Vancouver Wine Interviews

Ramón Fresneda - 

The first thought that came into my head when I walked into the Five Sails; this has to be the greatest view in Vancouver. Panoramic views of Stanley Park, the Lions Gate Bridge, Cypress, Grouse Mountain and West Vancouver wrap around the restaurant.

I had the opportunity to sit with Gerry Sayers (Five Sails, Restaurant Director/Owner) and Ramon Fresneda and discuss the wine program at the Five Sails. They had just received their allocation of 2005 Bordeaux. Ramón was putting away the first growths while I walked through the kitchen. Gerry made the comment to me "its like a boy with his Halloween candy. To me it seemed more like a kid at Christmas who had just got all his gifts. Gerry gave him that look my Mom used to give me after birthdays and Christmas; the you better not ask for anything else look.

The wine list includes a comprehensive selection of New and Old World wines, with a good assortment from some of BC's finest boutique wineries. I was really impressed when I saw the BC and International wine flights on the list. I don't think enough restaurants do this anymore. The Five Sails has a bottle for every occasion, with Bordeaux vintages going back to the mid-nineties. For the savvy shopper who prefers to drink the expensive bottle at home before they head to the restaurant there is still a handful of wines in the fifty to sixty dollar range.

I haven't had the opportunity to eat in the Five Sails, but I've never worked with a Chef or F&B Director who didn't have great things to say about Chef Ernst Dorfler. Most of them worked under him at one time or another.

What general advice can you give about pairing food and wine?
Perhaps the single most important thing to keep in mind when pairing wine and food is local food with local wine is the rule. Having said this we cannot forget some of the following rules for successful food and wine matches; the weight of the food should be similar to the weight of the wine, high acidity food are better matched with high acidity wines, sweet with salty, spicy with high acidity and/or medium dry wines, high iron foods will destroy tannic red wines. The best way to find about food and wine paring is to taste, taste, and taste.

How would you describe the wine program at the Five Sails?
I would describe our wine program at the Five Sails as focused. By knowing our very diverse clientele we are able to choose that special bottle for almost everybody that comes in. Whether our guest is budget conscious, looking for a hard to get wine or a "boutique style wine" wanting a bottle of B.C. wine that he/she is not likely to find at the B.C. wine stores, having a bottle of wine that complements our cuisine's theme, or the purely hedonistic guest, we try to have that bottle of wine for them.

For your own personal consumption, and entertaining at home, what wines do you always have on hand?
I always try to have at home wines that are fit to serve depending on the season or occasion, during the summer I like to have at home; a Rose, light and crisp wines both red and whites in the cooler, depending on the weather bigger reds and whites are usually what I buy. Sparkling wines are always a must, as well as some wines that I have not tasted before.

Do you have any under-the-radar wine suggestions?
I do have a few under the radar wines, one is a brand new winery out of Naramata called Marichel, they make a beautiful Viognier and a very nice "old world" style Syrah, also Blackwood Lane winery out of the Fraser Valley makes a red blend called Vicuna with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir that is as wonderful as it is atypical, and a $14 dollar Carmenere from Casillero del Diablo that tastes more like it should be in the $30 dollar range.

What is the hardest dish on the dinner menu at Five Sails to pair with wine, and what do you pair it with?
Perhaps the one dish I have the most challenges matching is our Lobster Bisque, I have found some suitable matches such as; Amontillado Sherry and fuller bodied Chablis, but I haven't found a match that I can say that takes my breath away.

What are some of the more unusual pairings you recommend at Five Sails?
I once recommended an Australian Shiraz with Black/purple beet-root salad that paired heavenly together. Another of my favourite food/wine pairing is inky Shiraz with Chocolate and Pedro Ximenez with plain vanilla ice cream.

What tips to you have for people picking a wine from a restaurant list?
My recommendation for someone that is going to pick a bottle of wine from our cellar is to ask either myself or one of our very well trained servers for advice, I will always encourage my guest to be adventurous and try something outside of their comfort zone, as a Sommelier I will never know everything about wine but I take pride of knowing my wine list and I will always suggest something that I feel absolutely comfortable that my guest will enjoy.

What is your dream bottle?
The best bottle of wine that I have ever tasted was the Chateau Palmer 1961, died and gone to heaven does not even get close to explaining the experience. This was around seven years ago, I do not think that it is still as wonderful now as it might be passed its peak. I do however have my eye on the 1998 Chateau Le Pin, will keep you posted.

What is your favourite wine region?
My favourite wine region right now is the Priorato in Spain. I love their wine because their ability to be drinkable at a young age, but has tremendous potential for those with the patience to wait. What I also like about this region is that their wine laws allow winemakers to use international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot together with their traditional varieties.