How serious is the Mirror Lake Inn staff in The View Restaurant when it comes to its’ knowledge of wine?
All you need to know is that Dining Room Manager Katie Welch went to Italy last spring, not just for vacation, but to increase her knowledge of the best grapes. She has brought that info to the workplace and imparted it on her co-workers and dinner guests.
Bartender Sarah Larson went over the top in terms of wine education. For 21 weeks from March to July, Sarah traveled from her home in the Lake Placid – This link opens in a new browser tab area to New York City WEEKLY – that’s 600 miles round trip – to attend a course offered by the Sommelier Society of America at the posh Cornell Club.
“I passed the exam,” she said proudly, after overcoming 75 questions and a blind taste of three wines. The object of the exercise was to differentiate which choices were old world and new world.
“Now I have a certificate stating that I have a stronger background in wine. As a topic it’s endless. I’ll share what I’ve learned with staff with the goal of improving their knowledge.
“I wanted that experience….to be in a classroom setting where we tasted wine.”
Larson said the instructors came from varied backgrounds, but each held the title of sommelier.
“The wines we tasted were user-friendly,” she continued to say. “They had us tasting wines that you’d find in restaurants and stores.”
Since she has achieved her document and accompanying knowledge, Sarah has been assisting servers and guests to make their dinner experiences on par with a AAA Four Diamond establishment that has won the Wine Spectator Award for the past 15 years.
“More staff are coming to me asking about pairings. I’ll even go to a table and help the guests with their selections. I know the grapes and the region.”
Sarah’s ultimate goal is broadening a guest’s approach when they select one of over 400 bottles offered by The View Restaurant.
“I like getting people to find something new.”
With that selection, the chances of achieving that in The View Restaurant are quite good. Many of the choices, both domestic and international, are on display as guests are seated and have been sampled in wine seminars attended by staff members. It’s a process that enables all servers and bar staff to provide knowledgeable information.
So no matter who is “on duty” on any given night, guests can rest assured their dining choices and wine pairings will match. Around here this is serious business.