How to Get Face Time With the First Woman Master Sommelier in Texas

Eater

7 days ago

Texans who care about wine know Barbara Werley's name. Werley was the first woman to become a master sommelier in the state and only the fourth nationwide; she is one of only 34 women to earn the title in the world. Her resume in Dallas alone, where she oversaw the award-winning, 33,000-bottle wine cellar at Pappa's Bros. Steakhouse, developed the opening menu for Michelin-recommended Stillwell's (and ended up having a finger in all of Harwood Hospitality's wine programs). Now she is the wine director for Restaurant K Holdings, which runs Nuri Steakhouse and Joa Grill. You'll find her in the wine room at Nuri Steakhouse most nights.
This summer, Werley has offered intimate classes called Sips of the Summer, which will continue through Thursday, September 18, and which are a very hard ticket to land — the June, July, and August iterations sold out immediately upon being announced. The sessions have only 10 seats available. Werley tells Eater Dallas that she will consider doing more classes around the holidays so Dallasites can get some one-on-one time with the city's most influential somm.
Eater Dallas caught up with Werley to talk about the series, what she's drinking and loving lately, and the most surprising wine she's served at a tasting.
Eater: Where did the idea for this series come from?
Barbara Werley: It's summer, and I wanted to remind people about our wine program. Personally, I think we have the best list in the city, and I think it is the most unique list in Dallas. I want to get more attention for it. Not a lot of people go to restaurants because of wine. But if you come to Nuri and check out our wines, you will leave saying the prices are amazing and the beef is great. I've tried really hard to find wines for great prices that work with the Asian influences on the menu.
Rare bottles from Nuri Steakhouse's wine room. Kathy Tran
Have you ever done intimate little groups like this?
Not that I can remember. Usually what happened, especially when I was at resorts, I would do holiday tastings and ugh [laughs]... It would be wall-to-wall people, and we did all the tastings blind. There were bottles that they'd look at the label and say, 'Ew, I would never drink that.' But after blind tasting, many people would leave and order that wine. I wanted these tastings to be more fun and more comfortable. When I am at people's tables, there isn't a lot of time to chat. These classes are more about showing people some really cool wines and let's just talk — about anything. It's not going to be me telling you about this wine and the soil type, and all that stuff.
What should people expect in your tastings?
We did a class that focused on the Pinot family, showcasing Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, and Pinot Chardonnay, to start with white wines and have some fun. I've found a lot of people don't like white wines, which I find hard to understand. We have some amazing options — the Pinot Chardonnay is amazing. We paired them with a slider, a little cheese plate that included a blue cheese gorgonzola, and our East steak tartare, for bites to try and see what works with which type of wine. Future tastings might focus on aromatic whites. I met with [winemaker] Rajat Parr recently, and he is making a pét-nat that I actually like — some of the natural wines are like ugh, they'll be vinegar in six months.
What are some wines you've been surprised to see win people over?
When I was at Pappas, I planned what was called a Master series on Friday nights once a month. Chef would make a meal, and I would serve three wines per course, all blind. There were several 'Oh wow, this really works with this' moments. The chef there did a great torchon. I am not a true believer in pairing serving Sauternes [a French dessert wine] with foie gras. I usually like unoaked reds, but this time I pulled a Maderia-style wine by Hack from Galveston County, and everyone went nuts for it. He makes it the way they make it in Madera, and it was unbelievable. Everybody was on their phones trying to figure out how to get it.
Reports keep saying younger generations are drinking less, and wine is taking a big hit. Have you seen that?
The younger generation are not like their parents, and they don't want to be. They come to try new things. Whether that's a fun sake — we are moving to two pages of sake in the middle of Nuri's wine list that are arranged under different categories, leading customers by the style they may enjoy. It is about finding things that are fun and different.
What have you been drinking that you're loving?
I just met with a fabulous Lambrusco producer out of Emilia-Romagna, which we are adding by the glass. It's not too fizzy and it's awesome — and it goes well with the flavors we're working with. I met recently with a gentleman whose vineyard is based in Montecchio, so the Amarone and Valpolicella [provinces in Italy]. He had a lugano, which is a wonderful white from the south of Lake Garda. Raj Parr also had a couple of things coming from a vineyard in Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California, growing just wacky grapes, but he is resurrecting it. He brought a sparkling Palamino. I am bringing in a half bottle of the Amarone, because it's a great one to start with if you're not sure about that kind of wine. I get a lot of people coming through here.
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