By Amy Sherman
WKTV Contributing Writer

It takes years of study, lots of blind tastings, patience and dedication, plus more than a few glasses of wine to pass a sommelier certification test. The resulting graduate is a passionate wine expert, who is excited to share their knowledge and love with guests, and we are lucky to have a newly minted sommelier right here in Grand Rapids.

“Ultimately this certification is a commitment to hospitality, and to the guest in our chair,” Tristan Walczweski said. He recently passed the Advanced Sommelier exam, and has received this coveted diploma. He is currently the general manager at Bistro Bella Vita in downtown Grand Rapids, as well as the beverage director for Essence Hospitality, the restaurant’s parent company.

Walczweski believes he is the only sommelier with this certification working in a restaurant open to the public in Grand Rapids, as well as one who works for a family, and one who works at a private country club. The Rockford native took almost five years to achieve this level of certification, with support from his wife Angie, and more than a little welcome distraction from his two-year-old son, Rowan. 

So why is this such a big deal, and what does it mean for you, dear reader? And how might Walczweski help you to drink better wine? Read on to find out.

Run by the Court of Master Sommeliers, the certification process “elevates the quality of the beverage service throughout the hospitality industry” according to their mission statement. “The Court of Master Sommeliers provided a reference point for exceptional hospitality,” Walczweski explained. “For some, their takeaway is expert knowledge. For others, it’s an opportunity. I’ve always enjoyed the process of these exams, the preparation, the challenge, and ultimately the reward: sharing it with the guests, and helping cultivate it further with the staff.”

“It’s one of the most respected certifications in the industry,” said Walczweski. And while “there have been their fair share of shake ups and scandals over the last year, it’s always been geared towards restaurants and service. It is preparation for excellent service in that setting.” Walczweski is referencing the claims of 21 women that they have experienced sexual harrasement and abuse by six male members of the organization. The accused, as well as one other member, have been suspended, with motions in place to expel them and strip them of their sommelier titles.

 

What this certificate means for Bistro Bella Vita is that they are now home to an elevated beverage program, one that goes above and beyond the usual wine offerings you might find, all thanks to Walczweski. “Here you might find newer things, like a label you might not recognize,” he said. “Finding a taste in your glass somewhere that you might not expect it. We carry producers who have their finger on the pulse of winemaking.”

Can something like this be one more step for the Grand Rapids restaurant scene to make a splash on a more national level?

“I think so 100%.,” Walczweski said. “Grand Rapids is still very small and a very easily influenced community. Through the Covid pandemic we have been given the chance to kind of rebirth our hospitality industry. I think Grand Rapids would benefit from having a defined hospitality culture and a high level of service. We have a huge opportunity for new restaurants coming in and really creating a unique experience, and something like this just helps that happen.” Walczweski and Bistro are happy to be a part of the change and development in West Michigan.

“There is immense thought and care put into our wine programs at Essence Restaurant Group,” Walczweski said. “At Bistro Bella Vita, we aim to highlight the work of the small producers, ones who take the methodical and holistic approach, farming regeneratively and sustainably, who leave the Earth better than they found it. Much time is spent over choosing these producers with the question always at the forefront of my mind: What would our guests think of having this wine in their glass?”

As much thought and care that is put into the wine program at Bistro, there was an equal amount put in by Walczweski into achieving this certification. It is no easy task, and has taken him years to achieve this level. In fact, Walczweski didn’t even set out seeking this kind of recognition, he originally thought that the introductory course might be a nice compliment to the new management position he had taken at Bistro.

Walczweski started working as a server at Bistro during his senior year in college at Davenport University. After graduating with a degree in business administration and management, a personal reckoning occurred. “I was always interested in history, foriegn languages, and music education, and I wanted to find something where I could apply all of these elements, in an untraditional way,” Walczweski said. “I wanted the opportunity to do more.”

He figured that his love of learning about history and languages might help him with the test. “My knowledge of general history was a big, helpful element as to when events took place, it gave me context to things like wine law, or who was in charge in certain countries,” he said. “And having an understanding of deconstructing languages from a theory standpoint really helped with deciphering labels and understanding regions,” he explained.

The actual testing process occurs through several different levels, and typically takes years to prepare for. Walczweski took and passed the Introductory level exam, a 75 question written exam, in 2016. “I spent nearly six months preparing for the exam, gradually understanding the winemaking countries of the world, the grape varietals and regions that defined them, along with the laws and geographical influence that made each unique,” he said.

He then moved on to level two, which is known as the Certified Sommelier. This was much more involved. “The exam had three parts: a timed written theory examination, a timed blind tasting of four wines, and a service practical which in its essence was a test of grace under pressure,” he explained. “Can you maintain poise, grace, and humility while juggling the woes of a restaurant?”

To properly prepare, Walczweski worked with a few other candidates to create a tasting group. They met weekly and each person brought both a white and a red wine for everyone to taste. “We exercised the tasting grid, a deductive process of blindly assessing a wine, each week working to develop our nose and palate and to understand ultimately what makes a wine tick,” he said.

He completed the test in Detroit, and after a few tense moments during the announcement of which candidates had passed, he learned that not only did he pass, he had gotten the best score on the test out of his group. He received the Walter Core Scholarship, which allowed him to continue his wine and beverage studies, as well as travel through some of the wine regions of Europe.

 

He scheduled his test for Advanced Sommelier for October 2020, which was then delayed multiple times during the pandemic. This was both a bit of a blessing and a curse. “The hardest part of preparing for this was sticking to a routine, being able to study,  especially while in the restaurant industry,” he said. “I’d study from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., while being a parent trying to balance all of it,  I was really feeling the burn.”

The test “gave some structure during Covid,” he explained. “I was never furloughed. I worked in more versatile roles during the pandemic. Sometimes I was dishwashing, sometimes working to-go’s. Studying gave me structure and a goal post. It really was something to look forward to.”

Walczweski is now looking forward again, to taking the Master Sommelier test, but he’s going to build his own timeline around the test. Ideally, he’d love to take it in 2023, but for now, he’s going to focus on his family, and his job at Bistro. “I’m waiting till I’m ready,” he said. “Then I’ll take a path and an approach that is healthy.”

If you’d like to experience a sip of Walczweski’s expertise, you can stop by Bistro or The Greenwell Bistro and grab a glass or bottle of wine that he’s selected. You can also join Bistro’s monthly wine club, where you can order his recommendations by the bottle or the case. This year, he’s put together a list of his top ten selections for the holiday season.

I asked Walczweski if he could share any knowledge with us on how to be a better wine drinker down at the lower end of the price scale. He had some great advice, first being that there is a huge difference between bottles of wine that retail between $15-$20 a bottle and those that come in under $10.

“I play the $20 challenge with myself,” he said. “How far can I make this $20 go? Going into the $15-$20 range, you reach a new echelon from $7-$8.”

Looking beyond the familiar is where you can find some high quality, yet affordable offerings. “Knowing other countries besides the well-known ones is key,” he said. “They take the same level of work, they are also tied to the land, but are coming from countries that get overlooked. Your dollar goes further.” He recommended checking out offerings from Spain and Portugal over Italy and France, Washington over Napa, and seeking out small regional offerings that might not be well known.

It always comes down to not just the liquid in the glass for Walczweski, but also to the overall hospitality involved in the restaurant business.

For Walczweski, it’s all about “how can I make your experience exceptional every day, as it’s seen through a wine glass.”