Brian Goes to School

ONE OF THE things that I like about my profession is that I'm always afforded the opportunity to learn new things. In the restaurant business, knowledge is the key to becoming better at what you do for a living. Last week, I attended the first ever class at the Phil Pratt School of Wine held at the Williamsburg Winery. Don't be alarmed if you've never heard of it. It's not listed on U. S. News & World Report's list of hidden gems yet.

The Phil Pratt School of Wine is a partnership forged between the Williamsburg Winery and 21, a super-posh restaurant located on West 52nd Street in New York City. Those familiar with the television program Cities of the Underground might recognize 21 as the famous Prohibition Speakeasy with the hidden underground wine-cellar cleverly concealed by a massive two-and-one-half ton door that appears to be a part of the wall.

The idea behind the wine school is to provide restaurant employees with the tools necessary to help the clientele at their respective establishments choose the right wine to pair with their meal. To do this, the instructors gave us an overview of the history of wine, an overview of how wine is made, and how to taste wine. We also received some valuable information on how to sell wine as well.

The class was led by two experts in their respective fields. Matt Meyer, winemaker at the Williamsburg Winery provided us with valuable information on how wine is made. He obtained his academic credentials from University of California at Davis. After receiving a double degree in Oenology and Viticulture with minors in Business and Marketing, Matt worked for Grgich Hills Wine Cellars in Napa Valley. He then received invaluable experience by working at Heitz Wine Cellars, also located in Napa Valley. Phil Pratt is the Sommelier and Wine Director at 21, the aforementioned super-posh restaurant located in New York City. He's a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and he has studied with the Institute of Masters of Wine and is also affiliated with the American Sommelier Association. He has years of experience in the restaurant business and has taught quite a few classes on wine-tasting and wine-selling.

I was among many local restaurant employees who attended the class. There were representatives from Second St., Randall's, Blue Talon Bistro, Fat Canary, The Trellis, Berrett's, River Walk, and many others. I am listing these restaurants so that you know where to go in order to see the results of our newly acquired wealth of wine knowledge.

The class started with a brief synopsis of the history of wine. Most don't know that wine has been a part of human history for over 8,000 years, which is about 2,500 years before the invention of writing. Obviously, we had our priorities in order. Throughout our history, evidence of the importance of wine in our many cultures abounds. Those familiar with modern labels on wine bottles will immediately recall that most of them include a vintage date. This custom actually dates back to the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Greek mythology tells many tales of the god of wine -- Dionysus, while the ruins of ancient Roman civilization reveals how much they enjoyed wine. The idea of an open-air wine bar is among several attributed to this once mighty nation. Wine was such an important part of the Germanic tribes everyday life, that they'd happily trade slaves to acquire wine. Science, religion, and even banking were influenced by man's enjoyment of this delicious beverage.

As we all know, wine is made from grapes. During our class, we learned that 85% of all wine-making takes place while the grapes are still on the vine. Once the grapes are picked, the wine-maker decides what types of yeast should be used in the fermentation process, how the juice from the grapes should be blended, and how they will be aged. Both white wines and red wines go through similar processes before they are bottled and sold. One of the things that I enjoyed about this part of the class was Matt Meyer's candid opinions on wine-making. He was taught to make wine using traditional methods. He doesn't believe in using technology as a crutch. He uses it to validate proven hands-on techniques. For example, he once told me a story involving temperature gauges on the steel tanks used to age wine. After reading the gauges, he touched the tanks only to discover that one of them was much hotter than the temperature that appeared on the gauge. He checked the tank only to find that the gauge was malfunctioning. Had he not done this additional test, he would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars of wine.

After a break, Phil Pratt guided us through some techniques to help us become better wine salesmen. This involved learning how to pair wine with food and how to guide a guest through the wine list to help them choose the best wine to enjoy with their meal. Afterwards, we did a few role-playing scenarios in which we had the chance to practice what we learned. Here at Hey Bartender, we do not enjoy role-playing. We do not enjoy performing in front of large groups and speaking into microphones. Sadly, no one got the memo, so I was the first ever role-playing guinea pig at the Phil Pratt School of Wine. I did not like it, but I did well. The make-believe restaurant guests presented me with several obstacles, but I scaled them with ease. I even scored well when critiqued later by Mr. Pratt himself. In the end, it was fun, but I hope that I never have to do that again.

We ended the day with a wine-tasting. This gave us a chance to learn how to evaluate wines. We were given forms that allowed us to rate color, taste, aroma, etc. The best way to recommend wines is have knowledge about such details. The best way to get those details is to open the bottle and sample the wine. We did this with pleasure.

So, there you have it -- the Phil Pratt School of Wine uncorked. This was probably the best classroom experience that I've ever had with respect to the restaurant business. It exposed me to knowledge, ideas, and techniques that I was familiar with, but hadn't formulated in the manner in which it was presented during the class. It was also great to be able to exchange ideas with people in the business and meet new people with similar interest and to see old friends who I hadn't seen in a while. I hope to be able to attend future editions of wine school. I'd like to thank Phil Pratt, Matt Meyer, 21, and the Williamsburg Winery for their hospitality. Until next time...prosit!!!