Water sommelier Martin Riese has seen the eye-roll and heard it before: “Water tastings? Only in L.A.”
U.S. consumers spent nearly 19 billion dollars (USD) on bottled water in 2014
Los Angeles, birthplace of many food trends, may prove the perfect setting for the next phase in Riese’s campaign to make people think about water in the same way they think about wine.
U.S. consumers spent nearly 19 billion dollars (USD) on bottled water last year, more than any other nation. And, the residents of drought-stricken California are obsessed with all things water.
Water sommelier Martin Riese says:
“I thought, okay I need to teach some how people to make them understand why water actually has taste. And I came up with the water 101 class for Patina and it’s a huge success. It’s sold out and people are really interested in the taste profiles of water.”
Riese adds that the flavor and character of water also is determined by such things as geology, soil and climate.
Water has been a decades-long fixation for German-born Riese, who may be America’s only water sommelier, after moving his his fine water campaign from Berlin to sunny California in 2011. His 20-item water menu, with selections ranging from 8 to 20 dollars per bottle, debuted at Ray’s & Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art two years later.
Patina, a sister restaurant, got a similar menu last fall and now offers a series of $50 per-person water tastings.
Water sommelier Martin Riese says:
“Maybe people cannot drink alcohol anymore, maybe they’re allergic to it or for health reasons the doctor said we cannot rink them anymore so why not give you an option on a healthy beverage. It doesn’t have to be sodas or maybe juices with a lot of sugar in there. Why not give you an option on our most previous item actually on this planet. Water.”
Riese believes that like a fine wine, the perfectly crafted water can add another dimension the dining experience.
(Ventuno)