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Unfiltered: Johnghyun Jung

The wine manager for LPM Restaurant & Bar, Mayfair talks to Douglas Blyde about his former past as a loan administrative assistant, his love for “wine of no half measures”, Domaine de Trevallon, and travelling across America without a grasp of English…

What is your vintage? 

1978, from which I have tried several old-style wines and nothing but the Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru impressed me. It had an incredible depth beyond an earthy nose.

Where did you work before LPM? 

Simultaneously as a loan administrative assistant and hotel bartender. While working in a bank was quite one-sided, I really enjoyed bartending, which is one of the reasons why I decided to become a sommelier. I really love wines and interacting with guests. One of the main pleasures of being a sommelier is to understand the tastes of our customers, but at LPM we can go even further. With each recommendation and pairing we aim to give our guests an unforgettable experience. This is what makes me happy to be a sommelier.

What bottle sparked your love of wine? 

Amarone, which I tried over a decade ago when I arrived in the UK: it was something completely new for me.

Describe your list? 

One of our main goals is to offer something unique. For this reason, we avoid generic wines, preferring smaller vineyards and makers with stories to tell which help create a special connection between the table and the sommelier. As for rosé, we want to create the same experience as if you were in Provence, feeling the warmth of the sun, the lingering scent of lavender, the blue water and skies, while sharing a bottle of rosé with friends. Our roses are the unifying centerpiece: they set the tone. They are symbolic, as they are what you would find most often on the tables of the Riviera across the decades. A symbol of friendship, golden days, and good times. They come, for the most part, from Provence, where we began our journey.  We have a really varied selection including some unusual, richer, darker rosés which can even complement duck or lamb.

What is one of your favourite standout producers? 

The boutique winery, Liber Pater, which began production in 2006, fast-earning a cult status making it one of the rarest, most sought-after wines today. Owner-winemaker, Loïc Pasquet, uses un-grafted varieties chosen through “selection massale” which were native to Graves from before the scourge of phylloxera destroyed vineyards throughout Europe.

What is your most seductive pour via Coravin?

Domaine de Trevallon, which is not just the greatest wine of Provence but, arguably, the finest example of a Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The wines are getting nobler as the vineyard ages. It is a wine of the garrigues, and a wine of uncompromising personality, and like its origins, it is a wine of no half measures. There is danger here. There is excitement. There is passion. The Trevallon winery is a family-run business, and therefore it stands with our LPM values.

How many references are there in total? 

The sommelier team has collected more than 400 varieties of wines, including some beautiful Grands Crus, to compile one of the most complete wine lists in London.

That might sound like a lot, but it is a major shift in approach for the client to fulfill unexpecting outstanding wine.

Which is the best table in the house? 

Table 10 which is intimate and cosy and has a great view.

How do you keep prices stable?

It’s very easy to offer wines at a huge mark-up to increase revenue, but ultimately that kind of approach doesn’t work. Instead, we focus on quality and let our wines speak for themselves. Nowadays, many consumer apps are available to guests with information about wine prices at the touch of a smartphone, and often guests could be feeling ripped off. That is why it is very important to us to have the best wines available on the market at excellent prices.

Who is the most memorable guest you have looked after? 

A great customer and gentleman from Hong Kong who kindly offered me a bottle of Pétrus 1990 for Christmas. It is so special that I have still not found the ideal moment to drink it. Opening a bottle like this at LPM comes with great theatrics. The guests at the table along with the team are quite elevated, excited, and curious. Everyone would love to have a taste of that wine, which makes it so precious.

What music is played in the restaurant? 

We have playlists for daytime and dinner, both of which bring the vibrant French Riviera atmosphere into the restaurant.

Tell us something surprising about yourself? 

After graduating with a financial degree in South Korea, I joined the military service with DMZ Rangers, which was pretty hard. I also travelled to America for over 11 months by myself without knowing how to speak English. And I never expected to work as a sommelier after getting two degrees in financial management.

What has been your most memorable lunch in the world? 

Mozaic restaurant, Bali, a romantic restaurant with a beautiful garden and a sensuously all-enveloping French-Asian cuisine.

What attributes do you seek in prospective employees? 

We look for people who want to grow and develop. We are a family in London and globally too, so we are looking for people with similar values and views.

LPM Restaurant & Bar – 53-54 Brooks Mews, Mayfair, London, W1K 4EG; 020 7495 4774; Info@lpmlondon.co.uk; lpmlondon.co.uk

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