Sniffing Out Elusive Wines

Sandy Clark, sommelier for Chaya Brasserie, the trend-setting Asian fusion restaurant in West Hollywood, doesn’t wear the requisite deerstalker cap or smoke a calabash pipe, but peers call him the Sherlock Holmes of the Vineyards. As a result of his ceaseless efforts, Chaya boasts nearly two dozen difficult-to-find wines among the 200 he has assembled, a list recognized by Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for the last three years.

“There’s a lot of detective work involved,” says Clark, who reads industry trade magazines, travels often to wine-producing regions of the world and uses connections whenever possible. He’s not the only one who does it, but tracking down sought-after wines is a passion for him.

Some, like Colgin Cabernet and Screaming Eagle--”cult” wines from the Napa Valley with minuscule productions--even Clark can’t touch. But he gets and sells more Silver Oak than anybody in town. And Clark nabs three cases a year of Araujo, a stellar small-production cabernet, because he acted fast a few years back on its initial release and secured a place on the winery’s list, while most local restaurants are shut out.

Beyond the trendy, big-name wines, it’s really all about quality for Clark. “Our wine list has great range, from $20 to $700,” says Chaya general manager Lawrence Moore. “The $20 bottle is the best you can get at that price. If you know wine, you’ll be impressed when you look at Sandy’s list. And if you don’t know wine, you can trust that everything on it will be excellent.”

Chaya Brasserie: (310) 859-8833 or (310) 859-8858.