Wine Lessons Learned from the Famed Duo Behind El Bulli

After a special opportunity in New York City, Truluck’s Beverage Director Dave Mattern shares what he learned.

When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dine and learn from some of the most influential people in the restaurant industry comes knocking, you can’t say no.

Recently, Truluck’s Beverage Director Dave Mattern received such an invitation: to dine with Ferran Adriá, acclaimed chef of El Bulli, and Ferran Centelles, the sommelier behind El Bulli. El Bulli was notably renowned as “the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet” before it closed in 2011.

Now, Adriá and Centelles have published Wines, an eight-volume series on gastronomy and wine, as part of the Bullipedia educational foundation.

“Wines is an amazing resource for those of us who work in hospitality, to spread knowledge about this beguiling beverage,” Mattern says.

The release party took place at Carnegie Hall in New York City with cava producer Juve & Camps.

“These volumes on wine cover much ground and there are many beautiful pieces of knowledge to bring to our teams at Truluck’s,” Mattern says. “They connect us to the industry and a vast sea of knowledge on wine.”

Take the age-old wine tip to open a bottle and let it breathe before pouring, for example. Adriá and Centelles discovered that popping the cork and letting the bottle sit doesn’t work the way we were told.

“No oxygen gets into the wine, or very little, because the wine in the neck of the bottle is effectively blocking the air,” Mattern says. “Lesson learned: To allow a wine to breathe, you must decant it!”

Adriá and Centelles also discovered the oldest written wine list dating back to 1803 in—where else—Paris.

“A 220-year history curating wine lists. I love it, and I hope our team at Truluck’s is inspired to make and work with the best wine list we can make,” Mattern says.

In the end, Wines argues that the wine and everyone involved—from growers and enologists to merchants and restauranteurs—is for customer satisfaction. “Customer emotions are the center of gravity,” the authors say.

Mattern couldn’t agree more. “Hospitality is at the core of these beautiful books,” he says. “Hedonistic pleasure though food and wine, and food and wine together, is higher order inspiration for our Truluck’s team.”

Sip and savor every delicious minute at Truluck’s. Make a reservation today. Your table is waiting.