Newly minted certified sommeliers Pig+Fig Manager Holly Robinson, left, and Owner Laura Crucet. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Owner and Chef Laura Crucet and Restaurant Manager Holly Robinson of Pig + Fig Café are newly minted certified sommeliers.
A sommelier is a wine steward with special knowledge of wines. The two graduated at Level II from Wine and Spirit Education Trust, an international organization providing certification for sommeliers.
Level II in Wines is meant for working professionals in the food and wine industry, Crucet explained. They were able to take the class online. They had to pass a rigorous test to become certified. The class took many hours of study and online instruction.
“It required a lot of reading and a lot of tasting,” Crucet said. “It wasn’t the fun kind of tasting. You take a sip then spit it out and try the next wine.”
Pig + Fig will soon be opening a second location in downtown Los Alamos, in the space now occupied by Starbucks Coffee. The smaller café also also serve wine and New Mexico spirits in addition to food and beverages, Crucet said.
Robinson has been working to standardize the wine list to four staple reds and four whites.
“I’m taking a hard look at our wines to see what enhances our food,” Robinson said. “It’s not fine dining here. We want wines that pair with our upscale comfort food.”
“We also want wines that people can afford,” Crucet added.
Robinson and Crucet are enthusiastic about choosing wine and making new discoveries.
“We don’t have a drinking problem; we have a buying problem!” they quipped.
Pig + Fig is famous for its wine dinners, which provide more of a gourmet experience. Diners can sample a number of wines along with the great cuisine.
“For the dinners, we choose the wine from a specific winemaker or a specific region,” Crucet said.
“We always choose the wines first,” both Crucet and Robinson stressed at once.
Crucet and Robinson choose food that will enhance the wine.
“There’s tweaking of the menu up until the last minute,” Robinson said. “When a dish and a wine pair perfectly, it’s magical.”
“Winemakers have started seeking us out to do wine dinners,” Crucet said. “We’ve been able to parley that into some very special events.”
There will be another wine dinner at the end of February, Crucet promised. The dinners sell out within hours.
“I love the wine dinners,” Robinson said. “They’re so much fun!”
“It’s a privilege to create this experience for people,” Crucet agreed.
“A big reason we got certified is that we have to know our stuff!” Crucet said. “So many people in Los Alamos are very knowledgeable about wine.”
Luckily, the locals don’t tend to be snobs about their knowledge, Crucet said.
“It’s been so nice to be welcomed into the wine community in town,” Robinson said.
“Being a snob is the way to turn people off,” Crucet said. “Our goal is to make good wines approachable.”
Pig + Fig is at 11 Sherwood Blvd. in White Rock. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call them at 505.672.2742 or visit online at pigandfigcafe.com.
