Breaking Up The Somms of Anarchy: Why Ending Bad Behavior In Wine Is a Win For Us All

If you read The New York Times or enjoy restaurant drama, you probably know that Anthony Cailan, whose brother Alvin owns and operates the popular Los Angeles born restaurant chain Eggslut, recently resigned from his role as The Usual’s Beverage Director. The fact there is a restaurant chain that uses the word slut in its marketing material may raise a few eyebrows, but Anthony Cailan’s documented behavior is much worse. It’s always amazing to see someone who can talk so poetically about crushed grapes turn out to be a pig, but it’s no surprise when restaurant culture has been modeled as a real life Animal House. Though Cailan is an adult who makes his own bed, which it looks like he forcibly tried to lead women to, he’s also a product of the environment he works in. He’s certainly not the first or last sommelier to make unwanted advances, but he serves as the most recent example of why the wine world needs to change.

Can anything curb bad behavior in the wine world? Photo: The Usual/Instagram

One of our favorite sommeliers, Victoria James of the immaculate Cote Korean Steakhouse in Manhattan and eventually Miami (Fall 2020 is the proposed opening date we hear), penned an amazing op-ed published by Eater discussing the Chad-like culture of New York City’s wine buyers. That culture includes dropping the word “Fuckable” in a not so flattering quote at wine tasting event. It’s an excellent read for anyone curious about how wine finds its way onto a restaurant table. More importantly, it shows us how much farther we all need to travel in order to make the world of hospitality a more inviting place. To put it nicely, the world of wine buyers is an essential part of what makes restaurants profitable. They help shape drinking trends and put overlooked wineries in the spotlight for guests. It’s also a club made up of mostly white men whose tastes tend to gravitate towards white male owned wineries, leaving everyone else on the outside looking in. Though we’re not doubting the wines they choose are excellent and have every right to be on their menu, the idea of diversity in wine is something that is sorely needed. The more diversity we have, the more perspectives on what wines taste good, and the closer we can get to pouring our perfect glass. Do you honestly think only Italy, France, and California produce the world’s best wines? Do you not realize there are some amazing women and minority-owned wineries that are making game changing wines? As a guest paying top dollar to eat and drink at a restaurant, wouldn’t you expect a wine buyer to take into account different tastes, different wine production methods, and thinking outside the box in order to deliver a great guest experience?

So what we can we do? When we dine out, ask our server or sommelier who selected these wines we’re seeing on our menu, why were only those regions chosen, and are they giving serious consideration to female and minority-owned wineries. Change typically comes from within, but a little outside chatter never hurts either. After all, we’re gonna need something to parch our thirst with anyway after all that talking.