Uncorked: Biba Majumdarr-Swift
Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
At any family celebrations my uncle would have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in hand. The importance of a good bottle of wine was instilled very young.
Describe your wine list at Bench
Fun! We order from a different supplier each week so its ever changing. It means we have the freedom to try new bottles every week. Admittedly tasting all these wines is my favourite part of the job.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
My first day at Bench I dropped a bottle in the back during the height of service. I felt awful. Not the best first impression.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
KOL and Sager + Wilde in London and Higher Ground in Manchester.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
I recently read Wine Girl by Victoria James and it was incredible. I love seeing young female representation in the wine world, someone I could relate to. Before Bench, had only ever worked with and been taught by men.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
Anything by Alice Bouvat. All her wines are so complex, particularly Mus’cat. It took me a while to figure it out.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Stone fruit, black cherry and white blossom.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
A real crowd pleaser and a bottle I always wish I was sat with if I wasn’t working is Aphros Loureiro (a vinho verde).
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Honestly? A packet of Ready-Salted Hula Hoops and a nice cold beer.
Old World or New World?
I lean towards Old World. Wine making methods steeped in tradition that have really influenced wine making methods globally.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
I don’t know if I have any. It’s always interesting seeing how other restaurants run service differently to you. Having said that though, I hate seeing people struggle with the foil, if the wine’s difficult to open smoothly I would rather they take it away from the table to open.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
Bichi, founded the Tellez family, based in Baja California. Each wine has its own story expressed by Mexican luchadores on the front. Their wines, whilst humorous on the label, are a perfect example of how to showcase the viticultural history of a region.
As a restaurant manager, what question do you most get asked by customers?
I often get asked where I learnt what I have so young. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by people who are experts in what they do, whether that be chefs or sommeliers. I’ve found annoying them with constant questions about how things work to be the best way of learning and improving my knowledge to then relay to customers.
Which wine producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
I get raised eyebrows if I ever suggest a bottle of English or Welsh wines to a customer. I think people get quite caught up in regions and I love surprising them with stuff that’s produced just down the road.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
I’m having a magnum of Bichi’s Pet-Mex. It’s a wine that just about anyone could enjoy, and I think that’s what I’d like at my last meal, everyone I love around me with the fizz flowing.
