Going 10 Rounds with Sommelier Andy Wedge

What do you like to drink after a shift? “Some of my best friends opened a brewery in Nashville called Southern Grist. The pride I feel drinking those beers can make even the longest and most difficult days melt away.”

What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? ““Crocodile Rock” by Elton John.”

Name the first good wine you ever drank and where you had it. “The first really special wine I remember drinking was a 1970 Karthäuserhof Auslese. I was training to be a busser at a fancy hotel restaurant in Tucson.”

What book on wine is your go-to resource? “These days it is Vino Italiano, but the Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson has been my go-to for most of my career.”

Name the wine region that took you the longest to truly understand. “I’m not sure I truly understand any wine region. But no matter how much exposure I have to Burgundy, I always want to learn more about it.”

What’s your favorite wine and food pairing? “Champagne and Nashville hot chicken.”

What’s the most common wine myth you have to debunk? “The difference between sweet and fruit-forward wines is still pretty common, and more than anything, I really love to introduce people to dry Riesling.”

What’s your favorite bottle of wine under $20? “Right now, Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2017.”

What’s your favorite bottle of wine over $1,000? “Salon [Champagne] from magnum, any vintage will do.”

What tool do you use to open a bottle? “I love the Murano double-hinged wine key.”

Andy Wedge is the wine director of David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi in New York.

Interview has been condensed and edited.