Name: Mr. Riccardo del Noce
Nationality: Italian
Please tell us a little bit about your first encounter with wine & the wine industry. Did you have any particular mentors?
It started very young, I was always impressing of how my parents and family were discussing about wine and when I try it the curiosity was grown to the point that I wanted to study Viticulture and Enology but never happened. I decided to learn on the field and visited wineries around the world, from Napa to Hunter Valley, from Douro to Champagne to Sicily and many more.
I worked in the kitchen for my first years in the industry and it was my Head Chef that gave me the spark to jump on the floor, I learned a lot from him when it comes to team bonding and he gave the push I needed to be who I am today.
Also the Sommelier Team in Jonah's, Sydney, Australia, that I worked with for over a year has been inspirational. The whole experience in Australia has been life changing, both professionally and private.
What specific traits or skills should a Sommelier possess for professional performance, and is there any person with those qualities you especially admire within the wine industry?
I think we need to be simple people. Yes, is nice to know all the difficult parts that wine making has but when it comes to be on service, we need to make our world easier for guests to understand. We need to be intuitive, adventurous and passionate.
I like the work that MS Stefan Neaumann is doing here in UK and around the world.
What would be your advice to a young Sommelier? How to find a good position at home or abroad? Any further tips?
Wait for your time. I see many young guys putting all their effort into the books. It is important but not to the point that you will miss your age and the experiences that life can give you, together with wine experiences. There is a lot of eager to be on top fast, and usually when that happen it burns out the career of the individual. Everything has its time, like wine, need to wait for it s best moment.
Travel the world, the wine world. Nothing teach you better that being out there. Today travelling is much more affordable and wineries are more welcoming to have you there. Go around, and you will discover that books are not always right.
When a customer asks for advice on selecting wine, what, in your opinion, would be the best approach?
I believe we need to understand their knowledge and preference, ask a few simple questions to understand where we can go when suggesting. We need to be at their same level, making them proud of what are choosing. Is not always about the value of the wine but is the journey that the bottle did to arrive to our guests table that makes it unique and special for them.
What is your philosophy about glasses? Are you working with well-known brands, or are you considering new brands as well? How do you decide?
Glass makes a difference. I did a few masterclass where they were showing us why is important, and yes, glass makes a difference. I worked for many years with Riedel, but at home I have Gabriel Glass while at my current venue we use Zalto for premium wines.
What advice would you give people on pairing wine with food?
Follow the rules and break them. Of course the guideline are there for a reason but with all the new wine making techniques and different world provenance, the final product is not always what we think it is. Experiment and you will find great surprise, like old Riesling with blue cheese.
Should a Sommelier:ère taste the guest’s wine?
Always... Is still seen as a weird thing, especially in everyday restaurant but is very important. Not only gives the Somm the opportunity to know if is faulty but gives him confidence to go back to the table and discuss the wine with them. Lastly, is the best way to learn and understand how different each bottle is.
What are the key ingredients for creating a wine list for a restaurant, and what is your opinion on pricing wine in restaurants? Do you have tips for determining markups?
The wine list should respect the theme of the venue, Italian food - Italian wines and so long but I also believe that going out of the box can be fun and profitable. Then you have Hotels and Wine Bar, here the world is yours, especially in a Wine Bar, be curious. Out there the wine industry is developing and growing very fast, there is so much to taste and to share with our guests. We are not there to sell Sancerre or Gavi that is well known by the most, but to sell them Moschofilero or Timorasso and make them discover something new.
How do you manage to stay on top of the changes in the wine industry?
I go to most Portfolio tasting and I always try to taste what I didn't the previous here. Also Masterclasses are very helpful cause you can get a more detailed knowledge about the wine but also the region and market itself for that wine.
Then I travel, my holidays are always filled with a winery visit, doesn't matter where I'm going.
How would a new vineyard get its wine noticed, and what is the best way for producers to improve their chances of being listed?
Marketing Budget. This is the best asset you have when you start exploring the world and you want to be out there. It takes 3-5 years to see something coming back to you but you need to be ready to spend and show your wines around the world.
Go and be there, nothing beats a wine story that is said by the creator of it to convince a Somm to add it on their list.
If you were a wine, which variety would you be, and why?
I give you two grapes, red and white.
Riesling... it can be everything, dry, sweet, luscious, sparkling, young and old... so versatile and terroir driven.
Sangiovese... this is home for me, no matters if the cheapest or the most expensive, the fresh release or 20 years old, when I drink Sangiovese I go back home every time.
Which top 3 types of wine (your faves would we find in your home wine collection, and what’s your desert island wine?
Of course I always have a Riesling, then Bordeaux or bordeaux style wines like Bolgheri, and sparkling, is always there or my wife will kill me ahahaha
But I find myself in a desert island I need an 15+ years old Amarone Classico della Valpolicella.
Any interesting suggestions about magazines or online platforms?
I think magazines need a bit of fun and a guideline that goes through the pages. Have some wine crossword and makes sure that while we turn the pages it all connects, it will make reading much more intense and curious.
Platforms are in a good spot in my opinion, they are more interactive and that helps.
Saluti,
Riccardo
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