It may feel unusual for a chef to speak about wine.
Traditionally, wine belongs to the realm of sommeliers.
Yet as a chef, I find myself drawn first not to the bottle, but to the vineyard.
Before the grapes, I look at the soil.
The stones, the dryness of the earth, the way the wind moves through the rows.
It is the same instinct I have when I look at the sea before choosing fish.
Cuisine is the accumulation of ingredients.
Wine, too, is the accumulation of a place.
What rests quietly in the barrel reflects not only technique, but philosophy.
Without understanding that philosophy,
one cannot truly speak about harmony with food.
When you stand with the grower,
touch the soil,
and breathe the air of the vineyard before lifting the glass,
the contours of the wine become clearer.
Why does a chef speak about wine?
Because wine, like cuisine,
is an expression of land and people.