Erika Baraldi, Underage Sommelier
Loris Scagliarini - July 1, 2008
We continue the series Incontri with an interview to Erika Baraldi, an Italian sommelier who, because of her youth, in the United States would be forbidden to taste wine legally. We met Erika in April, during a trip to Italy on the occasion of the 42nd Vinitaly, and we jumped at the opportunity to interview her.
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 Erika Baraldi with Loris Scagliarini, president of WineCountry.IT, during the interview.
More Photographs
Question
How did you become passionate about wine and food?
- Answer
My passion for wine and food came about by pure chance.
It all started when I was little and my father was working as a volunteer at the Festa dell'Unità (Unity Festival) in Modena. He went on and on to my brother and me, trying to convince us to volunteer with him, so, when I was 12 and a half years old, I tried and loved it, so much so that at 15 I managed to enroll at the Scuola Alberghiera di Serramazzoni, which, in my humble opinion, is a fairly good school. I was lucky to have good teachers who were able to communicate to us, the students, what it meant to work daily in this profession. I am totally convinced that it is thanks to what I learned at the Scuola Alberghiera that, though I started working at a young age, I was not traumatized by the experience, as I have seen happen to many other people my age.
- Question
How come you decided to become sommelier after completing the Scuola Alberghiera di Serramazzoni? At what age did you start the AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier, or Italian Association of Sommeliers) course?
- Answer
I started the AIS course at 19, in Modena, thanks in particular to Rita Antonella Ronchetti, owner of the restaurant where I used to work at the time. She convinced me to sign up for the course because, according to her, I had a natural talent for this career and it would have been a waste for me to work as a simple dining room waitress.
- Question
Does the course introduce you to international wines, or is it mostly focused on the wines produced with the over 300 Italian native vines?
- Answer
The course is divided into three levels:
• the first level focuses on the characteristics of the soil, the effects of the climate, the cultivation systems, generic wine production, distilled spirits, flavored wines, bier, IGT, DOC, DOCG appellations, plus the technical sheet of one wine;
• the second level teaches the characteristics of vine varieties from the whole world, such as Europe, Asia, Africa, and the US. It also introduces a bit of history, enogastronomy, geography and, finally, the technical sheet of one wine;
• the third level focuses on wine and food pairing.
- Question
What do you plan to do after you complete the third level of the AIS course?
- Answer
There are many things that I would like to do after I complete the third level, but first of all I must learn a second language. I would also love to experience working abroad. It would certainly be wonderful to be able to combine the two.
- Question
Where did you work at the beginning, and where do you work currently?
- Answer
I had my first working experience in a mountain resort location, in the Modenese Apennines, when I was 15 and a half years old, where I spent two months at the Hotel Sciatori (Skiers), at Sant'Anna Pelago, near the border between the Emilia region and Tuscany. When I was 16 and a half years old I worked in Montefiorino, which is in the Modenese Apennines as well, at the Albergo Ristorante "al Cicco", for about four months. A year later I worked for three months at the Hotel Universal in Cervia, on the Adriatic coast of the Mediterranean sea. At 18 I started working at the restaurant Strada Facendo (On The Road) in Modena, where I stayed for two years, and currently, at 20, I work at the Hostaria del Mare (Ocean Diner), which is in Modena as well.
- Question
At the Hostaria del Mare, what wine/food pairings would you suggest for an important dinner, from hors d'oeuvres to dessert?
- Answer
For an important seafood-only dinner I suggest starting with a white, simple, bubbly wine, then escalate as the meal proceeds, ending with dry, well structured white wines. I would basically pour a different wine with each entree, adding body and structure with each dish. In the case the client would rather not change wine with each dish, I would try to understand his/her taste and suggest the best pairing based on the client's expectations and the dishes ordered.
- Question
Are there wines and other drinks which you personally favor?
- Answer
Personally I prefer well structured red wines, with good tannins, round and aromatic. Then I like liqueurs, in particular distilled spirits and creams.
- Question
Are there wines which you would suggest based upon the month, providing a kind of 'wine zodiac'?
- Answer
Pairing a wine to each month could be tricky, thus I just suggest seasonal pairings. In winter time I suggest good structured white wines or, even better, well structured, consistent red wines with good alcohol content. For summer the choice falls on fresh, aromatic white wines, either dry or sparkling, but always with good acidity.
We thank Erika for the time that she dedicated to us. Next time that we are in Italy we will make sure to dine at the Hostaria del Mare and let her choose the best pairing for our seafood entrees.
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