Q： 請簡單介紹一下你在葡萄酒行業的背景、以及對葡萄酒的熱情是怎樣産生的？

Tell us a little bit about your background in wine, and how your passion has evolved?

A： 老實講，葡萄酒從未成為過我的最愛，最起碼年少時不是。首先因為我的父母不喝葡萄酒；其次，在印度長大的我，所知唯一與葡萄酒相關的僅僅是當地産的波特甜酒。當我最初進入這個行業時，我第一次喝到的餐酒是瓊瑤漿，我受到了某種吸引，發現這個行業有點令人望而卻步，因為有太多的東西要學習。非常湊巧的是，那時我工作餐廳的經理約翰·洛根強迫我學習了很多與葡萄酒相關的知識。

Wine has never been a passion of mine. It wasn’t something I was acquainted with when younger. It wasn’t something my parents drank. Growing up in India, theonly thing wine related I’d be introduced to was sweet locally made 'port' wine. So when I started working in the industry, the first table wine I had,would have been the Te Whare Ra Gewurztraminer. I was, by no measure, hooked atthat stage. I found the industry incredibly daunting and felt that there wastoo much to learn. It just so happened that my restaurant manager was agentleman named John Logan, who really force fed me information.  

那時我還不能細緻感受酒的口感，但我理解了單甯和酸度，看資深侍酒師與顧客暢談葡萄酒，那種感覺很美妙，我也想提供給客戶那種體驗。從那時起，我有意識強迫自己學習越來越多的關于葡萄酒的知識。我認為最具有決定性意義的時刻是在我搬到墨爾本之後，在那裡我決定将葡萄酒作為我的職業。

I didn’t pick up on flavours, but I did understand tannin and acidity. Just watching thesenior wait staff talking to tables about wine, it really was fantastic to be hold.

Theyreally took them places. I wanted to provide that sort of experience as welland since then pushed myself to learning more and more. I think the mostdefining time in my career has been when I moved to Melbourne and tackled the wine industry there.

Vue de Monde餐廳擁有将近1800箱葡萄酒，其中有很多是世界上最受歡迎品牌的垂直系列酒款，還有完美的夢幻團隊。作為一名初級侍酒師，對我來說那是一段靜心學習的時期。我們中間沒有首席侍酒師或者葡萄酒大師，隻是一群喜歡普通葡萄酒、喜歡服務的人聚集在一起。這個團隊幾乎涵蓋了葡萄酒領域中的每個細分領域，當然我們都有缺點，但我們總是互相贊美，哈哈。

Found myself working as a junior sommelier at Vue de Monde with close to 1,800 binswith verticals of some of the most sought after wines in the world. It was atime to put up or shut up and the team that I worked with were sensational. NoMaster Sommeliers or Master of Wines among them, but just people who loved wineand loved service. Within the team, we covered just about every part of theworld as a speciality. We all had our weaknesses of course, but we were able tocompliment each other well.

在那裡工作了2年，幾乎每天你都在給客人介紹一些世界上最優秀的葡萄酒。，在這種環境下你無法不愛上葡萄酒。可以描繪這樣一幅在酒窖裡的經典場景：幾個身穿西裝的成熟男人，西服的翻領上還有小小的金葉子，他們圍在一起，杯子裡的葡萄酒飛舞着。他們很安靜，用鼻子聞、靜靜地品嘗、然後互相看着對方、面帶微笑，幾乎是不約而同地說出：“這酒可真TM好！”

Working there for 2 years, you got introduced to some of the best wines in the world onan almost daily basis. You can’ t not fall in love with wine in thatenvironment. Picture 4 grown men in a wine cellar, in suits, with a little goldleaf on their lapel, all huddled over a bottle with a splash of wine in theirglass, standing in silence with their nose buried in the glass just smelling.They taste, they still don’t speak, they drink, still no need to speak. They look at each other with smiles on their faces and almost in unison claim ‘F*#kme, that was good’!

Q： 你訪問Martinborough時請問你待在哪裡?

Where did you stay during your visit to Martinborough?

A： 當我到達馬丁堡時，萊瑞很好心地收留了我三個晚上。

Larry was kind enough to put me up for the 3 nights I was down there.

Q： 在你訪問期間，你參觀了所有愛斯卡門的葡萄園嗎?

Did you get to see all of the Escarpment Vineyards during your stay?

Q： 在葡萄園你主要參與了哪些工作，這些工作是否給了你更多關于葡萄栽培的啟示?

What hands on work were you involved in within the vineyard, and has this hands on work giving you more insight into Viticulture?

