The UAE's youngest sommelier, Anca Lazaroni, discusses her work at La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie. 

How did you know you wanted to become a sommelier?

The general manager of La Serre, Sandy El Hayek, noticed I had a natural talent for wine tasting after I guessed five out of five in a blind taste test. Wine and the industry really interested me, so I borrowed some of Sandy’s books and began to expand my knowledge of the history of the vineyard, to the soil, the bottle, and I set my sights on becoming a sommelier and worked my way up.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love discovering new wines, travelling to new regions and sharing the knowledge I have picked up with the guests. I enjoy changing the minds of guests when they have a perception that only the well-known brands produce the best wines. Offering an alternative, less well-known brand shows them you can enjoy a great wine and not have to spend a fortune.

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I love to share my knowledge in training sessions with the La Serre bar team. I run a popular session, which aims to simplify the characteristics of the top 10 grape varieties for the team to use whilst working in the Bistro. I like to use analogies to help the team remember details about each wine. For example, the Gewurztraminer is a very aromatic grape; I describe this one as a lady who likes to be in the spotlight because the grape is the centre of attention.

What wine/s do you prefer to drink and why?

I like all kinds of wines, however my preferences are red Bordeaux, white Burgundy and Riesling. I love red Bordeaux because for me, it tastes like home and I admire how the region expresses itself through its history. I love white Burgundy because it’s where Chardonnay expresses its versatility. You can put it in any climate or region and it will produce great wine. Riesling is a formidable grape; although wine experts love it, it fails to please the crowd’s palate due to its high acidity. I call it the ‘nerd’ grape because it is an acquired taste as it’s very complex — it can give you many different aromas in one glass.

What is your ultimate career ambition?

I would love to be able to introduce small producers who create truly outstanding wines to the wider market. I would like to shape consumers’ perceptions on the sophisticated image of wine, and to educate people that enjoying a glass of wine with a meal can be part of their daily life, a good wine isn’t always an expensive one.