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Food Blog

Debuting Sommelier at Your Service

Image Longtime Weekly wine and surf writer Paul Wetterau might tell you his best work is a yet-unpublished memoir (The Four Ws: Wine, Waves, Women and Writing).

Some would say it's the clever recommendations he's made as a sommelier at standout wine cellars Casanova (625-0501) and Marinus (658-3400) or the big waves he's chased and conquered. (He currently pours at Mundaka.)

I'm here to tell you differently.

The best thing he has ever completed is his roller-coaster description of his tribulations trying to earn his sommelier certification, a struggle which sounded about as enjoyable as a hair removal marathon. (I'm working on linking that piece as the Weekly continues to shift to its new website presence.)

Image In the meantime, check out his follow-up story on his third attempt and his notes from hoboing around France, where he went to celebrate. (His riff on the craziest and stupidest things local somms have seen customers do is also entertaining and informative.)

This week he put together a piece about how to plan a paired feast for a group of friends full of sumptuous tastes and quality wine for just a few bucks. He's been doing the same thing for me for years—he's not just a great guy to have in your phone when wandering the wine aisles of Trader Joe's, but he is also a very educational and encouraging guy to blind taste wines with, as we often do on late deadline nights.

Now he's extending similar services to locals with his new Sommelier at Your Service. He's available for tastings, parties or consultations, meaning he can suggest wines to pour depending on theme, budget and/or food, help pour the goods at the party itself, lead tastings and even polish stemware. One of his upcoming gigs is a book club event.

Since he's just starting out, his rates are obscenely cheap: $100/party—and if you get him fast enough, you might be able to get him for just tips since he's looking for references and a good word-of-mouth start).

For more about Sommelier at Your Service, call 521-8606 or email pwetterau@gmail.com.

Comments

m1padller says...

Paul's the whole package when it comes to wine and food. And have him do the pouring, it's just so easy to lose track of who needs that next topping off.

Posted 18 April 2011, 7 p.m. Suggest removal

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