Interview With A Sommelier – Mikk Parre

The World of Wine is beautifully showcased by an army of talented Sommeliers, who help the consumer discover their next favourite bottle, understand the different regions and pair a delicious meal with the right Glass of Bubbly.

In this feature, I speak with a man who has helped many people to discover the vast world of Wines and Sparkling Wines, his name is Mikk Parre, let’s find out a bit about his life as a Sommelier.

Tell Us About Yourself

“My name is Mikk, I am a sommelier from Tallinn, Estonia with an almost decade-long experience in the hospitality industry. I am currently a freelance sommelier, with a focus on studying and improving myself. For the past couple of years, I have been heavily focused on sommelier competitions, having received the titles of Best Sommelier of Estonia in both 2022 and 2023 as well as Best Sommelier of the Baltics in 2022.

Most recently I took part in the Sommelier World Championships in Paris and received an honourable 24th place among the best of the best.

My next goal at this point is the Best Sommelier of Europe competition in the fall of 2024, with a goal of making it to the semi finals and most of all, enjoying myself.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“My first experience with sparkling wine was sometime during my teenage years and although it is a memory my mind has tried its best to suppress, my first meeting with sparkling wines was a legendary Sovetskoe Shampanskoe semi-sweet sparkling wine (although I doubt it can legally be called wine these days) of an unknown origin.

Legendary in the sense it used to be the only sparkling wine people in these parts of the world could access during the soviet occupation times and as the brand has carried on until today as a bottom-shelf grocery store drink, it is quite often the first experience young people have with sparkling wine in Estonia. Despite the low quality nature of the drink, one can at least thank it for opening the gates of the wine world for several generations of young people.”

What Inspired You To Become a Sommelier?

“My biggest inspirations were my colleagues in the first restaurant I ever worked at, Restaurant Moon in Tallinn. My colleagues Robert and Siim, the latter of whom had just started going to the local Sommelier School, made the world of wine so interesting for a person who had just entered the hospitality world with zero knowledge, it was only a matter of time until I myself entered the local Estonian Sommelier School with the support of our owner/manager Jana, she herself, a graduate of the school. The rest is history.”

During Your Time As A Sommelier, What’s The Most Surprising & Interesting Thing You’ve Learnt?

“The most surprising thing I have come to realize is how humble and down to earth the world’s best sommeliers are. The image of a sommelier as a snobby and uptight socialite is literally the opposite of reality. A good sommelier is a true people person who can relate to and inspire people instead of scaring them and making people feel uncomfortable. Stay away from snobby people who call themselves sommeliers, they are not worthy of the name.

The most interesting thing I have learned is how insanely good wines come from volcanic soils. Soils don’t sound like the most interesting thing in the world, but during my time as a sommelier, I have come to realize nearly all my favourite wines come from volcanic soils – Santorini, Tokaj, Etna, Azores, Willamette Valley and many others. It is utterly fascinating for me that climate, grapes or even wine styles in those areas have nothing in common, but the uniting factor is actually the soil which makes the wines appealing to me.”

What Sparkling Wine Producing Countries or Regions Hold A Special Place In Your Heart?

“I think it is difficult for a sommelier not to mention France and Champagne, as those wines are deservingly regarded among the best in the world and often seen without equals in the world of sparkling wines. Although as a fan of the lesser known regions and grapes, I can gladly look past the glamour of Champagne and find shining stars elsewhere as well.

Among my favourites are top level Austrian sparkling wines, mainly from Kamptal, from producers like Loimer, Allram and Bründlmayer and as a huge fan of South African wines, I must also mention Cap Classique, among my favorites producers like Graham Beck and Silverthorn, both from the region of Robertson.”

Where’s The Most Memorable Place You’ve Enjoyed A Glass of Bubbly?

“There have been many memorable glasses of bubbly and many memorable places, but if I had to pick one that is the closest to my heart it would be in a jacuzzi on Santorini, during a wine trip with my girlfriend. I have actually forgotten which glass of bubbly we had there, but memories of the moment and the trip live on, it was the first wine trip we had together and the adventure remains something special and very close to my heart along with that quiet evening with a glass of bubbly in the jacuzzi.”

Thank you, Mikk, for sharing your words, knowledge and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Mikk Parre and Lauri Laan (photographer). Glass of Bubbly was granted permission, to use them.