Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
16 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/2019 { bottom line } WHEN I WAS a young man and had never been kissed, I got to thinking about what I had missed. I've since found that the same sentiment happens to apply to my wine career. I was 18 when I began working as a busboy in a white-cloth steakhouse. Since waiters obviously made more money, I asked my general manager what I needed to do to ascend the ranks. He said I should work hard, of course, but he also advised me to learn the wine list, so I went out and bought a bottle of every selection we offered—roughly 100 alto - gether. I did the research, star ting a wine journal and label collection, and within six months I was able to turn in a detailed repor t. I got the promotion. By 21, I talked my way into a somme - lier position in a French restaurant, which served everything from Blue Nun to Lafite. I got into management and then a partner- ship, and after 28 years of walking floors and bussing tables, I finally transitioned to wine journalism, having never shed the habit of taking copious notes. After more than 40 years of work - ing in the industry full-time, the thing I'm still endlessly intrigued by is the simple fact that wine is an agricultural product prone to endless variations of seasons and weather events, as well as the endless ebb and flow of disease and insect pressures, droughts, floods, and the whims of indi - vidual growers. I moved out into a gigantic vineyard eight years ago, and I now know more than ever what was little more than a theory when I worked in restaurants: that the best wines are grown, not "made." They're never exactly the same from year to year or even bottle to bottle, and if they are, something's wrong. You're drinking, or serving, Stepford wines—no thanks! Of course, a growing segment of the wine-consuming public and the trade is also embracing this reality as words like "natural" and "raw" are increasingly bandied about. While it's been a long time coming, I just wished it happened 30 or 40 years ago, a time when I had to explain to countless guests why the wine they ordered didn't taste exactly the same as when they had it the year, or night, before. Imagine serving Domaine Tempier in the '80s or "Gang of Five" Beaujolais in the '90s: so wonderful with food and, like the thoughtfully conceived dishes of our finest chefs, so full of unexpected surprises. I used to exhort my staff to put a posi - tive spin on things by proclaiming, "Every bottle is an adventure!" This mantra was bolstered by a stringent policy: All returns were accepted, no questions asked, for satisfaction guaranteed. So, what's our Bottom Line message here at the start of 2019? It's simple: Stick to your guns, especially if you are traffick - ing in more authentic styles of wine grown and crafted with minimal intervention and compelling artistry. Not everyone may understand that, but if you know in your heart that you're delivering wines that are best for your guests, best for your dishes, and best for your restaurant's long-terms goals, then put a crafty spin on it and double down. Every bottle, after all, should be an adventure. RANDY CAPAROSO OFFERS SOME ADVICE FOR THE COMING NEW YEAR Do the Right Thing PHOTO: PHB.CZ VIA ADOBE STOCK A vineyard in Chénas, Beaujolais.