Uncorked: Matthew Davison
Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
Just over 10 years ago, I never really drank wine at all. My earliest memory is my late Grandpa trying to get me to try some Pinotage with some lamb at a Sunday roast. I had quite an adverse ‘reaction’ to that quite distinct style. It wasn’t until after graduating and falling into hospitality that I started to become more open to trying new things, food wise, and then of course stepping into the wine world. I was invited by the landlord of The Market Pub in Chesterfield (my first hospitality role) and my first mentor Douglas Daniels to the Australia Day tasting in London. Not only did it open my eyes in terms of variety, but I started to understand the history behind winemaking and that the two were intrinsically linked, which is what first piqued my interest.
Describe your wine list at Moor Hall
We have a list containing over 750 references, ranging from cult and iconic producers, great vintages, right the way through to the new wave of progressive winemakers in both the traditionally producing countries and what most would describe as the New World. The list has always been very classically driven, but I’ve been striving to develop, add to, and evolve the list to make sure that we can absolutely represent the best expressions from around the world which are all incredibly well made, and showcase the best of each varietal and region. I’m extremely confident that we have something for everyone, whether that be from the list by the bottle, or from the great selection we serve by the glass.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Back in my first hospitality job, our head chef was celebrating her son’s graduation. Tracey, who was never out of her chef whites, was glammed up for the occasion. Enter me, armed with a tray of tall, very full Champagne flutes. The first glass went down, easy. The others went down, even easier, just unfortunately straight down her back. What an introduction to the world of service. A moment I’ll never forget, and fortunately (touch wood) hasn’t happened since.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
To narrow this down is tough. I think in London, you cannot get away from the list at Core. Climat (Manchester) have an outstanding list - it’s nice to have something so wine-led in the north. I also think what Vanessa is doing at Pine (in Northumberland) is fantastic, showcasing an English and UK wine pairing alongside their other offerings on top of a well-curated list.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Having had the opportunity to visit a few wineries and winemakers, with plenty still on the list its hard to narrow down a particular individual making wine. But I think the most influential and inspirational is Laurent Richet MS, with whom I worked at Restaurant Sat Bains. Being able to work alongside him was genuinely an honour, and I know many that feel the same way. Laurent is one of the reasons that I try to push myself as far as I can in terms of my own knowledge and style, his approachability towards guests is always something I’ve tried to model myself on, and he is very much responsible for the style in which I look after the team here in terms of training and service.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
One of my recent discoveries hails from Ktima Ligas in Macedonia, Greece. Their Xi-Ro cuvee is a blend of Xinomavro and Roditis, fermented separately and then blended and left to settle in barrel for a period. A very hands-off estate which make incredibly approachable styles of ‘natural’ wines which aren’t overtly funky or unusual and, most importantly, stable and clean.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Mineral, fruity and full-bodied.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
We have a few bottles of Chateau D’Arlays Pinot Noir, 2008 vintage, priced at £75. A really versatile style of Pinot from the Cotes du Jura and showing nice development, and a great representation of classical winemaking from one of the region’s oldest estates. It’s always difficult to identify some of the fantastic gems of truly great value on a list of our size, but then at the end of the day, that’s what we’re here for.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
At the moment in the restaurant we have an amazing Cornish lobster dish served with rosehip, local tomatoes from Tarleton, bone marrow and fermented green tomato, perfect for the summer, and I’m pouring Jose Ripa’s Rosado alongside from 2017, really well made, herbal, savoury, smokey and rich. I love these two together. And when I’m not BBQ’ing lobster or fermenting tomatoes at home myself it’s got to be traditional-method sparkling with fish and chips. I know it’s a classic, but it’s great.
Old World or New World?
I always find this to be a difficult question, particularly when sometimes you have to ask when does one end and the other start. I think my colleagues would argue ‘New World’ because I love the wines of Oregon, but I also have a soft spot for Austria, Greece and Hungary.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
I always like a little engagement with whoever is looking after you. However, I appreciate that some guests just like to be left alone. Though, for me personally its stuffy, pretentious service that I don’t really believe has a place in modern day restaurant experiences.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
Recently, I’ve had the chance to taste through a few wines from Trediberri in Piedmont. I’ve been really impressed with all of those that I have tasted, showcasing really precise, accessible, well-made example of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera. Excellent stuff.
As a head sommelier, what question do you most get asked by customers?
To be honest the most frequent one is ‘where is your accent from?’. Being brought up and living the majority of my life in Derbyshire, studying in Leeds, spending lots of time in Manchester, Sheffield and working in Nottingham, combined with now living in Liverpool, it creates a good guessing game. Or back to drinks, it’s most likely ‘what do you drink at home?’, to which my standard answer is Guinness.
Which wine producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
I think the Finger Lakes in New York state is a seriously undervalued area at the moment, but this might be just because it’s slightly under-represented in the UK, however hopefully we will start to see more and more quality wines making there way over here. I’m also excited to see the future of dry whites from Tokaji. I was fortunate enough to visit the Szepsy family earlier this year. Their Burgundian expressions of Furmint are outstanding.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
Enjoying wine and food evokes so much nostalgia, so I think a little time travel is needed here, but if I could, I would share a bottle of 1990 (birth year vintage) Henschke Hill of Grace with my grandpa and a table full of steak. He was a big fan of Australian, South African and South American reds.
