Some of the wines sommeliers make are in very few retail stores or only available at their restaurants. Here are the most accessible bottles.
III Somms Amitié
Bernie Sun, corporate beverage director for Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant group, produces two affordable Bordeaux-style Napa blends with two partners and superstar winemaker Sashi Moorman. The violet-and-berry-scented Amitié is made primarily with Cabernet Franc, a highly food-friendly but often-overlooked grape. $24; iiisomms.com.
LIOCO Chardonnay Sonoma County
Kevin O’Connor, former wine director at Spago in Beverly Hills, and his partner, import specialist Matt Licklider, produce their pear-scented unoaked Sonoma County Chardonnay using organic grapes and native yeast. $20; liocowine.com.
Parr Selection Purisima Mountain Syrah
Rajat Parr of the Mina Group makes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and a meaty, blueberry-inflected Syrah. He gets his Syrah grapes from a respected biodynamic vineyard in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. $125; rajatparr.com.
Skylark Orsi Vineyard Pinot Blanc
Robert Perkins and John Lancaster, wine directors at San Francisco’s Boulevard restaurant, source their grapes from 35-year-old vines, which give this Pinot Blanc unusual depth and complexity. The duo also makes Grenache, Syrah and rosé under the Skylark label. $18; skylarkwine.com.
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