Making the List - from the cellar

The mood is festive, despite the fact that not one bottle of wine has been uncorked ... yet. But then, talking wine with Aaron von Rock and Jimmy Nicholas is intoxicating enough on its own. "I've never wanted to reveal the real reason why I do this for a living," says Aaron, "because the secret is simply how much fun it is!" Making The List 13 Nicholas is quick to agree, adding that the motivation for supplementing Telepan's extensive wine list with bottles from his private collection came with the understanding that he would never be able to consume them all on his own. "I just wasn't drinking at a fast enough pace!" says Jimmy. Aaron confides that before Telepan, Jimmy was actually one of his best customers. Together, they pool their knowledge and passion to create wine choices for guests that are both an expression of their zeal for the craft of winemaking and a complement to Bill Telepan's cuisine. The List In his hands, Aaron holds three updated pages of the current wine list, which, he explains, is always a work in progress; it changes almost daily. "Jimmy's cellar and my predilections create the pillars of the list, and we continually fill in the gaps from there." Aaron's no stranger to the wine industry; his mother was a winemaker herself. He immersed himself in the world of wine when he was barely of age to pop a cork. Today, in addition to his role at Telepan, he consults private clients in developing their cellars. He might be soft-spoken, but Aaron's knowledge on viniculture speaks volumes. He is clearly enamored with the whole process, from meeting the vintner to matchmaking the bottle and guest: "Winemakers are intrinsically remarkably generous people," he explains. "They try to make joy for people they have never met. My job is to diminish the distance between the winemaker and the consumer." Leafing through the wine list, he stops to point out a couple of quick-read pages. While its depth is designed to intrigue wine aficionados (more than 100 wines are not even listed), Aaron is careful to make Telepan's wine list inviting and comfortable for every level of wine drinker. There is one short page that explores only wines best paired with seasonal foods, and a flexible red-wine page at the end matches pinot noirs and Burgundies in particular with an assortment of dishes. "This page, appropriately titled The Last Sip, is a direct response to fielding nightly questions from guests who ask for a wine that will accommodate all the dishes at their table." Von Rock is also always eager to volunteer his own services: "Choosing a wine can be intimidating, and diners should never be afraid to ask for help from their sommelier--that's what we're here for!" the collection "When I first started my personal wine collection, I couldn't afford Bordeaux and I didn't know enough about Burgundy," Jimmy admits. "I began by buying what I liked, and I always suggest that beginning collectors do the same at dinner. Start with a flavor profile you're familiar with and, from there, keep an open mind." Growing up in an Italian family, with wine on the table at every dinner, a passion for food extended naturally into curiosity about wine. Jimmy's collection began to grow markedly in certain areas. "I spend time in Italy every year and through friends was able to get my hands on wines I couldn't get here in the United States. A good year for Italian wines was 1997, so I began storing those away. Likewise, 1997 was an extraordinary year for California wines, so I started collecting those too." He supplemented his limited wine knowledge with classes that gave him a deeper understanding about varietals and food pairing. Today, Jimmy is lucky to find himself on some of the most exclusive wine mailing lists that give him access to sought-after bottles.