Wine Raconteur

Bordeaux

My name is Stefan, I am a wine fanatic. I have been in the wine business for over 10 years. I have been lucky to be able to choose my path into my career. Well…its more than luck…
When I was young I did not have a privilege of being what I wanted to be. I have a disfunctional family who did not support my thoughts and beliefs. A low self esteem and lack of confidence which did not make things easier later in life. My first encounter to wine was on one Christmas, I was 12 years old I think, my mom took me to her brother in-law’s house for dinner. He was an architect, his name was Eddie; a very nice guy. We barely saw each other 2 times a year. During dinner, he uncorked 2 bottles of red wine. It seemed nobody interested in knowing what he was pouring except he was the only one indulging into his wine world talking about it. Other people seemed to ignore him and probably didn’t care what the heck he was talking. I was the only one found it interesting. The way he swirled the glass and examined the legs and color in the glass. It was quite something I never seen before. Although I didn’t remember what he was telling me about the wine after dinner, I was already stimulated by the mysteries of wine. I have to say I was so intrigued by the fact that it requires so much of knowledge to understanding wine. With the lack of confidence & lost self identity, I felt I found something to cling on.

The very next day, I went to a book shop and browsed thru their cooking section and found a book about wine. It caught my attention by its cover with a drawing of a guy with a big long nose sniffing a glass. I bought it regardless of my limitation in understanding English. Later, I lost it when I moved to boarding school. 8 years ago, I found it in Los Angeles central library. I was soooo happy, almost like I found gold ! I had to say I understand the book much more than 16 years ago. It had the most fascinating stories of a wine taster. The book is called The Official guide to Wine Snobbery !

It was my second job in L.A working for a wine importer, mostly French wine. At a young age, I got exposed to a lot of goodies which many consumers and wine connoisseur would only dream of. I learned my knowledge thru smelling & tasting in blind. And I got my WSET advance level certificate not long and a Sommelier certification later on. I was lucky to be able to travel with my boss to varies vineyard in France & Italy. After 5 years I had worked there, I decided to own my own wine shop. I thought I love meeting people and opening a wine place would be perfect for me. I always believe wine & food bring in good people. I borrowed a loan from a bank and determined to take a risk, a very high risk, to follow my dream , my guts. It took more than a big dream, a brave heart to pursuit this path that I chose. And it was harder than I had thought as things always don’t turn out the way you want.
The rest is history…
I hope this gives you a little bit about me.

My hobbies are playing Tennis, Traveling & photography. And may be occasionally surreptitiously going especialty shops or perfume shops to sniff essential oils. Unfortunately, I haven’t done much since I opened the bar. But I hope one day I could travel again and document all the great vineyards in the World.

What else I like execpt the above: Cooking, Classical music, Bebop Jazz, Charlie Chaplin movies, anything about Dracular, Car racing & auto crossing ( used to have a RX-7 89′) ; Real people (people doing what they promise doing)

What I don’t like: Mass produced wine; bad food; Hypocrites; bad drivers in California; people with double standard and no doctrine.

The most unforgettable wine: Cote Rotie Cote Brune 1988 Gentaz- Derveseux; Chateau Margaux 1928; Chateau Lafite 1949 & 1961. Romanee Conti - Grand Echezeaux 1990, Chateau Latour 1964. Chateau Lafleur 1982, Chateau Petrus 1982, Comte Vogue Musigny 1989, Rouget’s Echezeaux 1990, Ridge Montebello 1990 etc.
I better stop, the more I think the more I remember.

The most beautiful women: Adriana Lima; Maria Sharapova; Hilary Clinton…just kidding :->

My favorite movie: City Lights; Oliver twist by Polanski; Perfume:story of a murderer; Benjamin Button, Leon Professional; God Father 1,2,3; Dracular by Coppola; Borat; Deer Hunter; Tom Brown’s school days; Batman begins; Benny & joon; The Hustler; Rebel without a cause; Chocolate; From Hell; A few good men;The killer; La Haine; L’apartment etc. I am sure there is more.