In Focus The Master Sommelier
Meet the
expert Master sommelier Matthieu Longuère is a man who knows his wine. An accomplished career which includes being head sommelier at Michelin-star La Trompette, along with being named Best Sommelier UK, Matthieu is now wine development manager at the acclaimed Le Cordon Bleu London. What Matthieu doesn’t know about wine is not worth knowing. HoReCa talks to him about the real importance of glassware when it comes to wine… “Glassware is very important because it is part of what is on display for the customer to see when entering a restaurant, or standing in front of a bar counter. It will have a subconscious impact on the customer’s mood. It can enhance the customer experience. It can help justifying the mark up charged by the restaurant on wine. In my opinion, a wine glass should be quite thin/fine without compromising on the strength. In most restaurants, the glass washing machine is located behind the bar and therefore, there is a constraint in space for cleaning, polishing and storage. The glass should be between 250ml and 450ml maximum. The 600ml and above glasses are alright
for home as the consumer pours his own but in a restaurant, a normal size pour of 125ml looks very small – even mean – in a glass that big. For practical reasons, glasses that fit in 25 or 16 glass size racks are best, when you can only fit nine glasses at a time in a glass washer, you need more space. The finer and larger glasses are often so fragile than you need a Reverse Osmosis glasswasher and that adds to cost. With the sky rocketing costs of running a restaurant, this is something to take into consideration. Some venues need to renew their whole stock of glasses every year due to breakage! Handmade or manufactured glass does not always make a difference, The main difference is, again, financial. I first
Riedel
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There are only 262 master sommeliers in the world. 22 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL: HoReCa
look at the thickness of the glass and the way the different parts are joined. Some manufactured glasses look very clumsy, some you would not. In terms of working with sommeliers, I think glassware manufacturers are already working with a lot – but mostly to use the reputation of the sommelier to sell glasses to the public, not to wine professionals. The main concern seems to be mostly cosmetic but I would love the focus shifting to an equally practical aspect, without, of course, compromising the quality. Having said that some manufacturers do that very well. Lehmann in Champagne comes to mind. When it comes to the shape of the
Nude glass we use, it does have an impact on the flavour profile of the wine. Having said that, the tulip shape is more universal and will not make a wine taste worse. A globe shape would enhance the perception of
harsh tannins in a red wine and of acidity in white. The tulip shape works for tannic red wines – Bordeaux, Sangiovese, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah as well as acidic, fresh and aromatic whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, and Riesling or Pinot Grigio. The globe shape works for fragrant, high acidity or low tannins red wines – Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Nebbiolo. It also works for full bodied or oaky white wines such as White Burgundy, Chardonnay, Viognier. The size of the glass also plays some importance, mostly as a temperature and aroma enhancer. The bigger the glass, the quicker the wine will warm up. If the temperature is not an issue, having a lot of air inside the glass will enhance the perception of the aromas. Lehmann is one of my favoured glassware suppliers because they cover different styles and price points. But a lot of manufacturers make great glasses – Riedel, Zalto, Nude, Spiegelau, Schott Zwiesel, Richard Brandon. In terms of the best regions for wines at the moment – there are great wines produced everywhere. If I had to select I’d say Portugal and Greece are both countries that always over deliver in term of structure and freshness even when the wine is over 14% Abv. When it comes to choosing my own favourite wine – that is tricky! – but probably Vintage Madeira, Hunter Valley Semillon or Dry Amontillado Sherry.