Fast Five: Eleonore Wulf

Over the past decade, Eleonore Wulf has worked in some of Sydney’s most established venues, including Chophouse, Chiswick Woollahra, and, as head of the wine program for ESCA Group, in Itō, JŌJI, Nour and the two-hatted Middle Eastern restaurant Aalia.

Her most recent venture brings London staple The Palomar to Paddington's new 25hours hotel, The Olympia, featuring wines of the Levant, Mediterranean and North Africa, with a healthy sprinkling of domestic favourites.

Below, she shares the five wines that have most influenced her career.

Eleonore Wulf.

1996 Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut Rosé
Champagne, France
Early in my career I was given the opportunity to taste this incredible vintage from Dom Perignon. It really made me shift my appreciation for Champagne beyond the realms of an aperitif. It was structured, deeply complex and with a defined fruit character that could stand up to rich proteins and be enjoyed throughout a meal. It was also the first time I was introduced to decanting a Champagne and releasing a wine’s full potential.

1982 Château Lafite-Rothschild
Pauillac, France
Pouring this at a private event in 2018 was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. A true definition of a unicorn wine, in both producer and vintage. Deeply complex, savoury with sweet, spicy red fruits and crushed foliage. The wine itself was surprisingly fresh despite its 37 years – a glimpse of history in a glass.

2012 Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar Red
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
This is a curious one, which has circled back into my life a few times. I first tasted the flagship Chateau Musar in a little pub in Horndonon-the-Hill, Essex, in the early 2010s. It was a curio at the time, having not been exposed to wine from the Middle East in Australia. Earlier vintages of Musar often show surprising restraint, but the 2012 was powerful, spicy and rich in oak and dark fruits. I often cite this wine as the reason why I took the leap into Middle Eastern restaurants.

2016 Prophet’s Rock Vin de Paille
Central Otago, New Zealand
Sometimes wine is more than what's in the glass; it's an experience. Instantly I am transported to winter in Central Otago in 2018 – the first time I tasted the Vin de Paille. The moon was full, there was frost on the ground and the winemaker Paul Pujol and I were wandering the vineyards after a day of hedonistic indulgence in food and drink. If you're lucky enough to taste it, it's the kind of wine that you'll think about long after the glass is empty. There is only one word to describe it: ethereal.

2018 Bellwether Wines Chardonnay
Tamar Valley, Tasmania
As a proud Tasmanian, this list would never be complete without a Tassie chardy. The wines from my home state have gone from strength to strength, and while it's incredibly difficult to select just one producer, I have been a fan of Sue's wines for some time. I even poured this at my 30th birthday! The wine is rich and generous, expanding beyond stone-fruit and zippy citrus to include hints of barbecued pineapple and green apple hi-chew. A beautifully crafted, modern expression of Tasmanian chardonnay.

Instagram: @littlestwulf / @palomarsydney

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