Young sommelier has high hopes for Birmingham wine scene

A young wine sommelier has returned from his travels to take up residence in his hometown, as the head wine guru at Hotel du Vin on Church Street.

Hailing from Castle Bromwich originally, Oscar Malek, 24, spent six years studying in France, before going on to work as a bartender and then as a wine merchant.

His first sommelier gig came when he joined the Chewton Glen, a 5-star hotel in Hampshire. A Head Sommelier job on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye was soon to follow, as Michelin-starred restaurant The Three Chimneys called on Oscar's services.

Now Birmingham has claimed its own, as the seasoned wine expert will be on hand to share his wisdom with diners at Hotel du Vin. The venue that prides itself on its wine credentials and plans a series of tasting events over the coming months.

We caught up with Oscar Malek to get his insights on wine, in Birmingham and in general:

Birmingham's wine scene - is it up to scratch?

Birmingham has a vibrant and promising wine scene. The likes of Hotel du Vin, along with the Michelin-starred restaurants Purnell's and Simpson's as well as wine shops such as Connelly's, have already paved the way for other restaurants and wine bars to be more adventurous with their listings.

Loki Wines in the Great Western Arcade are currently sporting one of the most exciting ranges in the city!

What type of wine do you think people around here enjoy?

I believe that folk from the heart of the country will have just as varied palates as any other group of individuals. But they may not be as used to seeing the funkier wines of Japan, Mexico, Uruguay, Tasmania and Luxembourg, for example.

It doesn't mean to say they won't enjoy them - we simply need to make that initial introduction! I get the feeling that I'll be selling a lot of Malbec from Argentina and Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough until I can convince a few diners to try something a little different, that they might be able to find on the high street.

So you'll be encouraging people to be more adventurous then! And what are your favourite wines?

I enjoy the dry, aromatic whites of Northern Italy, Washington State and Austria, whereas I prefer reds from the South of Spain, Lebanon and Israel, Australia and California. I am a huge fan of dessert wines; particularly Ice Wines from Austria, Germany and Canada.

Some of my favourite grape varieties are Riesling, Viognier, Gruner Veltliner, Grenache, Monastrell, Cabernet Franc…

Sounds like the list goes on and on!

So, any predictions for 2015 - what's hot in wine world?

English sparkling wines are certainly on the rise. I was responsible for creating the largest selection of English and Welsh wines in the country down at Chewton Glen so I'm a big advocate.

We're also seeing an increasing appreciation of Austrian and German wines, as well as those from North America and Canada. I hope this year that we'll see more demand for cool and exciting grapes such as Viognier, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Petit Verdot and Nebbiolo.

Author: ahmed