If one doubts the commitment Taylor Parsons had in spreading wine to his public when he was an active sommelier, one only need to look at his last stop, République, a case study in bringing wine to its rightful prominence. Everywhere there were displays and processes going on that let you know that it was time to drink wine. The nightly wine choices mirrored the nightly choices coming from from the kitchen in equipoise and were displayed on a 70-strong list unique to the evening. If one needed to go deep into Burgundy or Champagne, there was still a startlingly large list which also moved through many other wine terrestria and price points.
Here Taylor describes what can happen when a committed staff and operator meet up with a receptive consumer base: a positive feedback loop where the receptivity of the customer begets further levels of hospitality and investment.
We also talk about Taylor’s life and movement to and out of restaturant work as well as other varied subjects such as practical limits of sustainability, affordable wine lists and new wine categories. To conclude, Taylor reveals the boundaries of where we can expect his upcoming bottleshop to land.