Hotel Wine Wizards
I am a bona fide wine nerd who enjoys wine in a variety of places—at home, restaurants, wineries—but I also happen to drink a fair amount of wine in hotels. You can learn a great deal about a hotel experience by taking a look at their wine options. Is this going to be a classic hotel experience with lauded wine labels from Napa and Bordeaux? Or is the hotel going for an eclectic vibe with surprising grape varieties from less-explored wine regions?
I recently became curious about who is creating the wine lists at some of our favorite hotels in the area. In addition to their signature restaurants, these individuals are also selecting the wine that is available at the hotel bars and in-room dining. They can really make or break your hotel experience. What are their stories? How did they attain these positions of power dictating what their guests are drinking? What is their approach when selecting their wine lists?
ZACHARI DUNES ON MANDALAY BEACH
Zachari Dunes is an all-suite oceanfront resort situated on Mandalay Beach in Oxnard. Their all-day restaurant, Ox & Ocean, has outstanding food, beautiful ocean views and a wine list crafted by their director of food and beverage, Ricardo Cubias.
Ricardo holds the Advanced Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and has 20 years of experience in the wine industry, including opening luxury hotels in Rancho Palos Verdes and Del Mar. He joined Zachari Dunes two years ago and recently started a monthly Sommelier Showcase wine series at Ox & Ocean that takes place on the third Saturday of each month. Ricardo says it is “an immersive journey that empowers guests to delve fully into the intricacies of winemaking.”
Curating their wine list involves selecting wines that offer a range of styles, regions and price points to cater to their customers’ preferences. Ricardo says, “I prioritize wines that showcase quality, uniqueness and value, while also considering current trends and customer feedback.”
He also aims “to offer wines that complement and enhance the flavors of our cuisine, providing guests with memorable dining experiences,” by working closely with Executive Chef Damien Giliberti to create inventive pairings for each dish.
Zachari Dunes offers natural, organic and biodynamic wines to cater to the preferences of environmentally conscious customers. “Customers generally react positively to these bottles, appreciating their sustainable practices and unique flavor profiles,” he says.
Ricardo’s current favorite bottle on the list is the 2022 Gainey Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Ynez. He describes the wine as having “tightly wound aromas of green flowers, grass and chilled apple with a sharp citrus core of lime zest.” It is an excellent pairing for either the mussels or seabass on their menu.
(left) Melissa Lamb, Ojai Valley Inn, Photo courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn; (right) Billie Rolla, Foley Family Wines, Photo courtesy of Hotel Californian
OJAI VALLEY INN
Melissa Lamb, director of food and beverage at the Ojai Valley Inn (OVI), oversees all hotel restaurants as well as The Farmhouse, the resort’s culinary events center. Melissa started her career in the wine industry in 2012, planning events for a wine and food nonprofit. She quickly realized she had a passion for wine and made the leap to working in restaurants soon after.
“I’ve worked in independent restaurants, corporate restaurants and now hotels,” she says. Melissa has been at OVI for the last seven years and is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators.
As the Inn’s resident expert, Melissa is not only responsible for developing their beverage program, but also putting her personal stamp on engaging wine, beer and spirits tastings at the property. The ever-evolving beverage landscape of new producers, new products and new trends keeps Melissa inspired and fuels her fervor for the business.
“Our wine list focuses on classic wine regions with a strong focus on Central Coast producers,” she says. She looks for wines that are noteworthy, interesting and food friendly. “Wine and food are so integral to each other, and together, can be a magical experience for the guest.” Melissa’s goal is to introduce Ojai Valley Inn guests not only to celebrated labels from across California, but also, hopefully, to some new and innovative wines that she is especially excited about.
Regarding sustainability, Melissa says, “We have many selections that are following organic and biodynamic practices and a few natural wines.”
As for her favorite bottle on the current list? “I’m really into Niklas Sauvignon Alto Adige 2022,” she says. “I’m loving this lively, bright Sauvignon Blanc from this small family winery in Northern Italy.”
HOTEL CALIFORNIAN
Hotel Californian is a luxury hotel located in Santa Barbara’s vibrant Funk Zone. The hotel is part of Foley Entertainment Group, which allows for collaboration with Foley Family Wines. Hotel Californian offers a strong wine program throughout the property, but is most evident at The Society: State & Mason wine tasting room. The Society features over 70 different wines from the Foley Family Wines portfolio and rotates wines that best represent the spirit and premium quality of their different wineries.
Billie Rolla, a senior trade relations ambassador and wine educator with Foley Family Wines, grew up in the restaurant industry and has long been fascinated with wine. In graduate school, she studied ancient wine through Latin and Greek texts and focused her master’s thesis on a diachronic study of ancient Greek wine. But Billie realized that if she truly wanted to understand wine (ancient or not), she needed to understand how it was made.
“I moved to Santa Barbara in 2017 and worked harvest in 2018—there was no going back.” She began the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) course of study and is currently working on her WSET diploma.
Billie began working with the Hotel Californian team in 2021 and currently coordinates pairing wine for their monthly Winemaker Dinners and hosts monthly Wine Labs offering “geeky but fun deep dives into different facets of wine.” She also works closely with Hotel Californian’s Executive Chef Travis Watson. “I break down the flavor profile and structural elements of the wine for Chef, who comes up with some exceptionally paired dishes,” she says. Billie’s current go-to bottle is the Silverado Vineyards GEO Cabernet Sauvignon coming from Napa. “I am a die-hard Cabernet fan, and this cooler region with volcanic soils coming off the slopes of Mt. George brings out all the beautiful complexity, structure and age-ability Cabernet can offer.”
