The wonders of wine

COEUR d’ALENE — Buying wine you’ve never tried can be a bit of a gamble.

Will you like it?

Will it go well with your dinner?

Is it worth it?

Justine Recor does her best to make sure that gamble pays off.

“When I find a bottle of wine they’ve never had before, typically they really enjoy that experience,” she said.

Recor recently joined Beverly’s at The Coeur d’Alene Resort as the wine sommelier.

And what, you might ask, is a sommelier?

Here’s one definition, per winecountry.com:

“A sommelier (pronounced suh-mel-yay) is a wine steward, also known as a knowledgeable wine professional, who typically works in a fine dining establishment. A sommelier should have formal training to be able to specialize in all aspects of wine service, wine and food pairings and wine storage.”

That pretty much sums up Recor.

"Justine is one of the best, and we are very excited to have her join our team to help get us to the next level,” said Blake Hansen, assistant food and beverage director at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

"While our wine program has always been unmatched with regards to its size in the Pacific Northwest, like everything, there is always opportunity for innovation and growth," Hansen said.

Recor grew up in Spokane. Her mother worked as a wine tasting room manager.

“I loved being around wine and even got to help label bottles down in the cellar when I was about 10 or 12,” Recor said.

She has been in hospitality since she was 21, working her way through Eastern University, where she earned a bachelor’s in science in psychology.

While at EU, Recor took a class about wine, which reignited her passion for it.

To be a sommelier demands extensive studies.

She completed her certified sommelier exam (level 2), and last year went to work at Luna Restaurant in Spokane as the wine director.

During the pandemic, she shifted from the Court of Master Sommeliers to the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and completed her diploma certification (level 4).

She has since switched back to the CMS and has exams this year to complete her advanced certification with hopes to sit for the master sommelier exam in 2024.

Recor joined Beverly’s a little more than a month ago and said she loves it.

It has a wine selection of more than 2,000, the largest on the West Coast. Bottles range from $50 to several thousand dollars.

Recor said trying to select the right one can be “a bit overwhelming" for guests, so she’s there to make it easier.

Five nights a week, she visits with guests and offers assistance, recommending a wine to go with their tastebuds, their meal and their spirit to try something new or stick with the trusted old.

She’ll also confer with chefs about what’s on the menu.

Recor loves talking about the different ways guests can go with their wine choice, and aims to make it a delightful experience.

She said a sommelier should be able to be dropped into any fine dining establishment and talk fluently about the wine list.

But it’s more than pairing wine and food. She considers budget, style and experience. It’s about being creative and coming up with options that can make a night out unforgettable.

“It’s a big challenge,” Recor said.

When Recor’s not studying or tasting wine, she loves to spend time with her family, her husband and a young son.

Being a wine connoisseur comes in handy at home, too.

Recor's mother is also a sommelier in Portland, so when they get together for dinners, it’s always a fine time talking and tasting wine.

“Our husbands absolutely hate it,” she said.