Reds Sommelier Part 3

Female: So Taylor, obviously there’s a lot that goes on wine and food wines that you and Michael the chef work, you know work hand and hand din developing that Reds program? Taylor: Yeah, well, well absolutely. When I started here, I was definitely about local working with; working with Mike Stay has gotten me a lot more into the local, the minimizing of corporate footprints and beginning of sustainable foods from Niagara. So, inspired by his decision to get all these foods from Niagara, I have also moved to get a lot more wine from Niagara. Food friendly wines too that I could bring in and then pair off with the food and it’s great to build the master flavor profiles as well as make a regional pairing and try those really, really moving and striving make a better, better local foods and better local wines. So we will offer that as a regional pairing and so other foods really work with the wine. Kind of gives it an old world touch, kind of like an Italian or French some things. Female: Yeah, I know it’s a great sort of authentic feel to it. Taylor: Yeah. Female: Very authentic. So obviously you’ve chosen the wine list? Do you have some favorites, I mean do you like bringing something with the wine and feel like, Oh I love this wine, I’m going to bring in with the wine list, or you know how do design your wine list t especially here at Reds? Taylor: There’s definitely favorites, there’s actually wines that you wait many, many months for that to arrive and you never know whether they gone get here and it’s like Christmas when I finally do. But what I like the most, let’s say if there’s an individual thing that I like the most about the list is the variety. It’s that I can bring in so many, so many different wines, so there many different wines by the class and it’s really, it’s really hard to pick a favorite wine on the list, you know how are you going to pick one on your favorite taste. So to me it’s just being able to offer the most variety. It gives myself and gives an interest to the staff and the customers like that’s my favorite thing. Female: So in you’re off time when you drink. Taylor: A lot of a time Female: Yeah, you’re an Italian guy. Taylor: I really find it that they’re food friendly and I find it when I’m on my own, there’s a lot of, a lot of meats and cheeses around. Much like to have. Female: Much like you ever like it? So specifically, ho do you and Michael work together in you know co-developing a program? Taylor: Well, let’s say there’s nothing word of stand working with a chef that has you on the fly, wanted to make a pairing for a dish on the spot. Chef Michael will always give you the dishes a few weeks in advance, let me taste them, tell me what they’re about answering the questions that I have so that I can make the perfect pairing. A lot of pairings as far as to as meat come down to trial and error. There are certain things that you don’t understand about the dish. Although these wines may seem perfect they may not work for certain reason. So for him to offer me the dish and for me to try the wines in advance before anybody else has tried it at least I know that they’re going to be good. Female: Right. Taylor: At least the few people have tried of it you know that they’re going to be good. For example, we have a dish the. Now the andore will serve with the match that they already know beyond with the masepadino, the Avelino from company on Italy. So the chef, Female: That’s an awful Taylor: Yeah Female: That’s a whole meal full. Taylor: That’s right. Female: Man, you going to learn to speak Italian so you’ll learn about these Italian wines. Taylor: It’s a fiano. Female: Yeah. Taylor: That’s so great. And it’s from companion which is a bit a colsolary in Italy. So naturally, you want to pair of seafood which should be the food that they have most often there. Different components of the dish is as all rice, when we try to pair of it, I said fiano is always the fiano about and I say well, there’s a little bit of toastiness there from age list. That wine is on, it’s just toasted, and has a little toasted kanoa. I said perfect. And it does low it all since this wine about as a little wine is really, really about seafood. So, more sea foods, so it’s got the Jandore and it adds luster to the dish. Female: Wow! Taylor: What else? I say we’ll like it a little bit of almonds, so we’ve got an all them the most vacation on the dish now. Female: Wow. Taylor: So there’s that may need from components that work on the dish and had a cluster of wine and mid of a night lake. I’ve never had this wine before. Why is that works so well to this dish and it’s trial and error and communication. Female: Well that’s the biggest thing too, from back of house— Taylor: Yeah Female: Because that match is really important when it comes on the true experience. Taylor: Absolutely. Female: Yeah. Taylor: Absolutely and every now and then you just try out one with a food and you’re like presso that you didn’t even know that’s a going to be a great pairings. Female: Nice. I know there’s a lots of food and wine pairings and its sort of a whole world of wine food and a whole world of wine really in a whole world of food that were just really getting into before really serve and a tune of what they’re drinking and what they’re eating, but are putting inside their bodies. So I mean I can imagine it’s a, it’s quite a job. Taylor: Yeah, well it’s probably the finest job in the world, because there’s no real wrong answer. Female: Yeah. Taylor: There’s a Female: And you get to eat and drink really Taylor: Yeah. Because there’s a ton of opinions fine or out Female: Yeah. Taylor: But it’s every is palate is different but we’ve got made different things to offer for every different palates. You really can’t go wrong, Female: So really just come down to coming down the Reds grabbing a nice cater platter, nice big sharable platter and you got the seafood platter as well. Taylor: Yeah. Female: sharing you know, few bottles of wines with some friends and just really enjoying the experience. I know Michael Taylor: Yeah. Female: Is saying one of his influence is he really enjoys dishes that are available to share. So that’s simply one of the recommendations if you do come to Reds is coming down with a few friends and really enjoy the whole wine and food experience, because that’s what you’re here for. All right? Taylor: Yeah. If there’s a conversation piece. Female: Exactly. Taylor: The wines or a conversation piece, because you never be afraid to ask questions, because there’s a million wines out there, also got a lot to learn. So I’m never afraid to ask questions. Female: Great, thanks Taylor. Taylor: My pleasure.