Simple things, like pigeage, which was done twice a day. Measuring specific gravity of wine, as a way to calculate sugar levels and pH levels in the wine. Filling upbarrells. Removing nets and sorting fruit. All of which is stuff that I knewhappened and have done some before, but to see the impact they make wasmassive. Comparing whole bunch ferments to de-stemmed ferments was another coolinsight. Think the most insightful, would have been calculating sugar levels inwines.

Q： 你在釀造間和釀酒師學習了嗎? 從釀造過程中你學到了哪些東西?

Did you experience much time in the barrel room with the winemakers? What did you learnfrom processes involved in Winemaking?

Not too much of time spent there unfortunately. We did taste some of the 2015’s thatwere in barrel, just to see how they were coming along and whether they’d beready to be bottled. It was really great to see Larry and Huw, be so criticalabout the wines they made. No rose-tinted glasses in sight.

Q： 你怎麼評價愛斯卡門酒莊的桶邊品味經驗？哪一款酒最吸引你？

How did you find the barrel tasting experience at Escarpment? And which of the winesreally stood out to you.

I’ve always rated the wines and the experience only heightened that for me. Tasting Kupe Pinot Noir in the Kupe vineyard was a highlight, there was somethingromantic about the Kupe Pinot Noir

Q： 對當前愛斯卡門的酒價您能給出一些建議嗎? 你認為這是在合理的市場價格嗎?

Give us your opinion on the current prices of Escarpment wine? Do you think it iswithin the right market prices?

A： 我認為他們的價格相對偏低。相信國際上對葡萄酒需求的增長，會使單一葡萄園系列的酒價合理提高，否則就都是餐廳在賺錢了!

I believe they are fair to low priced. Believe with the demand for the winesgoing up so much internationally, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to mark thesingle vineyard series higher, otherwise it’s the restaurants that are makingall the money!

Q： 你見到了愛斯卡門酒莊的大多數員工了嗎? 你認為他們從你的訪問中學到了什麼?

Did you manage to meet most of the staff at Escarpment? What do you think they learntfrom your visit?

A： 是的，我見到了，除了負責電子物料的人當時在度假，我見到了其他的每一個人。他們都很容易相處且随和，Noel肯定是新西蘭最好的拖拉機司機! 他們是否從我這裡學到的東西，我不完全肯定。我希望他們看到，在奧克蘭有一位訓練有素的侍酒師對待葡萄酒有它應得的尊重，詳細了解每一瓶酒并寫将其入酒單。

Yeah I did. The digital consultant was off on holiday at the time (the busiest time ofthe year I might add). But beyond that met everyone. They were all great towork with and incredibly accommodating. Noel definitely is the best tractordriver in New Zealand! As far as what they learnt from me, I’m not entirelysure. I hope they saw that there are trained sommeliers in Auckland that want totreat wine with the respect it deserves, and maybe an insight into what goesinto writing a wine list.

Q： 你對愛斯卡門酒莊采收實習工作的整體評價怎麼樣呢?

How was your overall experience at the Escarpment Vintage Camp?

Absolute blast. It gives you a new found level of appreciation for the hardwork that theteam go through during vintage and respect for the finished product of what yousee in your glass.

Q： 你會向别人推薦此次經驗嗎…如果是，為什麼?

Would you recommend the experience to others…and ifso why?

絕對會，就如上面提到的原因。除此之外，和國内最優秀的葡萄酒生産商一起品酒是一個不容錯過的機會。看到他們品嘗葡萄酒和如何獲得高質量的評價方式，這種體驗非常美妙。

Yes absolutely, for the reason mentioned above. Beyond that, tasting wines with oneof the best producers in the country is not an opportunity that should bepassed over. To see the analytical way they taste wine and how they look forquality levels, is fascinating.

酒/菜單推薦

愛斯卡門黑皮諾，搭配Clooney餐廳的一道由李子、甜菜根、紫蘇葉組成的前菜非常相配。李子和甜菜根輕微烹饪，搭配蛋白和紫蘇葉，和黑皮諾的鹹鮮味道完美融合。

Wine/ Recipe Match:

EscarpmentPinot is a great match with one of our starters at Clooney. Plum, beetroot andshiso. The plum and beetroot are lightly cooked together and served with a wheygel and shiso, which works great with the savoury style of pinot fromEscarpment.

非常非常感謝萊瑞，Huw以及愛斯卡門酒莊的整個團隊，新西蘭葡萄酒協會提供的這個機會。

A massive, massive thank you to Larry, Huw and the entire team at Escarpment andto Vintners NZ of course for offering this opportunity.

傑瑞德·梅内澤斯

克魯尼飯店經理、侍酒師

Jarryd Menezes

Restaurant Manager and Sommelier

Clooney Restaurant