Dominic Smith aka ’Dom the Somm’ is a sommelier at The Clove Club in east London, a modern British two-star Michelin restaurant.
‘I’m super proud of the impeccable sparkling wine this country is producing, I love being able to share English sparkling with overseas guests who weren’t even aware we were producing wines.
‘On top of that we have 500 plus bins, covering New and Old World including sections for skin maceration wine, the Jura, the Savoie and even vintage Madeira – enough to please most tastes and surprise others.
‘Personally though, as a New World lover I enjoy exploring emerging regions and those which are under appreciated. Portugal deserves more praise and attention, Greece is producing some stunning examples and I look forward to seeing the emergence of Chinese wines on the world stage too.
‘At home, once you’ve descended down the beautiful spiralling rabbit hole there are no everyday wines but I’m drinking Col Fondos, Slovakian skin contact, Okanagan Valley Chardonnays, Thai Syrahs, Oregon Pinots and English Ortegas.’
Top Tip:
‘A nice glass goes a long way, Zalto, JR x RB for example. Make sure it’s clean and polished to add an essence of luxury before you even take the first sip. The light stem in your hand will upgrade your experience and allow you to have a night of elegance from the comfort of your own home. Just be careful when washing/drying them please.’
Anecdote:
‘It sounds simple but always check the vintage! I made the mistake of opening a magnum of what I thought was 2013 but was actually 1996. It could have been a lot worse, but there was still a big price jump between the two. The (celebrity) guests enjoyed a much nicer wine for a far lesser price. It was just post lock down, so I made a joke about having had a bit of time off. A mistake never to be repeated.’
