Watch as Eleven Madison Park's Wine Director, Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson, shares his approach to wine service and demonstrates how to delight guests with unforgettable experiences.
There's an art to superior service, and the team at Eleven Madison Park has mastered it. The restaurant has earned three Michelin stars, a four-star review in The New York Times, and a coveted spot on San Pellegrino's list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, among many other accolades. But, as Wine Director Dustin Wilson explains, they are always thinking ahead. "The work that we have to do in the future needs to be as if we've never won anything."
With wine service, striking a balance between elegant, approachable, and educational can be challenging -- especially at a place like Eleven Madison Park, where the world-renowned wine list runs more than 160 pages long. Dustin and his team aim to create fun tableside experiences for guests, with dramatic and memorable presentations.
One example is a course called Botrytis, based on a Hungarian tradition of serving sweet wine in crystal spoons. He uses a fife to draw the wine out of the bottle and into a tiny spoon made my local glass blowers. Guests sip from the spoon as they enjoy a complementary dessert, culminating in a meal finale that truly wows.
"Service is such a big part of what we do," says Dustin. "We've taken that same approach of fun and seriousness -- fun and high standards, so to speak."
Watch the video above to see the Botrytis course in action and get inspired to take wine service to a whole new level.