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PREMIUM

Meet the sommelier… Mikk Parre

Named ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and Middle East in November 2024, Parre also won the titles of Best Sommelier, Estonia (2022 and 2023), and Best Sommelier, Baltics (2022 and 2024).

Mikk Parre has worked as a sommelier for 13 years, entirely in Tallinn, Estonia – in both casual restaurants and high end, Michelin-starred establishments. In 2024, he left his position as head sommelier of Time to Wine Rotermanni, one of the best wine bars in the Baltics, and is currently working as cellarmaster for Bombay Group in Tallinn.


My first memorable wine experience

At the time, I was working as a waiter at a casual neighbourhood restaurant and didn’t know much about wine. One day, a senior colleague came from a special wine event and brought with him a jeroboam of Château Léoville Las Cases 1962. It was an eye-opening wine, like nothing I had tasted before, full of subtle complexity I couldn’t even begin to understand at the time. It was definitely one of those wines that set me on the path of the sommelier.

My go-to everyday wines

Invariably a fresh white with enough fruit for balance – I usually stay away from heavier oaked wines – an Austrian Grüner Veltliner or a Spanish Albariño, for example. When going for a red, I again usually prefer a lighter, fresher wine – an easygoing Barbera from Piedmont or a lighter-style Garnacha from Spain are always safe choices for me.

My favourite supermarket buy

A drier-style Mosel Riesling or a crisp Vinho Verde. Both are usually easy to find at supermarkets and can offer really good value, even at entry-level price points.

My most embarrassing moment at work

Oh there are plenty, but one that often comes to mind is from years back when I was dealing with an exceptionally difficult guest who had an important business meeting. At one point, the guest hastily asked me to bring six vodkas, which seemed a bit unusual for a business lunch, but after confirming with the host and receiving a quick nod and a dismissive ‘yes-yes’ I brought the vodkas. There was an eerie silence and confusion followed. After seeing my red and embarrassed face, the usually cold guest roared with laughter. It was water, not vodka, they had asked for. They proceeded to drink the vodkas, called it a new local custom, and finished the lunch with the business deal going very smoothly, followed by the biggest tip the guest had ever left.

Pet hate

Some people in the wine world can be quite conservative and uptight. In my view, wine is made to be enjoyed and if that means someone wants to put ice into their wine, or drink Champagne from a flute or a 1920s coupe glass, then they are welcome to do so. Our job as sommelier is to guide people on their wine journey, not wag our fingers and create dogmas.

My desert island pairing

Pan-fried foie gras and a glass of luscious Tokaji Aszú. They’re rich enough to sustain me on a desert island for quite a while.

Best food and wine match

I don’t currently work on the floor of a restaurant, but one of the most unusual and amazing pairings I have worked with was smoked eel with a beetroot-potato salad and pickled vegetables, paired with Golan Heights Winery’s Mount Hermon Red (£17.99 Areles, The Wine Cellar), a juicy and fleshy Bordeaux blend. The smoked eel was so intensely flavoured that we found it impossible to pair with white wines and, through sheer luck, a juicy red with a bit of a smoky touch worked absolute magic.

My fallback quick after-work pairing

One of the simplest meals, which also happens to be utterly delicious, is a grilled cheese sandwich. You can rarely go wrong with it as long as you use at least half-decent quality ingredients. After work, you want a fun and relaxing drink, so anything bubbly, a crémant or even a Champagne if the day calls for it, is ideal. Or just a good Pilsener.

Best buy on my list

At the wine bar I worked for until June last year, it was the Envinate, Albahra 2019, an Alicante Bouschet from Almansa, Spain (2022, £24-£26 Cave, Salusbury Winestore, The Sourcing Table) – incredible value at just €25 a bottle on the list. Huge depth of flavour and balance for an entry-level wine.

Wines I’d avoid on a restaurant list

I don’t think there are universal rules. Tactics like avoiding the cheapest or second cheapest or most expensive wine never work in my experience. Rather, I would always be wary of very rare, sought-after wines in places where they seemingly don’t belong. Wines such as Petrus, DRC, Rayas and other rarities are among the most-faked, so perhaps a seedy tourist trap is not the place to buy wines like that.

Wine regions I’m most excited about

I’m really excited about the revival and renaissance of ancient wine countries such as Greece and Georgia. Endless diversity of indigenous grape varieties, unusual styles and young winemakers starting projects around every corner is wonderful to see.

Wines I don’t enjoy drinking

Of course there are exceptions and there are quite a few wines I have greatly enjoyed, but in general, Gewürztraminer and Sangiovese usually fail to excite me. I can’t really give any objective reasons; both grapes can clearly be made into fantastic, world-class wines, but I rarely find myself going for a bottle of either one.

Best-value wine regions

Portugal offers massive diversity but never breaks the bank. Regions such as Bairrada or even the still wines of the Douro offer superb wines at reasonable prices and you’ll find even more value in regions such as Lisbon and Alentejo. They are becoming more popular, though, and you can already see price increases in small but exciting regions such as the Azores and Madeira, so get on board quickly!

My favourite wine region to visit

Santorini in Greece. It’s charming, it has a unique style of viticulture, and all of the wineries are within a 30-minute drive of each other. Don’t miss Vassaltis Vineyards – try its Plethora Assyrtiko (2016, £99 Handford), and they have a beautiful restaurant at the winery as well!


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