Uncorked: Will Weir
Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
I got a job in a wine shop and on my first day they asked me to unpack that week’s delivery and put it away on the shelves. I remember thinking ‘oh shit, I don’t know what any of this stuff is’. I learned about most of it to save myself the embarrassment of looking silly in front of the customers. Spending your days surrounded by wine you can’t help but soak a bit of it up.
Describe your wine list at Lulu’s
The list is bijou by default because of our size. It’s mainly bottles that I would like to drink myself, which runs from classical to ‘new wave’. By glass it changes week-to-week but to make it more exciting for ourselves and the customers there’s a focus on lesser trodden regions and grapes. Just a lot of nice bits that won’t break the bank.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Too many to note, I’m sure. Pulling out half the cork, splashing it all over the table, recommending things that bear no relation to what I’ve just described. Not in recent memory, I hasten to add.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Cadet, Bocca di Lupo and Leroy (all in London).
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Anyone that can impart enthusiasm for wine without sounding like a big old snob.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve ever come across?
I don’t know if it’s the most interesting but the one I’m enjoying most at the moment is a ‘white’ pinot noir from Poland. I could live on the stuff.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Crisp, fresh and funky. I am obviously guilty of all of these. Fresh is one that needs to go. If it’s anything other than fresh we’ve got a problem.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
A Saperavi from Georgia. Often on by the glass at Lulu’s. We’ve yet to stumble across someone who doesn’t like it.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Sue me but it’s Muscadet and fish. Name a more iconic duo. Alternatively, it’s whatever drunk food you’ve ordered plus a pint of white wine, lemonade and Angostura bitters. Fill it with ice and thank me later.
Old World or New World?
I’m an old world kinda gal at heart.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
Recommending something at the bottom of the list just because.
Who is your favourite producer at the moment and why?
I’m really liking exploring producers from Poland at the moment. Winnica Silesian has some tasty things.
As Lulu’s GM and resident wine expert, what question do you most get asked by customers?
‘Where’s your loo?’, ‘What’s the driest white?’. People are so scared of a bit of sugar. Come on, live a little.
Which wine producing region or country is currently underrated at the moment and why?
We’ve got a disproportionately large amount of Polish wine on the shelves at the moment! Top tip: if it’s Polish and off-dry it’s undoubtedly delicious.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
For my last meal I’m having fish. So I guess I’m having Muscadet? How dull.
