Wines of the month
Kristian Netis is the Head Sommelier at
Blue by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Although his heritage is
Greek, he was born and raised in Germany. Early on, Kristian began to work as a
waiter in his home town in Germany.
The owner of the hotel in which he worked
was also the president of the sommelier union in Germany and quickly took
Kristian under his wing. Kristian says that as he tasted wines to get familiar
with the hotel’s selection his head sommelier recognised some talent and from then
on Kristian began to learn the trade, becoming a sommelier eight years ago.
“In my role as a sommelier I don’t like to
be the teacher instructing my guests what to drink and what not. Instead I see myself as a consultant of
taste, which means you tell me what you like and I will find the right wine to
suit your personal palate in and enhance your dining experience,” Kristian
says.
One line we often use when recommending the
unknown is: “If you don’t like it, we will drink it”, and I am proud to say
that this has not happened often.