In our September 2008 issue—which hits newsstands around Friday 8/29—the magazine's wine and spirits columnist Chris Hoel writes about his long-dreamed-of job situation: snagging a sommelier position at the legendary French Laundry in Napa Valley. Here's a bit from it:
I was taught chef Thomas Keller's mandatory method for pouring wine bottles and decanters, holding them by the "punt" at the base, a nod to consistency and elegance. Any and all cleared plates must be shown to Corey. If there was a half-eaten portion, one better be armed with a proper response, something other than "she was full." There was instruction on precisely how to answer the phone, how to walk in the dining room and how to provide a clean napkin every time a guest leaves the table (a party of four might go through 20).
As Hoel notes, such service is expected by diners who made their reservations 60 days in advance and are about to spend a cool grand for dinner for two.
