France Côte d'Azur
ENCOUNTERS From the luxury hotels
to the bistros, sommelier
stories on the Côte d'Azur
In this region of high gastronomy, the importance of the sommelier in the organization chart of the restaurant is well-known. But if one has other professional objectives, one can also organize his career differently.
In Cannes, the Martinez is a symbol, far beyond the Croisette Avenue. Its name is tightly associated with the highlights of the film festival as underlines its gastronomic restaurant La Palme d’Or. An exceptional table for more than 25 years. With Christian Willer in the kitchen, first, and now Christian Sinicropi who succeeded him in 2007. Two Michelin stars as a guarantee, an exceptional setting, and above all an extremely creative cuisine in all the details are its obvious qualities.
An environment in which Dominique Vion expresses himself very discreetly. Native from Burgundy, aged 39, he passed his Complementary Mention of Sommellerie in Catherine Doré’s class before continuing with a vocational diploma following Georges Pertuiset’s path.
“I am a man grown up in provincial France, it is thus there that I started to work, in grand houses like Château de Gilly then at Georges Blanc, before heading South to discover the Côte d’Azur at the Negresco, and join the Martinez three years ago. I did my best to make my way with tact and psychology to fit in and answer as best as possible the customers’ demands and the rules of the company.”
There is no question of trying to change radically such a varied as prestigious wine list,
“I just tried to give it some new touches. It can be done only little by little because here the priority was given to the Bordeaux appellations. My will has thus been to bring the customers the knowledge of the different parts of the regional vineyard. My soul is Mediterranean and the Chef’s cuisine is also marked by this feature. But in an environment where the very international clientele needs to be secured, my role really is to push to discover.”His next objectives are to pace up and down the Languedoc to select its best, then to open the door to wines from Spain and Italy.
“We currently have 900 references; it’s a number I would like to reduce while enlarging the choice” the professional, who recognizes he found a sympathetic ear in the kitchen, concludes.
“Christian Sinicropi listens to me and enables me to assert certain orientations …”
A tandem for two styles of restaurants
Two stars also shine above L’Oasis, brothers Raimbault’s prestigious establishment celebrating, this year, twenty years in the service of the gastronomy. Stéphane, the Chef, has always understood the necessity to have a sommelier in the restaurant. And since a bit more than a year, he even has two. Pascal Paulze is the man of the wine list. “It is turned towards the wine growers, those who respect nature and vegetal, more than towards the labels. The only exception is Bordeaux. It is large by its variety but is finally limited to 500 references. We also make important efforts concerning ageing time. In our cellar a quarter of the volume is not mentioned on the wine list. We do not lay down the bottles for speculation but in order to propose wines at perfect maturity.” A wine list that thus delights the customers of the starred table.
Hôtel Martinez, La Palme d’Or
73 La Croisette
06400 Cannes
Tél.: +33 (0) 4 92 98 73 00.
L’Oasis
rue Jean-Honoré Carle
06210 La Napoule
Tél.: +33 (0) 4 93 49 95 52.
La Petite Syrah,
13 rue Cassini
06300 Nice
Tél.: +33 (0) 4 93 31 17 45.
But the place has a second restaurant, L’étage, a kind of luxury bistro. With another list made of some twenty suggestions imagined to accompany traditional or more original dishes. A universe in which officiates Pascal Paulze but also Maxime Brunet. This 23-year-old native from Burgundy, semi-finalist in Vertus in late November at the Duval-Leroy Trophy of the Best Young Sommelier of France, passed a Complementary Mention of Sommellerie in Tain l’Hermitage. After a first training period, he entered on a long-term basis the brothers Raimbault’s house. “Here the cuisine is marked with exotic notes, so not all the wines can be paired with the dishes. We really have the opportunity to express our profession. The Chef also learns a lot from us and Pascal made him progress to make well-balanced matches possible.”
Pascal Paulze has a sentence to sum up the feeling inspired by many years of complicity with the cook: “I am found of white wines and the cuisine of L’Oasis is white wine friendly …”
Unveil and initiate
Further to the East, a few hundred meters from the port of Nice, Fabrice Pepino has given a new sense to his professional life last spring. With his wife Patricia, he took possession of a place turned into a bistro where wine has an essential position.
“But one first comes to eat simple dishes that matches well the seasons” Fabrice swiftly states. Here the customers come to enjoy market cuisine, cooked by his Mexican wife, which enables him to express himself as a sommelier.
Patricia and Fabrice have the special feature to have worked together at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco. An establishment that this engaging professional represented in 2006 during the interregional final of the Best Young Sommelier of France Contest, then, a few months later, when he won a place of finalist in the third edition of the contest for One of the Best Craftsmen of France, in Evian. Sound basis to which he adds the management of a little vineyard in the hinterland.
“Here, he goes on, I do my best to unveil the personality of different owners and wines. I look for wines with principles, nature-friendly. That is why I especially spent many hours on the fair Millésime Bio, in Montpellier.”Discovery messenger, he also wants to be a knowledge transmitter. And for that, as he also exercised trainer’s job in Mexico, he proposes courses intended for the general public where get involved theory and practice during the tastings.
An important shift that the couple lives with passion.
Jean Bernard
