When did you first become interested in wine? (When was your first taste? How was the experience?)
From this vantage point it seems like the interest was always there. In high school I would page through wine magazines. In college my friends were interested in going to Irish bars and fraternity parties, but I was excited by a Riesling that was being served by the glass at a restaurant near school. Not too long ago I was catching up with an old friend and he said to me, you know, you always used to talk about wine and food and restaurants, and here you are 10 years later serving great wines in a great restaurant. It was all of a piece

What brought you into the wine business?
It was more a matter of no one being able to keep me out. Whenever and wherever there was an opportunity -- to taste wine, to attend a seminar, to help out with inventory -- I was there.

Do you have a favorite varietal or region?
Recently, I have been stunned by the quality of the Carricante whites from Sicilia.

If you don't order wine at a restaurant or bar, which beverage do you choose?
Tea. Japanese soba tea is delicious. It is beyond delicious, in fact.

What's your least favorite drink?
Pepsi.

What's your best wine-drinking memory? What was the occasion?
Most favorite recollections have revolved around creating taste memories for other people. For me, that is what the sommelier position is all about. The time Thomas Keller shook my hand and said I had made great selections for him, the evening Danny Meyer told me the wines had been a revelation; those are the sorts of occasions that really stand out.

In your opinion, which country, other than the U.S., makes the best wine? Why?
Italy. The diversity and range of wines available from Italy is unrivalled.

What are your thoughts on recent trends within the industry?
For the first time in my career I regularly see Americans acting relaxed about wine at the table. Years ago, you used to see a lot of anxiety and concern about "getting it right." Now there seems to be a much more common realization that this is all supposed to be about enjoyment. That is an extremely positive trend, I think.

What is the first thing someone learning about wine should know?
Keep an open mind, and develop your own sense of what tastes good. It is like that old saying: "Choose your friends, don't let them choose you." I think it is easy when you are first starting along with wine to put too much stock in other people's opinions.

What are some of your favorite food and wine pairings?
Aglianico is a great complement to stews and braises, while Frappato really sings with fish like tuna.

Do you think any rules should be adhered to when pairing?
When in doubt, choose a dish you know you like and a wine you have enjoyed before. You are then guaranteed some happiness.

What are some of the benefits of drinking wine?
Conviviality. Wine brings people together, if at the most basic level because it is difficult for most people to consume an entire bottle by themselves.

What wines should no home be without?
Something crisp and refreshing and chilled is a summertime requirement for any refrigerator I own.

Do you have any favorite wine gadgets? Are there any new ones on the market? If so, what are they and where can people get them?
Wine label removers are probably the best invention since the corkscrew. Trying to take a label off a bottle without one is positively medieval. You can purchase wine label removers from any number of online wine accessory purveyors.

What are your three best tips, tricks or techniques for wine lovers?
It amazes me how few people are aware of
wine-searcher.com, which allows you to search the inventory of wine retailers around the globe with a few simple keystrokes. The alternative of going to stores one by one and asking them if they have a particular wine is method that must only appeal to those with much more free time than I have myself. I think that it is helpful to get a sense of who imports wines that you have liked. Turn the bottle over and look at the importer label on the back. If you have liked a couple of items from a certain importer's portfolio, it is more than likely that other wines in that book will also catch your fancy.

In terms of restaurants, I think that a lot of people miss the opportunity to really engage with the sommelier. Here is someone who tastes several hundred wines a week, and who is around the bottles on the wine list every day. This is someone who wants to help you. Ask them what they think and drink better as a result.