Georg Vaessen, Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village, Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel
THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, WESTLAKE VILLAGE
In Westlake Village, The Four Seasons Hotel has a wide variety of wine offerings on property including at their California brasserie, Coin & Candor; their new Cove Pool, Kitchen & Bar; and their weekend late-night speakeasy, Prosperous Penny. Overseeing the wine program is Assistant Director of Food and Beverage Georg Vaessen, who has been with the property since 2016. Georg has always been fascinated by beverages, especially wine. “I love everything about it,” he says. “The complexity, the art of making it, that it’s slightly mysterious and the fact that you never know everything about it.”
Georg recalls staying at a historic hotel in Switzerland when he was younger. The hotel had a beautiful wine cellar with over 5,000 different wines, he says, and “they took my dad and me to the cave every day before dinner to select a bottle. I loved the sommelier since he had more time than anyone else on the floor to connect with the guest and make our experience special.”
When curating the wine menu, Georg believes there should be something for everyone. They have a diverse wine list, ranging in price from $60 to $2,400 a bottle and featuring established brands alongside esoteric wines that offer great value.
The hotel’s Executive Chef Jesus Medina works with many local purveyors and farmers to craft their restaurant menus, so it makes sense to have the same approach with their wine list. Georg highlights the best of the best from the nearby Santa Barbara wine region.
Many people now, including Georg, are preferring wines with minimal intervention, so they include sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines on their menu like Scar of the Sea, Elizabeth Spencer, Frog’s Leap and more.
Georg enjoys pairing wine with the mood guests are in. The wine list at the hotel changes frequently, so Georg’s favorite wine is “the wine that surprises a guest and exceeds their expectations for the price they are paying.”
(left) Jeremy Hamm is the wine director at Westlake Village Inn; (right) Tim Desmond is “the wine guy” at The Stonehaus, Photos courtesy of Westlake Village Inn
WESTLAKE VILLAGE INN
Westlake Village Inn is another wine destination boasting Mediterraneo, their signature restaurant; Bogie’s, a stylish nightclub and happy hour spot; and The Stonehaus, a working European-style vineyard and winery, offering an exciting wine list and in-house wine program.
Westlake Village Inn has two seasoned wine experts at the helm: Jeremy Hamm, the wine director and beverage manager, who recently marked his 10-year anniversary with the inn, and Tim Desmond, the wine manager at The Stonehaus.
Jeremy started his wine journey as a bar manager of a French bistro and later worked at a winery in Santa Ynez, which cultivated his interest in the science of winemaking, wine production and vineyard management.
His eagerness to try new things has made him a perfect fit for the wine industry. “My personality has always naturally helped on the hospitality side of the industry, but the who, what, why is what keeps me learning and growing,” Jeremy says. “As a wine buyer, you must remember wine is subjective, and we buy amazing wines for our guests, not for ourselves.”
His favorite wine? “That’s like choosing your favorite child!” Jeremy laughs. “But two wines I have been loving recently are the Barone di Villagrande, Etna Bianco from Sicily and the Francois Villard Saint-Joseph Poivre et Sol from the northern Rhone Valley of France.”
Tim started as a wine steward at The Stonehaus when it opened nearly 12 years ago. “I have worked in wine my whole life—in all three tiers of the system—producer, wholesaler, retailer.” This experience benefitted him as he worked his way up to wine manager. At The Stonehaus, they have 60 wines by the glass which Tim selects with care. He looks for wines with good varietal character that come from family-owned wineries. Tim has a fondness for good-value wines from Santa Barbara, the Central Coast and Paso Robles. He would say the menu is about 80% California or West Coast. You can order a half glass, whole glass or the bottle at The Stonehaus. Currently, Tim’s favorite bottle on the list is the Melville Estate Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills.
Photo courtesy of Hotel California
WHAT IS A SOMMELIER?
A sommelier specializes in all aspects of wine knowledge and wine service. Somms gain their designation through a combination of wine study and work experience. Wine certifications can lead to jobs like wine educators, distributors, sellers or producers, or hotel or restaurant wine directors like those in our story. Wine education requires a considerable investment in time and money, so if you are interested in pursuing certifications, you’ll want to pick the program that best fits your goals.
CMS (The Court of Master Sommeliers)—Four levels of sommelier certification: Introductory Sommelier Course, Certified Sommelier, Advanced Sommelier and Master Sommelier. Best for aspiring restaurant sommeliers, as this program has a strong service component. Master Sommelier is considered the highest level that can be obtained in wine knowledge and service—there are currently fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers in the world.
WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust)—Four qualification levels in wine, ranging from Introductory level 1 to level 4, which is an intense diploma certification. Focuses on wine knowledge and is perfect for those who work in the wine trade as well as wine enthusiasts. This can serve as a stepping-stone to Master of Wine.
IMW (Institute of Masters of Wine)—More academic and theoretical in approach than CMS. Focuses on winemaking philosophies, wine analysis and the business of wine. The Master of Wine designation is considered the highest standard of professional wine knowledge—there are currently fewer than 500 Masters of Wine in the world.
SWE (Society of Wine Educators)—The Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) credential focuses on wine knowledge and mastery of viticulture and winemaking. The Certified Wine Educator (CWE) credential combines wine knowledge with a focus on tasting acumen and teaching ability. Perfect for those interested in the wine education field.
