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Scott Beattie this. Scott Beattie that. My God, I’ve read so many stories about Scott Beattie’s cocktails in the past couple of months – like this one or that one or this one – it’s easy to forget that Spoonbar has amazing wine. Hell, it’s easy to forget that Spoonbar has any wine. Granted, Scott Beattie is a certifiable rock star in the cocktail world. And for good reason. He’s what people like to call “the man.” But, I’d like to take this bloggertunity to spotlight the other man. The man who collaborated with Scott in devising the recipes to those critically acclaimed cocktails. And the man behind Spoonbar’s wine list.

Ross Hallet.

Ross is our wine director (and Scott’s roommate/best friend). He’s the guy, or sommelier rather, that roves the floor, helping you pair Chef Rudy’s Mediterranean fare with wine. And he’s great at what he does. Why? Because he loves what he does.

“To be honest,” he says, “It’s a privilege to be able to do this for a living. I’m not a dentist, drilling your grill and putting you through pain. I’m here to facilitate a jovial, convivial and sometime revelatory experience.”

Perhaps Ross flies so far under the radar because he barely looks old enough to vote… let alone drink. But alas, he’s 28-years-old, and has racked up an impressive, international resume. He’s done everything from drive forklifts, prune vines, rack barrels, stomp grapes, and bottle his own wine – in places like France, Australia and California. And he’s hot in pursuit of his Master of Wine Certification, of which there are only 280 in the world. The whole world.

The funny thing is, Ross couldn’t even smell until a handful of years ago. He’d broken his nose so many times as a kid (baseball to the face, etc) that the scar tissue had snuffed out his sense of smell. But after a car knocked him off his bike at the age of 21, breaking parts of his face you don’t want to break, the surgeon fixed his nose. And just like that, Ross could smell. Shortly thereafter, he discovered wine.
We’re glad he did.

Ross is one of the young, rising stars in the local wine scene. His focus at Spoonbar is on sustainable wines. Not just sustainable in the kitchy catchy way the word is often employed, but in a much broader sense.

“People spend a lot of money on these certifications. But rather than navigate the convoluted waters of that process – of which there are dozens upon dozens of certifications – I like to take the time to get to know the producers.” Of course, most of his wines on our list do have that organic or biodynamic certification, but for Ross, that’s not as important as the bigger picture. “Sustainability to me is treating the earth with respect, offering a great living wage to your workers and their families, putting your heart into your product, and giving back to the community. Because at the end of the day, I’m all about soulful wine from soulful people.”

Ask for Ross next time you’re at Spoonbar. He’ll be more than happy to help you. Because as much as anyone in the world, this man loves what he does.