Busboy Magazine: The Wesley Wine List
Busboy By Gabriel Maldonado
Creating a wine list for a restaurant can be both an exciting and challenging task. Like any Sommelier or Wine Director in NYC would do, the first thing I asked when creating my list is how much space do I have for storage? The next thing I questioned was what is the point of this list? What is the goal? What will make this list special? Most importantly, what will the guest take away from this?
Over the years I have found myself turned off by wine lists that are overpriced; bored by repetition; or underwhelmed with the lack of variety. What is the point of ordering a wine that I have had before or paying for something in a restaurant when I can buy the same bottle down the block? When I go to a restaurant, I want an experience. I want to be impressed by the flavors of the food and to have my horizons expanded. Why would I settle for anything less with wine?
I asked myself where, why, and for who?
“Where” was not hard considering we were creating a menu that was driven by local and fresh ingredients. It was important to replicate that in our wine program. We feature wines from the North East such as NY, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and some from other regions such as California, Oregon, and Washington. Over 85% of our menu is made up of “local” selections.
“Why” was a hard question. I worked closely with Chef Santiago and invited him to tastings to get his feedback and understand his preferences. The goal of any good wine list should be to go with the cuisine, not to be a standalone menu. When a guest picks a wine at The Wesley, they can be sure the chef has tasted it as well.
“Who” may seem obvious, but sometimes I find wine directors/sommeliers making lists for themselves as opposed to for the guest. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have some selfish selections on the list, however I continuously question whether each of the wines I am selecting would be interesting and worth it to the guests.
Sustainability, terroir, and ethos are key.
We care about what our guests ingest. By trying to avoid major allergens, and serving a mostly vegetable-focused menu, we know our guests can feel better about indulging in all that we have to offer. The wine list is just as intentional as our food. The list is comprised of local, vegan, organic, biodynamic, sustainable, and female led wines, with 99% of the wines on the list meeting at least one of these requirements. The wines that are local and female led are often undervalued on the market or get little attention. On the wine list itself, our guests will see a symbol beside each wine, so they know if they are selecting one that is organic/biodynamic, vegan, or female led (which we refer to as Lady Producers as inclusivity is key). Being raised entirely by women has made me as a gay man appreciate and support women in a way that raises awareness to the difficulties that they face. I hope to expand this further to people of color, LGBTQIA and more over time. At the heart of the beverage list, lives a small part of me.
Tasting and curating the wine list was both the best and worst part of the process. I tasted 500 wines before making my final selections, being mindful to avoid palate fatigue. I also made sure to price the wines in a way that encourages guests to want a bottle vs. putting the list down as soon as they open it. My goal is to encourage guests to be adventurous all whilst supporting producers and sustainability. If you can support good in the world by drinking and eating, how much easier can it get?
