New ambassador Taylor Parsons on wine, jazz, and how Uber revolutionised LA’s wine scene

By Rachel Fellows

Published 30-October-2024

Interview / Los Angeles

Sommelier and consultant Taylor Parsons is Star Wine List’s new Los Angeles Ambassador, and has brought nine Red Stars with him to the role. Here, the LA native gives us the low-down on the city’s wine and hospitality scene.

As we welcome Taylor to the team, Star Wine List says a big thank you to outgoing LA Ambassador, Ryan Bailey, who got our coverage of LA started five years ago.

Taylor Parsons entered the wine industry proper after a career as a jazz pianist, having previously worked in restaurants to make ends meet. “Thankfully, wine activated many of the same neuroreceptors as music did,” he says.

“The two fields really do share a lot in common: they are both limitless, synaesthetic, multi-sensory and interdisciplinary, and both provide pleasure and intellectual stimulation in roughly equal measure.”

Luckily for us, Taylor’s second act has proven tremendously successful and he has been responsible for the beverage programs at such LA institutions as Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, Mark Peel’s Campanile and Nancy Silverton’s Mozza Restaurant Group. During his career, he has also been named as LA Weekly’s ‘Best Sommelier’ and one of Food & Wine magazine’s ‘Sommeliers of the Year.’ Since 2017, Taylor has focused on consulting work, drawing on his extensive experience to help hospitality professionals in all sorts of capacities.

Hailing from LA himself, Taylor describes the city as “a bit aberrational in the larger context of the US” owing to the fact that, despite its vast size, its food and wine scene hasn’t typically reflected the breadth of those in other large cities.

“It's a double-edged sword, really,” he says. “On the one hand, it means that LA's hospitality industry has historically lacked a deep bench of restaurant professionals who have learned the ropes and worked their way up the ladder in places with very high standards; staffing is particularly difficult here, as is the creation of the mentorship structures required to foster new generations of restaurant pros.

“On the other, the lack of rigidity fostered an environment which has encouraged lots of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, which has in turn created a range of unique, trend-setting restaurants. LA was among the first places to think deeply about how top-tier ingredients and cooking could be translated into casual, tablecloth- and uniform-free settings, and that is a trend you see replicated across the country and the world these days. Furthermore, the absolutely bonkers-good produce the city has access to – truly some of the best fruit, vegetables, fish and meat in the country if not the world – provides chefs with a near-limitless palette of ingredients with which to create. All in all, it's a pretty exciting place to eat.”

Take a look at our guide to LA’s best wine spots here and read our full interview with Taylor, below.

How would you describe today's wine scene, specifically?

“In terms of wine specifically, LA has generally not been a great drinking town. The typical restaurant guest 10 or 15 years ago had a glass of wine, at most. The excuses varied – they had a long drive home, or were thinking about the early-morning workout they had tomorrow, or were in the midst of some faddish health regimine – and those who did drink, did so pretty provincially: an oak-aged Chardonnay from the Central Coast, or a burly Cab from Napa… you get the idea.

“That has all changed in the last decade. Wine bars have proliferated around the city and are filled nightly with the young and the hip, sharing bottle after bottle of the latest natural quaffers. Restaurants have invested more broadly in cellars and the professionals to staff them, giving rise to exponentially more ‘serious’ programs around the city. And the rise of ride-sharing apps like Lyft and Uber has completely changed the game – the spectre of driving home is no longer a limiting factor on consumption.

“All that said, though wine is more present in LA, the wine community is unfortunately highly segregated. Some spots serve classic wines from classic regions, some serve natural wines, and never the twain shall meet. This is a situation shared by many other cities, but it seems particularly acute in LA (and shows no signs of abating). The number of restaurants and wine-focused bars that are able to articulate and inhabit a middle ground are about as numerous in LA as fine-dining restaurants were in the 1990s and early 2000s, which is to say about two hands’ worth.”

How can a restaurant/wine bar impress you?

“First and foremost, by being NICE. Secondly, by having an opinion. Those two things work really well together, as having an opinion likely means you aren't going to please everyone… that's where the ‘being nice’ part comes in.”

What's the secret to a good wine list?

“Articulating and supporting a vision while never forgetting that you are buying for your guests rather than yourself.”

Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to wine lists?

“Eighty-sixes [when wine is out of stock, Editor's Note]. Vanity verticals. Listing wines that aren't anywhere near ready to drink. Total ignorance about appropriate pricing practices.”

Do you ever combine wine and jazz?

“Every single day!”

Where have you learnt the most during your wine career?

“One of the most beautiful aspects of wine is that the most you can ever really be is an advanced beginner. Most days I feel more like an intermediate beginner, which is a great state of mind as it keeps me open to constantly learning. I've learned so much over the years from colleagues, from working the floor, from guests, from travel.

“I will say that some of the most impactful experiences I've had with wine from an educational standpoint come from travelling to wine regions and spending time with winemakers. It's so critically important to do that.”

What does your consultancy role entail?

“All kinds of stuff. I've helped restaurants, bars and wine shops with opening, closing, rebranding and everything in between. I've written wine lists, cocktail recipes, service manuals, employee handbooks, and even on occasion helped write the food menu! I've also done a lot of work with wine regions and producer consortiums, helping them develop strategy and market outreach in the US – places like the Republic of Georgia, a few specific DOCGs in Italy, groups of producers in Beaujolais and the Jura, and so on.

“And beyond that, I do a fair bit of education, giving seminars, helping to design and lead trips to wine regions and so on. It's great fun, and I feel lucky to be able to do it!”