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Taste masters: Alexis Brock, Circa, The Prince, Melbourne

In a welcome reversal of the wave of Australians heading to the United States, Alexis Brock is a New Yorker immersing herself in the best Melbourne has to offer. Brock started her restaurant career on the hot and smoky side of the stainless-steel divide, as a chef at Manhattan’s legendary Gramercy Tavern, before moving into the establishment’s award-winning wine program. Now chief sommelier at Circa, The Prince, she oversees one of the country’s best lists with considerable charm and conviction.

What emerging trends are you seeing? “The recent trend in restaurants to model food and wine lists after specific international cuisines seems to have led to greater consumer interest in wines from these countries. The best example is probably Spanish-themed restaurants and tapas bars, like Melbourne’s Movida, creating renewed interest in Spanish wines and sherries.”

Which wines don’t sell but you can’t understand why? “Loire Valley chenin blanc [Vouvray]. It’s made in every possible style, from lightly fizzy to fully sparkling, mineral and dry to unctuous and sweet. It has great acidity, can age for decades and matches with almost any food. How much better does it need to be?”

What’s the one thing a good Australian sommelier should know? “Since moving to Australia and working at Circa, I have found a couple of differences about the job. Being approachable and friendly is important, no matter where you work, but humour seems to be far more important in Australia than in the States. It’s great fun to have so much interaction with guests in the dining room. A working knowledge of the idea of the post-dinner cleanser is also pretty important!”

RAVE WINES
Red: 2004 Sutton Grange Estate Syrah, A$50. “Intensely perfumed wine with floral notes, black pepper and elegant, fine-knit tannins.”

White: Bindi Quartz Chardonnay, A$70, and Bindi Composition Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges, A$45. “All of Bindi’s chardonnays are at the top of my list. They have the balance between fragrance, concentration, ripeness and texture just right.”

Fizz: NV Pierre Peters Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs, Champagne (France), A$65. “Delicate minerality and texture that you’d expect from Le Mesnil without Salon’s prices.”

Import: 2005 Paul Janin et Fils Domaine des Vignes du Tremblay Moulin-à-Vent, Beaujolais (France), A$33. “We’ve been serving a lot of Beaujolais at the restaurant over summer, and this wine has fantastic depth and minerality. It’s such great value for money, especially when compared with its Burgundian cousins.”

Circa, The Prince, (03) 9536 1122, www.circa.com.au.

This article appeared in the April/May issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.