Manuele Pirovano, born in 1983, attended the Carlo Porta Hotel Institute in Milan, distinguishing himself as the Best Junior Sommelier of the Under 21 Hotel Institutes of Italy in 2001.
From there he began his professional career among the stars of Milan and its surroundings, after a short English break at the Waterside Inn in Bray. After an initial experience alongside chef Sadler in the restaurant of the same name, he arrivs at the D’O restaurant. For 10 years now, in Davide Oldani’s restaurant has held a role of Maitre Sommelier who is completely entrusted with the management of the cellar and wines.
Manuele talks about how today’s customers see the figure of the sommelier:
“I am lucky to work in a place that, thanks to the high quality of the wines offered, together with a particular eye for prices, opens the door to a vast and varied clientele (Italians and foreigners, gourmet experts and first times in a starred restaurant , couples, friends, families, etc. ..). This means that every time the sommelier approaches a table, a different reaction occurs. Someone is even intimidated, another has identified one of those 2/3 labels that you cannot miss and can’t wait to order it to show that he has been able to choose for himself. Then there are those who have a bit of experience and begin to see you as a person rightly to ask and “exploit” in order to understand what will be better to drink with the dishes ordered. In general, however, most of the customers think they know enough and, if they are not a regular customer who has already placed their trust in the sommelier, they launch themselves into a solo choice, often making a mistake when matching. Maybe it will be the fault of all these sommelier courses that exist nowadays that taken in the right way are very positive, that is, they lead more and more people to become passionate about the world of wine, but taken in the wrong way they make someone think to understand more of whom the sommelier does it by profession !!! Therefore, once again, it is up to the professional sommelier to place himself in the right way in his room, not to weigh his presence and try (advising, not imposing) to find the correct solution for each type of “wine needs”. The customer, even the most reluctant, will be happy and will blindly trust you the next time! So professionalism comes first but also a beautiful smile can sometimes solve some complicated situations … Because after all, wine is a serious matter, but, responsibly used, it is also and above all cheerfulness and conviviality.”