Stefano Middei on Arietta, old-world wines, and why opposites attract
Sommelier Stefano Middei may be the first person to greet you when you arrive at the Restaurant at Winvian. With a warm smile and an encyclopedic memory for names, faces, and dining preferences, Stefano treats guests like family. As an Italian, Stefano knows no family gathering is complete without great wine. Combining training, expertise, and an insistence on putting guests’ desires first, Stefano ensures diners have the perfect pairing for each plate.
Q: How did you first fall in love with wine?
A: In 1999, I started working at a Michelin starred restaurant in Rome. We had an exceptional wine list and were selling some of the world’s finest wines every day. When I realized that all my colleagues had a sommelier degree, I decided I needed to get deeper into the world of wine. I started to study tasting informally. At the end of service, there would be wine left over and we would gather as a group and taste and discuss. The next year I started sommelier school, and graduated in 2001, completing all three levels and learning about the wine industry, wine making and how to pair wines with food.
Q: What do you consider when pairing wine?
A: Before any pairing, you must understand what the client is looking for. You may be thinking of a varietal or color, but the client’s needs must come first. They might have a strong preference, or even a reaction to certain types of wine. Once I know this, I deconstruct the food that they have ordered and think about the whole construction of the plate—sweet elements, acidic elements, aromatic elements, spice elements. Every protein may have a different approach, a natural sweetness, for example. These must all be taken into consideration. Pairing is a science and an art.
Q: How accurate are the familiar rules about pairing?
A: Everyone has heard white wine with light dishes. Or red wine in winter. However, there are exceptions. Whatever wine you choose should have opposite elements to the food. In a pairing, you seek balance. The preparation of the dish matters as much as what ingredients it includes. For example, a white meat preparation may be simple, but it could also be complex. There are some reds that are more lightweight, fresh, young, and low in tannin that would pair with a simple preparation. A very bold red would overwhelm the food. No matter what, taste matters. Your mouth will always tell you the truth about whether the pairing is good or not.
Q: What’s in your glass these days?
A: It’s winter. I try to drink a little bit more red. But I still enjoy a white. Champagne too. Good wine is good wine. No matter what season, I enjoy variety.
Q: How do you choose wine for yourself?
A: Things like proper storage and temperature matter. It scares me when I go to a restaurant and see red wine located on a shelf, with no refrigeration. That said, there are some regions I prefer. I like old-world wines. They have character. They do not rely on oak for personality. They play into the complexity and elegance of wine, rather than relying on structure and power. The other day I drank a sparkling rosé from Tasmania. Sometimes it’s good to try a wine you don’t think you particularly like. That region, that wine maker, may have taken a new approach. The soil plays a role. The weather plays a role. But the manufacturer plays the biggest part. Some manufacturers have taken an old-world approach of lower alcohol and less extreme fruit use. Their wines appeal to me.
Q: How do you balance cost and quality?
A: Some people only drink on special occasions and they assume they have to spend more money. I like to challenge this approach. When I’m asked to suggest a wine, I try to understand the budget and give guests the most value for money. This is also how I approach buying wine for myself. I might try a lesser-known country or area to try to get a little more for my money. This is when expertise and understanding current growing conditions and trends really helps.
Q: What can you tell us about Winvian’s upcoming wine dinner?
A: For the wine dinner on April 10th, we are featuring Arietta, an ultra-premium winery from Napa. Fritz Hatton, the owner, along with his wife Caren, specializes in wine auctions. He will lead this dinner with his deep understanding of the fine wine production landscape. Arietta is renowned for Bordeaux wines, cab sauvignon, cab franc, cab merlot. These are hard to get because they don’t make a lot of bottles. They concentrate on quality.
Arietta takes the old-world approach I really love. Rather than producing a stiff and chewy cabernet people might be familiar with, they embrace the elegance and complexity of the wine. We have excellent vintages for this wine dinner. We will begin in Maggie’s Tavern by showcasing Arietta’s white Bordeaux inspired On the White Keys, alongside select canapés. At dinner, we will have three flights of red with remaining courses. Having the winemaker onsite will be great because he can walk us through each wine and answer questions. Connecticut will feel like Napa for one night.