| The Som-Whisperer: get him eating out of your hand | | | | By: Jennifer Rosen | << back  Page 2 of 2 |
“What about you? What are you passionate about?” And just like that, you are no longer a bland, faceless customer. You have become an adventurous spirit, one of his tribe. What’s more, you care about his tastes. The rewards are twofold. You will encounter the hippest, cutting-edgest of wines; something wonderful, wild and woolly that could never come from a factory. Plus, get a som cranked up enough about his baby and sooner or later he will be compelled to utter the phrase you’ve been waiting for:
“No, really! I’m so sure you’re going to love it - if you don’t, I’ll take it back.”
Which he will, and drink with pleasure in the kitchen. This phrase disarms the whole rejection issue. Wine should be sent back only if flawed. Never, a) to show what a big shot you are or b) because you just don’t like it. Now that you’ve engaged the som, however, you’re free to say, “Hey, thanks for trying, but I really can’t get into this.”
Assuming you do like it, though, always offer both som and waiters a taste. This is courteous and useful for them. Plus it injects some fun into their long, exhausting night of work. Don’t worry about “giving away” your wine. This move will repay itself many times over. Especially if you launch the bonus question:
“If you happen to open something that would help me learn more, and I could get just a tiny taste of it, I’d really appreciate the opportunity.” Offer to pay, of course, but you seldom will. If they go for it, a funny thing happens. Once they start, they can’t stop. You’ll be offered tastes of everything from Pinot to Perrier. You must be extremely gracious, polite and thankful. And always tip handsomely for this sort of experience.
At a restaurant dinner in New York featuring wine critic Robert Parker Jr., I offered a copy of my book, Waiter, There’s a Horse in My Wine, to a gentleman at my table. “You’ll learn all kinds of stuff about wine,” I explained, “while spitting it out your nose laughing.” With a patronizing little smile and nod, he answered, “I don’t think so, dear. I already know all about wine.” Which doesn’t say much for Mr. Parker, who read his copy cover-to-cover on the plane to France and wrote lovely things about it on his website. But then I’ll bet that man’s mom never had to play Come in Tokyo.
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