Congratulations to Scott Stroemer of One MICHELIN Star Galit, MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2024 Sommelier of the Year winner, presented in partnership with Franciacorta!
After visiting Galit every month as a satisfied diner, Stroemer decided to bring his expertise in wine to the restaurant as Bar Director. Complementing the food of Chef Zachary Engel, the adventurous wine menu charts new territory by introducing Middle Eastern wines to Chicago fine dining. The team takes great pride in these boutique bottlings from countries like Armenia and freely share their passion with guests.
We spoke with him to learn how he picks new wines and what he's drinking right now.
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How were you introduced to the world of wine?
I started working in restaurants when I was 18, and I never left. I've worn a lot of different hats in my life in restaurants, and this is the one that I wear right now.My background leans more toward Italy and new California, but I want to build a wine list from a part of the world that very few people are tackling. There's always opportunity for discovery.
What’s your criteria for adding a new wine to your list?
Conservatively, 90% of what we sell is from the Middle East. Outside of geography, it has to work with our food. It has to be good, interesting, and tell a story. Some people are surprised with the amount of curation that goes into it. I say no to ten things before I say yes to one. There are some really good wines that are just too much. They don’t work with what we do. It's a balance of international varietals and and indigenous varietals, and I try to keep that balanceHow has your taste in wine changed over time?
In 2020 when the world shut down, the way that people scratched an itch for traveling and seeing the world was through food and wine. I'm no different. Now, there's so much more of a curiosity that people have, and they're way more open to new things.
What are you drinking these days?
Right now, we are opening a restaurant next to Galit that will feature a wine list that's not focused on the Middle East. I’m reacquainting myself with the rest of the world again. The most exciting that we've been tasting are all coming from Michigan, which is not something I ever thought I would say.I grew up in the Midwest. When we talked about Midwestern wine, we were talking about blueberry wine and dandelion wine. It is undergoing a transformation with people who would have gone somewhere else 10 years ago. Stranger Wine, BOS Wine, and an experimental winery called Modales are all great.
What's your ideal meal and pairing?
Recently, my wife and I cooked a very simple pasta with blue crab and cream, and we paired it with a Tocai Friulano from Hobo Wines in California. Really transcendent and very simple. When I go out, oysters and Amontillado sherry are always a favorite.
What book was helpful in your journey?
Tasting the Past by Kevin Begos. He was searching for the wines of the ancient world. He starts with Cremisan Winery in Bethlehem. He moves to an Israeli project, then into Georgia, then into Cyprus. It gives some context and some grounding.Other than that, it really is a lot of face to face learning and learning through tasting. It's a matter of going out and finding people that can share with you what they know, and then tell you where to go next.
Somebody still has to write the great book on Armenian wine history because it's pretty cool.
How have you deepened your knowledge of Armenian wine?
I got to take a trip to Armenia last year. Standing in the mountains, in those vineyards, I almost felt like I was on a different planet. I'd never felt so removed from everything else. It was quiet, and it felt like the world was so far away. Very eye-opening trip.I met Vahe Keushguerian [of Keush Wine]. I don’t think I've been starstruck like that since I was in my 20s and met someone in a band. I got to have him at Galit shortly after. As Armenian wine looks West, someone like his daughter Aimee Keushguerian is a perfect ambassador for it all. She's young, making really cool things, energetic, and comes from a family who is basically winemaking royalty in Armenia.
What's the biggest misconception about being a sommelier, or wine in general?
That it’s what I do all day. My job is also a lot of unpacking of boxes. I've had the same cut on my finger for about 20 years, and just as it heals, I have to open a box, and it opens again. Sometimes the other hat is cleaning the bathrooms, and sometimes it's doing a schedule for the servers.What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a position like yours?
Talk to as many people as you possibly can. Follow every lead. Especially when you're getting into people who farm the land, who make wine. They want to talk about what they're doing, and they're proud of what they do. Give them a chance to do that.Reach out. Don’t ever feel intimidated by just sending off an email and introducing yourself. If a wine that you tasted is really great, let them know. Start a relationship, start a conversation, because that will give you everything you need to take all your next steps.
What is most exciting about your role?
We have about 44 people at Galit. I try to bring them all along with me. We taste everything together. We talk about everything together. We bring in winemakers when we can.In restaurants, we bring people together to break bread, to touch glasses, to celebrate, to get to know the person across from them more. That's why we do what we do.
Hero image: StarChefs / Scott Stroemer
