112 | squaremeal.co.uk

wine

Which wines do sommeliers really love? Laurent Chaniac of

The Cinnamon Club talks spice, stones and sardines WORDS LUCY BRITNER

Laurent Chaniac

THE RESTAURANT INSIDER

What do you drink on your night o� ?

I like to drink wines that are o

the

beaten track - more natural styles

or higher-end wines that I collect.

So if money was no object, which

two wines would you drink?

I'd drink Burgundy. For the red, I'd pick

a mature Vosne-Romanée from a good

year such as 1985, 1990, 1999, 2002,

or 2003, and a renowned producer -

Vosne-Romanée is Cros Parantoux Henri

Jayer 1999. For white I'd pick a mature

white from Corton, such as CortonCharlemagne

Coche-Dury 2000.

Whereabouts in France are you

from and do you have a favourite

wine from your region?

I was raised in Normandy but born in

the Ardèche. My favourite wine region

is the northern Rhône. I love to drink

Hermitage from M Chapoutier.

In the UK, there is a big tradition

of drinking lager with spicy food.

How do you convince diners in your

restaurant to go for wine?

We have tasting menus that are suited

to wines; the dishes are speci– cally

designed for the wines.

How do you go about matching

wines with spicy food?

I assess the spices in the dish rather

than the protein, and see if there is a

harmonious angle or a contrast that

would be suitable.

What's your favourite wine

and food match ever?

I would say grilled sardines with a

mature Alvarinho.

Which is your go-to grape

variety and why?

Syrah. The panel of ˜ avours it can

deliver on various soils and in various

climates makes it a stunning variety.

From leaner fruit to spicy to big and

bold: it can do it all.

If you weren't a sommelier, what

other career would you choose?

I'd be a property developer. I like

stones, old homes and antiquities.

What makes London such a

special place for restaurants?

It's all here - wines and foods from

all over the world.

And which particular

restaurants do you rate?

The Square, which is a two-Michelinstarred

restaurant in Mayfair.

Laurent Chaniac devises the wine

lists for The Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon

Kitchen and Cinnamon Soho.

Clockwise from top:

Laurent Chaniac;

Hermitage from

M Chapoutier;

simple grilled

sardines meet

Alvarinho; the

spice route;

vineyards

in Burgundy

The Square, which is a two-MichelinAlvarinho;

the

spice route;

vineyards

in Burgundy

The Square, which is a two-Michelinlists

for The Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon

Clockwise from top:

Laurent Chaniac;

Hermitage from

The Square, which is a two-Michelin-