to is really honing its culture. We want
this to be a place where people love and
appreciate wine.”
Toward that end, her wine list at Al-
lora boasts over 250 vintages, most of
which originate in Italy to pair with the
menu. However, Mandalou also chal-
lenges customers by bringing in bottles
from winegrowing regions largely unfa-
miliar to Americans, such as the coun-
try of Georgia, which she says has one
of the oldest winegrowing traditions in
the world.
“One of the biggest complaints we
get at Allora is that the wine list is too out
there,” she says. “For me, that’s also the
best compliment because we have a lot
of really great restaurants in Sacramento
that all have either the same wines or the
same focal point. I’m trying to do some-
thing different in Sacramento.”
More than anything, Mandalou
wants to remodel a Sacramento wine
scene caught up in what she calls a “cork-
age mindset,” with diners more interest-
ed in bringing their own bottles than
putting faith in a trained sommelier. “We
select the wines as wine professionals to
pair with the food,” she says. “The best
experience you’re going to have is put-
ting a little trust in us.”
Keith Fergel, Sacramento’s first Ad-
vanced Sommelier and the general man-
ager at Taylor’s Kitchen, agrees that most
local wine lists look too similar, making
for unadventurous dining.
“We’ve conditioned our custom-
ers the wrong way,” he says. “We need
to make our guests feel like they can
get value with wine service in a restau-
rant, as opposed to bringing in their
own bottle.”
In an effort to raise the bar for Sacra-
mento’s wine scene, Mandalou and Fer-
gel are hoping to launch the city’s first
restaurant wine week by the end of this
year, a celebration that would include
wine dinners and pairing competitions.
Mandalou also hosts a biweekly tast-
ing group at Allora, where between 8-14
sommeliers from throughout the city
chip in to participate in blind tastings.
It provides an opportunity for Mandalou
and other experienced local sommeliers
to sharpen their tasting skills, as well as
mentor the next generation of local wine
professionals.
“We are a very tight-knit group of
professionals that work together to keep
each other on our toes,” Mandalou says.
During the blind tasting portion
of the sommelier exam, participants
have to identify six wines in less than 25
minutes. Having the local tasting group
helps sommeliers who might be interest-
ed in eventually pursuing the Advanced
Sommelier title. “We give each other
constructive criticisms, point out the
things that we are consistently missing
or hitting,” Mandalou says.
The tasting group was launched by
Jeremy Reed, Sacramento’s second Ad-
vanced Sommelier and now wine direc-
tor at The Charter Oak in St. Helena, who
credits Mandalou with infusing it with
fresh energy. “It’s really beneficial to a lot
of the younger people that she attracts,”
he says. Reed calls Mandalou, named
as one of Wine & Spirits magazine’s Best
New Sommeliers of 2018, as “the face of
Sacramento’s wine community.”
While Mandalou was studying for her
Advanced Sommelier Exam, she joined
forces with Reed and Fergel, who were
Allora’s wine list includes over 250 vintages.
Who has the best wine list
in the region?
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