Franco Michienzi, the wine director at Elisa in Vancouver, tastes 200 to 300 wines a month. At the stylish steakhouse, he’s always looking for hidden gems that will complement the restaurant’s unique cuts and preparations.
“I try to choose wines I’d personally want to drink if I were dining at Elisa,” Michienzi, this year’s MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Sommelier Award winner, says. “What ties them together is a backbone of freshness, a little fruit character, a hint of savouriness and—most importantly—texture.”
Guests can tell that wine is a key part of a meal at Elisa right when they walk in: a stunning floor-to-ceiling cellar with capacity for 7,000 bottles takes over a corner of the dining room. The space is a wine director’s dream, fully temperature-controlled, with dedicated areas for whites and sparklings, large format wines and bottles that need another year or two before they’re ready to serve.
It’s a far more elevated environment than Michienzi’s first encounters with wine – bottles of home ferments diluted with water or 7 Up made by his grandfather and uncle growing up. After having his “wine epiphany” as a “ski bum” in Whistler, he moved to Vancouver, where he studied his WSET certification and worked his through the restaurant scene, including a stint as the Assistant Wine Director at Hawksworth.
At Elisa, he’s pulled together a global list that favors small producers and unique regions, without shying away from prestigious labels. Burgundy is a special focus, as it “pairs beautifully with Elisa’s menu, from seafood to roast chicken and, of course, our steaks.”
“My goal is to keep the list approachable by offering options at every level,” he said. “Approachability also means the opportunity to explore, whether that’s discovering a delicious, uncommon Slovenian Merlot or enjoying a classic Brunello di Montalcino.”
A favorite pairing on the menu right now is a Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Rosé with the bison tartare, which is served with a cured egg and bright pickled ramps.
“I could eat it every day with a glass,” he says. “The wine is racy and fresh, with light red fruit character that cuts through the richness of the tartare and makes me immediately want another bite.”
Hero image: Leila Kwok / Franco Michienzi wine director of Elisa
