The Somm Expansion

In the beverage world we’ve seen an expansion in the role, influence, and creativity of the somm. Sommeliers are breaking new ground—from the aforementioned Husk sommelier, Kenny Lyons, who sections off his list by soil type, to L.A.’s Bar Covell where Matt Kaner considers himself a master storyteller and has banished lists from the bar. We observed this trend in Somm City, U.S.A.: Washington, D.C, where somms have the freedom and support to do whatever they want. A new kind of wine scene is cultivating there, all thanks to somms who dare to burst the Cabernet and Burgundy bubbles.

Somms have surpassed the food-centric notion that wine can’t carry the meal, backed by restaurants and a wine-drinking community who put their ultimate faith in their programs. Rising Star Julian Mayor of Bourbon Steak has started a popular and influential in-house wine event called “F(l)ight Club,” pitting somm against somm with guests as judges. Sebastian Zutant is part owner of Red Hen, where he populates his list with fringe regions like Slovenia and Georgia. From fizzy Peloponnese Moschofilero to Sicilian Nerello Mascalese, Rising Star Brent Kroll of Neighborhood Restaurant Group is teaching Capital juicers how to drink outside the box.

Nearby, Julie Dalton of Wit & Wisdom in Baltimore, and all the way south of the border, Ludovic Anacleto of Cru in Monterrey, Mexico, and to Jesse Webster of Public here in New York, somms have free range. They’re taking initiative, throwing events and competitions, getting butts in seats, and affecting the bottom line—and a more wine savvy public than ever before is along for the ride.