Lords of all they purvey

Lunch with a couple of winemakers can be gruelling. This couple seems keen and an 11.45am start, with French bubbles at the bar, makes me wary. We sit down at one of Melbourne’s fashionable eateries. As we know, the way to get a drink at a modern restaurant is to negotiate with a sommelier. Just how we managed 20 years ago, I don’t know, but the sommelier on this day certainly looks the goods. The line between an experienced sommelier and a professional wine snob is one that can make or break your meal, writes Ralph Kyte-Powell in the Sydney Morning Herald.