INTERVIEW: Sommelier Andy Benn

 As part of our interview series, we kick off with Sommelier friend and past colleague of Emily: Andy Benn. Hailing from Croydon, UK. Andy is considered one of Berlin's notable somms. He is the restaurant manager at one of our favourite spots in Berlin: Barra.

Andy oversees the wine list with restaurant owner Kerry Westhead.

 

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I followed the well trodden path from failed artist to hospitality professional. Having worked on and off in restaurants as a side gig for many years, I started taking it a lot more seriously in 2016. That coincided with me working under the guidance of Emily Harman!

Chilled out entertainer. 

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All jokes aside, I hate wine service where the goal is to make the guest feel as intimidated and uncomfortable as possible. You’re always going to end up patronising and pissing people off, especially those that know what they want - be that something straight forward or a special bottle. 

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At Barra, we try to help people in communicating what they want, and to do so without making them feel stupid if they're unsure.

Sometimes in amongst all the verticals and blind tastings it can be difficult to remember what made you fall in love with wine in the first place. For me a nice bottle and some delicious food shared with people you hold dear will always trump a load of priceless bottles served in a vertical with some industry colleagues or connoisseurs you may hardly tolerate. 

Three come to mind.

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Once my dear friend, and owner of Barra, Kerry and I decided I was going to work at the restaurant, we shared a bottle of Gonon Saint Joseph 2015 which was spellbinding. 

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I spent a week working with Philine Isabelle in 2021 and ended a tasting through the cellar on our last morning together with her first vintage of Barolo Preda, at that time still in tank. 

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On my first holiday with my partner, Sam, we went to Consorzio in Turin and toasted our love with Bartolo Mascarello's Barolo from 2017. 

All were ecstatic moments, but as a hopeless romantic, I’d pick the evening in Turin.

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Mark Twain said "I never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German”. The same could be said of wine. It’s a cliche but the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know. Remember that, especially at milestones. 

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What do you think affects the guest experience the most (other than the wine)? 

How well the service person listens. That means not only listening to the words coming out of the guest's mouth (which isn't as common as it should be), but also listening empathetically. Are they thinking about why someone might be saying what they’re saying and treating that with the respect it deserves? All too often sommeliers jump to conclusions based upon 2-3 words or someone’s appearance, which is unforgivable. 

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If you were to champion anything, what would it be? 

At the risk of sounding like a turkey that’s voting for Christmas, more female sommeliers. There are already far too many hyper masculine male dominated wine bars/restaurants in the world. Diversity of opinion is so important when executing a space where a broad array of people are to feel welcome - so don’t stop with gender. Many male-owned and -run establishments cater to a similarly narrow demographic, which is no coincidence. 

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In the subjective world of tasting, where your mood, what you had for breakfast, and a thousand other things can affect your opinion, having people around you with a different perspective is only positive. Only people that think they’re right all the time would disagree. 

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What do you enjoy most about the work you do? 

It’s another cliche but it’s never the same! The guests, the ingredients, the vintages, the vineyards, it’s all in a constant state of flux. For someone with a short little span of attention like me, it’s heaven! 

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What would be your wine choice in the following situations: 

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Dessert Island

It would have to be Nebbiolo that has you dangling on a string. That dance between elegance, structure, perfume, and power can bring me to tears. Tension and release! I love Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello, Philine Isabelle, Lorenzo Accomasso, Giovanni Canonica. Any of the above would do. 

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Picnic Wine

Something robust and immediately tasty that you don’t mind sharing. Plus points if it’s good from plastic cups. Punchy Chenin with an unspoken few grams of sugar? Bernadeau if you're lucky enough to have a few bottles lying around.

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Relaxation

Meunier dominant Champagne. Closerie or Brochet.

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Tell us your wine secret

I sell natural wine and I've never been to Copenhagen. 

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