The Kit
The Voice of
Riesling
We love wine but, like all great passions, it’s complicated. Here’s how to
enjoy every sip more, courtesy of one of the country’s finest sommeliers
W
hat’s the one single thing that will improve your enjoyment of wine? A little
knowledge. This miraculous liquid, described by Galileo Galilei as “sunlight,
held together by water” is so mind expandingly complex that you can forget it’s
all just grape juice. In fact, it’s perhaps too easy to enjoy. We can all be guilty of
sticking with favourite varieties or ordering the ‘safe’ second bottle up from the
bottom of the wine list and not exploring further.
We need a guide. If there’s a man who has the map and compass to the world of wine, it’s Francesco
Gabriele, Wine Director at Chewton Glen. He certainly needs to know his way around. This iconic
luxury hotel in the New Forest has an award-winning wine list that runs to 60 pages, and they serve a
selection of over sixteen hundred individual wines that range from a £7 glass of Sauvignon Blanc to a
bottle of Domaine Leroy Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru Le Chambertin 1996, which will set you back
£4495. It’s a showcase of some of the finest wine available in the country and Francesco, with his team
of sommeliers, can expertly chaperone you through it when you visit The Dining Room, the hotel’s fine
dining restaurant.
“To understand wines you have to study and you will never completely finish your study”, Franceso
suggests. Born into an Italian winemaking family, his teaching started early as his grandfather
encouraged him to appreciate wine at a young age. Educated in Rome, he studied economics and
accountancy before undertaking a professional course with the Italian Sommelier Association. He went
on to hold senior posts at several acclaimed restaurants in London and Italy before joining Chewton
Glen in 2013 where his passion for great wines, good food and genuine hospitality have found their
natural home.
It’s a passion that he’s keen to share. “Don’t take it too seriously” is his golden rule for wine
appreciation. “Enjoy wine as well as you enjoy food and remember that a good memory is made by so
many factors, wine is just one of those.” And if you want to have fun with your waiter or sommelier?
“Sometimes choose your wine before your food and play the other way around. It’s a good and funny
exercise to challenge yourself but mainly your waiter. I love it!”
We’ve tapped into some of Francesco’s knowledgeable enthusiasm for the glories of the grape to show
you how you can appreciate your wine even more.
Francesco Gabriele oversees
an award-winning wine list
42
www.hartsofstur.com