus Anjou Noir (see favourite producer question).
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
I would have to go classic on this since I am from Vienna: wiener schnitzel with potato salad paired with a Grüner Veltliner.
Old World or New World?
I would definitely lean towards the Old World although a 1974 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon (from Napa Valley) blew me away a couple of months ago.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
Wine lists that are full of spelling mistakes and that have no vintage information are high on my list.
Who is your favourite producer at the moment and why?
Domaine Belargus from Layon in Anjou, Loire Valley. This winery is a fairly new project that focuses only on Chenin Blanc and is producing some incredible stuff at a still very affordable price. I have a few different wines listed from them as I see them exploding in the wine world soon. The owner Ivan Massonat also co-owns Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy while the head winemaker Adrien Moreau used to work for Roederer, Cheval Blanc and Haut Brion. You can tell, there is a lot of quality behind this project.
As a head sommelier, what question do you most get asked by customers?
The typical questions most sommeliers get asked: What is your favourite wine? I usually answer on how I currently feel so at least I can give different answers as I do not have one favourite wine.
Which wine producing region/country is currently underrated at the moment?
I feel wines from islands -such as Sicily, Santorini, Tenerife, Corsica and Tasmania - are flying a little bit under the radar as the quality and price point is very good.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
If it’s my last meal I would go out with a bottle of Champagne! In that case I would go for my favourite Champagne house Billecart-Salmon and would have a bottle of Nicolas François Billecart-Salmon from 1986, which is my own vintage.