Sometimes in life, the things we pursue are completely opposite of what we thought we’d be doing and the things we end up pursuing put us right where we need to be. Such is the case with Jim Clarke, expert sommelier with South African wines and professional writer. We met at the WhyNot coffee shop in the Lower East side of Manhattan to discuss his passions and what it is that brought him to this point in his career.
“It was in mid-2003 that I shelved my musical ambitions and decided to take being a sommelier seriously. I already had a reputation for knowing and choosing the best wines for restaurants to purchase. I took the classes necessary to qualify and got my certification.”
Not too long after that, Clarke landed the Beverage Director position at
Armani
Ristorante 5th Avenue.
“I was part of the team who put together the wine list for the restaurant. They needed someone who didn’t just study wine, but actually knew it on an intimate level.”
Clarke owes a lot of his own extensive knowledge to the teachings of his mentor, Greg Harrington.
“Greg is such an amazing guy! We’re still close to this day. His knowledge of wine is so vast. He taught me everything that I’d need to know to succeed in this business.”
Crediting Harrington for the range of his knowledge, Clarke has become so well versed on the subject of wine and beer he’s won awards for his writing on the subject. In 2003 he won a writing contest sponsored by the ASA and Wines of Spain against 200 other sommeliers.
“It was such a validating moment. My skills as a musical composition writer turned out to be very useful and gave me what I believe was the edge in winning the competition. I also landed an internship with Media Bistro from it.”
After that win, Clarke began writing articles about wines and spirits for various publications such as The New York Times, Beverage Media, Forbes, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I’m naturally a very creative person, so it felt great to have all those outlets in which to express my creative side and keep it alive. It’s a part of who I am.”
Of all the wines and beers he’s tasted, Clarke has three in particular he favors because of their specific, identifiable characteristics.
“Hogan Chenin Blanc has an almondy taste to it with a full body that’s lively and fresh. Black Butte Porter is a classic, dark beer that’s thick like chocolate and sweet. Calvados is very organic. Tastes as if it came straight from the Earth. You can tell that it wasn’t tampered with much.”
When I asked what it was about South African wine in particular that he found so appealing compared to what he’s encountered in restaurants in which he’s worked he had this to say:
“I left restaurants three years ago and I’ll never go back. There’s a wide range of wines to choose from and work with that almost seems limitless. There’s just exponential growth.”
As we reviewed and discussed all of these achievements, we wondered if he has any regrets or things he might wish could’ve gone differently. After a moment’s pause he said:
“It took me a long time to get over my sense of failure with my music career. I’ve reached a point where I can do the things I want and love now that make me feel satisfied.”
His advice for young sommeliers or anyone thinking about pursuing a career they’re skeptical about is:
“Don’t worry so much. Take chances. You’ll never know your true potential if you let fear get in the way of who you want to be.”
Expert advice from an expert.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Kyle E. Preston
- Image courtesy
- Wines of South Africa US Public Relations Agency
