Poole's pleasures
So what wine does Michelin-starred chef Bruce Poole drink at home? Fiona Sims finds out.
Did you drink wine growing up?
We used to go to France on holiday when I was a kid. Wine was always a part of those trips, though my parents weren't exactly boozers at home. I didn't drink wine as a teenager. It wasn't until after university when I became a restaurant manager that I started drinking wine.
Which restaurant?
It was a three-star Stakis hotel in Stoke-on-Trent. The wine list would be considered a joke today, but back then it had some fairly serious bottles on it, and when I became the bar manager I also had to look after the cellar. I managed to taste a fair bit during that time. I also remember sampling the odd bottle down in the cellar, which I probably shouldn't have done. I would read up on the wine first, though.
Read what, exactly?
Hugh Johnson's Wine Companion. Then I bought other wine books.
What region grabbed you first?
Bordeaux. It's easy to learn about, and I did quite a lot of reading up on the subject in the early days. Later, when I went to France on holidays, I would sneak off to visit wineries, though I wasn't anoraky about it. But I've moved away from Bordeaux now. I like quirkier wine regions - bit like me, really.
Such as?
Areas of the Rhône, Provençe - certain Mâcon wines, such as Jean Thevenet's. I like a certain richness in my wines and you get it there. He picks the grapes late, so they are really ripe.
Where else? What about Burgundy?
I've never got into Burgundy. It's still a minefield for me, and now I don't have the time to mug up on it. My main gripe is that you never seem to get wines at their optimum drinking age. I like wines with a bit more give, more sweetness, so I've always loved Alsace - particularly Trimbach and Hugel.
Hugel is an amazing place. I was once invited to a dinner with Johnny Hugel where we tasted a different vintage for each decade, from 1910 to 1950. That ability to age has to be attractive to anybody who is into wine. I know the area quite well now. I also love Condrieu - Andr‚ Perret's wines particularly - and Loire Chenin Blanc. Though there's nobody that I can say that I slavishly take their wine.
How involved are you with your wine list?
Wine is a sideline for me now. I did the wine list at Chez Bruce for a couple of years but I've gradually handed things over to Jason (McAuliffe). He knows what I like. I don't go to tastings any more - I haven't got the time.
What about outside France?
I know much less about New World wines. I've never been to Australia or New Zealand, but I'd love to go. We do list Aussie wines here, though. I particularly like Mosswood in Western Australia. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous. And I like a lot of New Zealand wines. Felton Road Pinot Noir is a favourite - much better than flabby Oregon Pinot Noirs. I like my Pinot with a bit of grip.
The rest of Europe?
I like Spanish and Italian wine but I don't know enough to rabbit on about them, except odd producers like Pieropan - I really like those wines, they've always been one of my favourites. And Anselmi, another Soave producer. I love Germany, too - the Pfalz, especially; my brother lives there - producers such as Gunderloch and Lingenfelder. He makes a particularly good Scheurebe.
Do you like to serve German wine with any particular foods?
Actually, I prefer to drink German wine on its own. I personally think they are hard work with food. It's a sugar thing, I guess. The wines don't seem to have much weight - not enough for my food, anyway.
Food and wine matching?
Most of it is a load of bollocks. I find it quite tiresome. You can enhance a client's enjoyment of an evening in other ways. If they ask us to pair up the wines with the food, then that's different.
Do you think chefs should know more about wine?
They're too busy to be involved in wine. Most chefs haven't got a clue what's in a bottle, and most sommeliers haven't got a clue about what's on the plate, though my staff knows what's in my dishes. And yes, I would like my chefs to be more interested in wine, but I want them to be the best cooks first.
What's in your fridge?
At the moment I'm drinking a dry Vouvray, and I've virtually always got something from Italy or the Rhône - I really like Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Do you have a cellar?
I would love one, but I'm not made of money you know. I've got three kids, school fees and a mortgage - I've got a cupboard under the sink. I buy cases of wine from Majestic like everybody else.
Desert island wine?
The greatest wine I have ever tasted was 1989 Beaucastel that Jason and I drank after service one night. It was a gift from a customer.
