Seasons 52

Master Sommelier George Miliotes grew up around food. His family owned a restaurant in Orlando and it was while on a trip to Germany with his father as a teenager he first sample wines that changed his life. Miliotes began creating award-winning wine lists in the late 1980s and eventually created one, the first of its kind, for The California Grill at Disney World. He is currently Director of Beverage and Hospitality for the Capital Grille, a Darden restaurant concept, where he oversees the wine list for all 40 locations of the national steak house chain, with wine lists ranging from 300 to 1,000 selections. Miliotes is also the food and beverage director for the nationally recognized, Seasons 52, with locations in Florida and Georgia.

With so many wines relatively high in alcohol these days, how difficult is it for a restaurants’ wine-by-the-glass program to pair with delicate foods?

I do not see this as an issue. There are appropriate wines for appropriate foods and a well set up wine-by-the-glass program makes sure these bases are covered. The reason that varietals like Riesling are on fire is that they are lower alcohol and can pair well with lighter foods. While red wines may be lagging a little behind in the balanced alcohol arena, I think there is an active movement for more balanced wines even with reds.