Len Panaggio sits and talks about wine and grapes with the adoration of a parent
talking about their children – and he’ll go on for hours if you let him.
He talks at length about the character and temperament of merlot grapes and the temperatures they like best. He talks about the best latitudes for growing chardonnay and the way different soil affects the flavor of pinot grigio grapes. He gives the history of grapes grown in Italy and France, and somehow Panaggio’s need to impart wine knowledge is captivating enough to keep you from chugging back an entire glass without savoring it first.
Panaggio is the beverage director for all of Newport Harbor Corporation’s properties, including the Mooring, which he co-owned, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grill, the Smokehouse Café, Castle Hill Inn and Resort, Admiral Fitzroy Inn, Blackstone Caterers and the Newport Yachting Center.
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Under his direction, The Mooring’s list of 950 wines has been named one of the finest and most extensive in the world – recognized by Wine Spectator magazine for the past three years with a Best of Award of Excellence – a silver medal of the wine industry given to only 400 restaurants in the world.
The Newport resident helped Castle Hill Inn and Resort win that award this year and the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence – a step below the Best of Award of Excellence – from 1996 to 2003. He also managed to get the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for 22 Bowen’s list from 2002 to 2004.
Panaggio’s ability to capture that honor for those restaurants came from years of study in sommelier seminars, courses at the Culinary Institute of America, the Sterling School of Service and Hospitality, and his own research in the industry.
The Newport Harbor Corporation invested hundreds of thousands of dollars building facilities to house wines and beer and to create extensive lists.
“As a company, we made a commitment to growing our wine lists and we committed the dollars necessary to get our list recognized,” he said. “We’ve been aggressive with our efforts because it shows the world we are serious about our restaurants and our culinary programs.”
Because the wine list at places like The Mooring are so extensive – and a bit overwhelming – Panaggio also works with restaurant staff to educate them on which wines complement which foods and spices so they can make suggestions to customers.
Though time, effort and dollars go into creating an award-winning list, there is no secret formula. He chooses wines based on the types of foods a restaurant offers – a seafood restaurant might have a variety of different white wines and a steak house, red wines – but for the most part, whatever sells, goes on the list, he said.
A good wine list complements the types of foods and sauces used at a restaurant, and lists should change with the menu. Restaurants should also have the wines on the list in stock and be able to recommend a good wine for specific foods – though many people stick to what they know.
“Wine is a tremendous complement to food. It isn’t the type of drink you have
when you are out mowing the lawn,” he said. “A good wine refreshes the palate
so that every bite is as good as the first, and at the end of the day, there
really are no rules. People should drink what they like.”
