Profile-LATE

Wine experts have a stereotype of being uptight and uninviting. What is the big deal about wine anyway? Is it really that serious that there are such things as wine experts who study it? Apparently, you don’t know Brian Nicholas.

Brian Nicholas is dressed in a sharp black suit and a bright satin pink tie when he walks over to greet me. His height is average: not too tall, not too short. A smile breaks across his face, and I realize he is much younger than I expected. When I heard his title was a wine sommelier, in other words a wine expert, I expected a boring, uptight businessman. Not the case. His attire is a bit intimidating for a casual interview, but then again, it is taking place at his job. “Hey, I’m Brian. Great to meet you!” Already, I feel like a jerk for judging his profession. He seems like a nice guy. He grabs a seat next to me and sets down two empty glasses. I should have known, free wine!

Brian has worked for Village Restaurant on Santana Row for over a year now. Thanks to his professionalism and personable character, he was offered a job at the Village as a wine sommelier. At his previous job, A.P. Stumps, he worked very closely with their wine sommelier and picked up much of what he knows about wine today. Brian wasn’t afraid of change; “I knew I was young when I was offered the sommelier position. I had just finished my Radio/TV degree at San Jose State, but I fell in love with the hospitality field, more so the interaction I had with customers. I needed autonomy, and this job was going to give me that”. Any regrets? Don’t count on it. Brian is a Level 2 sommelier, which means he passed the wine exam required to become a Level 1 sommelier. He spent two days at a wine seminar in Monterey, and did a 70-question exam, followed by a blind taste in which he had to identify different characteristics of wine. He recently passed his second exam bumping him up to a Level 2 sommelier. This is quite an accomplishment for the 26-year old who dreams of opening up his own restaurant. 

A server dressed in all black brings over a bottle of wine to our table. Brian explains what he loves most about his job, teaching others about wine. After demonstrating proper wine etiquette, we take a sip. I notice Brian has a way of making people feel comfortable about trying wine. From his careful and poised manner of opening the bottle to his perfect pour in which the label on the bottle is facing me the entire time, Brian is definitely deserving of his title. Although there was certainly not enough time to discuss all of his wine knowledge, he did bring me up to speed on what to look for in this bottle of wine, as far as characteristics. I was blown away. The taste of wine is affected by so many different factors. Wine knowledge was almost like an art. It made more sense after speaking with Brian.

What next for this young self-starter? Brian plans to build his knowledge by moving up to the highest level of sommelier expertise, and eventually opening up his own fine dining restaurant. I don’t know much about Brian, except that he is made for this industry. Every guest who walked in, Brian caught in the corner of his eye. He even excused himself once after hearing a guest ask for seating that could not be accommodated. “I’m very sorry for interrupting our interview, I just had to make sure we could help those guests.“  He is sincere in his apology. I know he is just doing his job, and a job he loves. As we approach the end of our interview, Brian makes sure to let me know I can come back anytime for questions about wine or even to dine at the Village. Before I leave, I ask him what really made him turn to wine. He thought for a quick 10 seconds and responded, “Everyday, I awake with a new passion and a new reason for going into work. But the one thing that can never be topped is my first memory of being a young kid and going into wineries, and just smelling the damp oak and dry wine.” His eyes lit up as he reminisced and I thought, this man is the perfect person for this job.