Sommeliers In Training
Giancarlo’s stands out because of it’s massive kitchen, dedicated employees, beautiful atmosphere, and now our wine Sommeliers. I bet you didn't know that very few restaurants in Buffalo have certified Sommeliers a part of their staff, and we are fortunate to have three! These three Sommeliers have passed their first test, and have brought their knowledge from studying into our doors. Our Sommeliers now hold classes for our employees to be expand their learning on wine also. The wine program is growing along with the passion, drive, and importance that we put into reaching new heights in our wine program.
Fred Palmer’s Story
“My first experience with wine that I would say is memorable was here at Giancarlo’s on my 21st birthday and I came in for my first training and I got this thick binder and tasted a bunch of different wines. It was lead by Anthony, Gabriela, and their friend Chase. From there I have learned a lot about wine while working in the restaurant. We got into the different stories and different producers where the wines came from, how they are paired and interact with different foods. Over time I have started helping with the wine buying. From that point on, about a year ago as we were really developing our wine program, being a Sommelier is something I’ve been very interested in to help further all of our operations and further my personal journey with wine. As far as how things have changed after being a Sommelier, the path that I plan to have everything go it has been really informative with all of our different buying that way we can look at vintage variation, finding different qualities of different price points from regions around the world just by being better informed about producers, styles and what to expect from different areas. Our wine service here at the restaurant as a whole, instituting more training for all of our servers of how to present and pour bottles, as well as helping other people find that wine doesn't have to be something that's intimidating, it’s something that’s really cool. There are a lot of stories, science, and life that goes into each bottle. Giving other people the opportunity to find out about the different wines and taste themselves and communicate that to other people, that has been the biggest change after taking the exam and where we plan on having everything go moving forward.”
Katie Maisch’s Story
“When the idea of being a sommelier was introduced to me I was very hesitant, I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know if I'd like it- but I did know I wanted to learn more and knew I’d benefit from being apart of the wine culture. As people are becoming more interested in wine with doing wine pairing dinners, visiting vineyards I realized it was a good time to expand my knowledge. After studying for months, it all started to make sense. It really helped having Kevin, Joe, and Fred because it all just made more sense having other people to lean on. A great experience was going to Philadelphia and meeting four master Sommeliers. Having the opportunity to learn from these professionals for two full days was incredible. Their knowledge and the way they spoke about wine was amazing. It was so beneficial to be there because of how accessible they were and also how humble they were in teaching us. It really was such a great experience to hear about their opportunities and what they've done with being Sommeliers at the highest level. Definitely whatever you are passionate about wine has a connection to it whether it is design, science, geography, history anything can apply to wine. Since coming back to the restaurant, I remember the very first day I served in the dining room after passing the test, I could immediately feel a difference in the way I served wine. I love being able to suggest pairings with the food and wine. I could feel my confidence in serving wine to tables, which built their trust in me. You really can tell when a table believes you're knowledgeable on something, and you build that connection with them.”
Joe Gomez’ Story
“I had the idea about being a Sommelier about four years ago. I went to Anthony because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a teacher.I was very into wines, but I wanted to know more. I never really pursued it and a few years went by, so as we grew as a restaurant the opportunity to learn more about wines came about. The group of us all got together and we decided we were just going to do it! We started studying about once a week for six months. Learned a ton in those six months and opened up a lot of doors for us to grow. After we all passed, ever since then we’ve still been learning as much as we can and trying a lot of new wines that we wouldn’t normally taste. This whole experience has really just broadened my horizons in the wine world. My knowledge has definitely increased, and I find myself personally trying new wines that I wouldn’t normally have from different regions in the world. Before I was very specific and I knew what I liked, and now I want to try everything because I am learning about it.It has really opened up my eyes to the world of wine and what it has to offer!”
