I tend to be the type of person who, if I like something, I'll only use that .
Now I only drink New Zealand wine. I am devoting my body and soul to it, but it seems that I have had a strong tendency to dominate New Zealand wine since I was young.
In my 20s, I was all about ramen. At my previous workplace, I was the head of the ramen club (just a club). I made food guides, held reports where the club members presented their reports, and made my own ramen and served it to everyone.
When I announced to everyone that I was going to open a restaurant, they all said, "Are you finally going to open a ramen shop?" When I replied, "No, a wine shop," I could see giant question marks floating above everyone's heads (even now I still aspire to open a ramen shop).
Also, when I was in my 20s, I often wore hats. I would wear different hats every day, such as caps, hats, hunting caps, knit caps, etc. When CA4LA (a hat specialty store) opened in Parco, I often went there.
However, after I entered my 30s, a hairdresser warned me , "If you wear a hat for a day, three days' worth of sebum will accumulate in your hair roots." After that, I suddenly stopped wearing hats. Even now, I wonder if that's really true, but I've gotten rid of a lot of hats, thinking that it's inevitable for my thinning hair. I still treasure the stylish hat I got for my birthday from a colleague a long time ago.
Since I entered my 30s, I've been camping a lot. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say, "I've been buying camping gear a lot." Once I start collecting gear, I can't stop. I buy a little more every year, and now I have so much gear that it doesn't even fit in my car. Now that my kids are older, I'm going solo, so I want some cool gear for solo camping again. I might sell the family gear on Mercari to free up space in the closet.
Also, for the past few years, I've been drinking tea . I used to love coffee, but after I started to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux, coffee became too much for me, so since then, I've only been drinking tea. Now, I drink about 3 to 5 cups a day. My favorite is English breakfast.
Now that restaurants have resumed business, I think the next new thing we need to do is "wear a jacket."
At my store, I've basically been wearing a shirt and apron, but starting this month, I've decided to change things up a bit and start wearing a jacket.
The original idea of shirts and aprons was because I wanted to give off the vibe that it's a wine store, but not too formal .
However, while the restaurant was closed and I was sorting out the list of wines to be purchased next and thinking about the menu, I suddenly had an idea that the interior of the restaurant was expressing a "casual" atmosphere well enough.
The wooden tables, backless chairs, and walls cluttered with wine labels give the place a casual feel.
So, for those who work inside, it might be better to dress a little neatly to create more contrast and balance .
With that in mind, I've been wearing the jacket for about half a month now, and it feels pretty good.
First of all, it's often said that taking care of your appearance will make you feel better, and I feel like I have more of a "I'm going to do my best" attitude.
And what's even better is that when I wear the jacket, customers listen more carefully to my wine suggestions than before. I feel this is especially true with new customers. I think they think, "Oh, here comes a wine professional."
"Choosing a wine while keeping information in mind" can completely change the taste of the wine you drink afterwards. If you think, "The wine at the bar said it had a citrus aroma, and it does taste like citrus," your satisfaction with that glass will increase dramatically (or so I think).
So, I feel like the flow is something like "Put on the jacket" → "The customer gets into listening mode" → "A glass of wine with an explanation feels even more delicious."
When I told my wife about this, she said, "Huh? When you first opened your business, weren't you wearing a vest and a tie for a similar reason? But you stopped doing that before I knew it."
Ah, that's right. It took me 12 years to come back to the same place... I guess I haven't grown up.
But unlike back then, I should have more wine in my repertoire now. I should be able to make better suggestions (or so I would like to believe). So, I would like to continue this "jacket only" thing!
This week's pairing suggestions
Introducing Bokumo's menu and matching New Zealand wines.
"Salted pork with mustard sauce"
This is a menu item that has been ordered very frequently recently.
Tenderly braised salted pork is topped with a generous amount of sauce made from mustard and lentils.
If you make it at home, you can make delicious salted pork by rubbing salt onto a block of pork belly, letting it sit for about an hour, then rinsing it off lightly before boiling.
Red wine would go well with this, but I'll go with white.
The slightly rich Pinot Gris brings out the flavor of the pork.
"Gibson Bridge Pinot Gris Barrique Ferment 2014"
Aged white wines are quite rare in NZ.
This wine is made from the full-bodied Pinot Gris grapes, fermented in barrels and aged for a long period of time to bring out its deep richness.
A very mellow white wine that goes well with meat and creamy dishes. I recommend drinking it at about 15 degrees, not too chilled. This is a recommended wine for those looking for a "white wine that goes well with meat."
