Harpers Design Awards

Harveys pushes long drink serveProducers see off blended rosé planWine sales show modest increaseJura distillery suspends productionAOC Chaume is abolished Mon 8th June 2009-->Profile: Alvaro Marcos Garcia, of Theo Randall, on being asked for ice cubes in a Bordeaux cru class and Sauvignon Blanc with steak
Monday, 01 June 2009
Award-winning sommelier Alvaro Marcos Garcia thinks wine communicator Olly Smith is from another planet and thinks the customer is always right, even if they do want a Sauvignon Blanc with their steak.

What first got you interested in wine?I became interested in wine while doing work experience as a sommelier in a restaurant in San Sebastian called Arzak. Arzak has 2,500 bins, so it gave me the opportunity to improve my knowledge about Spanish and French wine.
How did you end up in your current job?
While working with Marcus Wareing at the Savoy Grill, I was offered an opportunity to help start up a new restaurant with Theo Randall. I took it because I wanted to get more involved in building relationships with suppliers and making purchasing decisions. Theo Randall was my first experience as a wine buyer and it greatly improved my knowledge of Italian wine. Theo knows a lot about Italian wine and I learned a lot with him. I've just started a new adventure with Home House's private members club, where I will share all that I've learned with the members.

Do you have a wine world hero? If so, who is it - and why?Yes I do. I like the way Olly Smith explain things: it doesn't matter how difficult it is, he will make it easy to understand. His personality comes from another planet: he's always happy, he wears funky shirts. He is a proper craic.

What's your proudest professional achievement?Winning the Sommelier Challenge in 2007 (a food and wine matching competition) and the blind tasting award during the semi-finals of the Sommelier of the Year competition the same year.

What makes a great wine list?A great wine list is very personal. There are a lot of factors to think about: the restaurant's menus and the season, of course. Obviously price is very important. Classic wines like Sancerre and Chablis should be there. Even if there are sommeliers who don't want those wines on their lists, people like them and they like to see them on the list.

Is there any kind of wine you wouldn't want on your list?I don't really dislike any wine as long as it is good.

How much emphasis do you attach to matching wines with food - and what's the best way of helping customers steer their way to appropriate wine choices?Is very important to match wine with food, but depending on the match, you can complement, highlight or contrast the food. It's up to the costumer to decide what he really wants. When I started as a sommelier I used to be shocked if a costumer ordered a Sauvignon Blanc if they were eating beef, but now I think if they are enjoying it, that's the important thing.

What's the oddest request you've ever had from a customer?I have been asked few times for ice cubes to put in a glass of Bordeaux cru classé or soda water in Burgundy.

What do you drink at home?Greek wine and beer!

What would be your desert island wine?A very dry Riesling from the Mosel-Saar-Rower

And what would you want to eat with it?A basket of grapes, apples and white peaches.