Dmytro Sommelier: 'Pairing is work, not magic'
The 15-year-experience sommelier explains how to compose a pairing card for a Ukrainian restaurant and why the cult myth of the „correct“ wine for a dish is misleading.
Dmytro Sommelier — head sommelier of Lviv's Atlas and consultant to four other venues — begins the conversation with a provocative statement: 'There is no „correct“ wine for a dish in a restaurant. There is a choice that works and a choice that does not work. Everything else is marketing.' The 15-year-experience sommelier runs regular pairing sessions for Lviv restaurant staff — practical masterclasses on wine selection for specific dishes.
Dmytro's key thesis is that pairing is built not by the rule „wine type to dish type“ but through component analysis. 'If a dish has an acidic base — the wine's acidity must also be high. If the dish is fatty — tannin is needed. If the dish is sweet — sweet wine or high acidity. This is algebra, not alchemy.' At Atlas Dmytro built a 32-position pairing card — every course has 3-4 recommended pairings. 'In 10 years pairing will be a standard service in every high-end Ukrainian restaurant,' he is confident. 'Right now we are still at the beginning.'
