Sommelier Masters Art of Enjoying Wine

When other kids in George Miliotes’ neighborhood were kicking around a soccer ball, Miliotes could be found in his father’s café and market in Orlando, Fla., performing menial tasks, such as dusting off wine bottles. A seemingly pathetic scenario, but the industrious 12-year-old made good use of his time.

He read the back of the wine bottles and often chatted with the wine sales people who regularly stopped by. In odd bits and pieces, Miliotes eventually learned quite a bit about the wines of France and Germany.

Those restaurant experiences got the ball rolling for Miliotes, who eventually passed the grueling certification exam to become one of 142 Master Sommeliers in the world in 2007. Miliotes, however, likes to recall the event that tripped the wine switch in him.

“When I was 17, the family went to Germany and to a winery called Schloss Eltz in the Reingau,” recalled Miliotes during a lunch at Seasons 52 in Dunwoody. Miliotes is the director of beverage and hospitality for the seven-restaurant chain with locations in Florida and Georgia. “Mom and dad tasted a bunch of their wines and after the tasting, the lady asked if they wanted to go in the back to taste some ‘special’ wines.”

His mom opted out. So did his older sister. The tour guide asked Miliotes’ dad if his son would be interested in tasting rare, expensive dessert wines. Of course, he was. “We tasted their amazing 1976 auslese, beerenauslese and their trockenbeerenauslese,” said Miliotes as if he was recalling his first kiss. “I had never tasted anything like that. I remember walking out of the room and saying to my dad, ‘What’s up with those wines? I want to learn about them.’ When I got back home, the German wine section was well attended to.”

Eventually, Miliotes interests spread out far beyond the valleys of the Rhine River. He left his father’s employ but remained in the restaurant business and went on to build award-winning wine lists for the Orlando landmark Chris’ House of Beef. Eventually, he nabbed a high-profile position in the hospitality world as the general manager for the California Grill, one of Disney World’s premier restaurant and wine destinations, where he completely revamped its exemplary wine program.

With one of the most diverse, interesting and inexpensive lists in Atlanta with 70 wines by the glass, Miliotes is well on his way toward creating another championship wine program for Seasons 52.

Miliotes was supposed to sit down for about an hour with me to talk about restaurants, wine lists and impossibly hard wine certifications. Three hours later, the charming, affable wine geek had to break off our chat to conduct a wine seminar for the staff. Here are some highlights of our conversation.

Q: What does it take to become a Master Sommelier?

A: It was a 10-year journey for me to reach MS. I put my foot in the water with [Certified Wine Educator] certification. Then I said to myself what certification combines the knowledge, tasting ability and the service component? The answer was with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

You have to be self-driven to become an MS. You have to want to hit the books. You have to get the wines for the tasting. You have to get out to tastings. You have to be out in the circles of people who taste old Bordeaux, because most people can’t afford that. But it was absolutely worth it.

Q: What is the test like?

A: You have to pass the Introductory, Certified and Advanced Sommelier courses. At the Master’s level, you are invited to sit for the exam. You have three days of testing. There is verbal exam of approximately 75 questions. There is a service section exam that has four stations for you to negotiate. Then there is a tasting section where you have to defend six wines that you must identify down to region, varietal and vintage.

What makes MS special to me is that it is a service oriented certification. There are other high-level certifications that don’t have a service component. I think that in the hospitality business, service is of the utmost importance.

Q: The word “Master” seems a bit overstated, can you truly be a master of such a broad subject like wine?

A: I think the point being made with term “master” sommelier is that when I’m on the floor, I’m a sommelier at the highest level in my demeanor and actions. It is true, I’m a fairly competent sommelier. Am I a master of in all areas of the world of wine? C’mon! Nobody is a master of everything. When I taste with [Master Sommelier] Virginia Philip, I’m humbled. She has the best palate and can detect things that leave me stunned. Are there other people who have forgotten more information about Napa than I actually know? Absolutely.

Q: With your trained palate, do people try to stump you with wines?

A: From time to time, but I say “bring it on!” Not too long ago, I was over a friend’s house and this guy wanted to get me. We had already had a few wines, which makes it more difficult, when he took out this bottle and asked me, “OK, what is it?” Fortunately, he poured one of the easiest wines in the world to ID, a low end zin. I got the varietal, name of the region and the year.

Q: Does being an MS impede your ability to just enjoy a simple glass of wine?

A: I am an equal opportunity drinker. I love beer, wine and spirits. I enjoy drinking them all. In the end, I ask myself like anybody, “Does it taste good and is it enjoyable?” On Saturday, I celebrate my 46th birthday. I’ll pop a German rielsing; I’ll pop a bottle of cab from Napa and I will simply enjoy them.

If you want to be jealous of someone, George Miliotes is your man. Not only does he know more about wine than you, he runs sub-50 minute 10K races.

I’m taking a summer break from my wine picks. Pinch-hitter George Miliotes suggests four wines that he likes during the warm weather months. The Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down scale is also taking a week off.

2007 Paso a Paso Verdejo, La Mancha, Spain

• $10

• Ripe peach and lemon aromas jump out of the glass. Medium-bodied with a crisp, citrus finish, it is a beautiful accompaniment to summer seafood.

2007 Aveleda Trajadura/Loureiro, Vinho-Verde, Portugal

• $9

• There is no better by-the-pool wine than Vinho Verde. Low in alcohol, with a bit of sparkle, one can drink it all day or serve it with varied appetizers. Not for sniffing and swirling, it is for simple enjoyment.

2006 Selbach-Oster Riesling, Mosel, Germany

• $20

• This dexterous wine goes equally well with sushi, spicy southwest, Indian dishes or pork and chicken off the grill. Its secret is balancing fresh fruitiness with brilliant Granny Smith apple acidity.

2006 Scott Paul, La Paulée, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

• $55

• La Paulée is a luxury cuvée from the finest lots of Scott Paul’s organically farmed vineyards. It has intense aromas and flavors of ripe cherries, strawberries and raspberries in a silky format only pinot noir can attain.