Tell us, who is Jasper?
Hi! My name is Jasper and I grew up on the east-side of the Netherlands. A little over five years ago I moved to Amsterdam to join The Dylan as Demi-Chef de Rang at Restaurant Vinkeles.
Why did you decide to join The Dylan family?
My last internship was in Spain in a similar hotel as The Dylan. The hotel was an old castle,
not too big with really high standards. I knew all my colleagues, with most of them
being friends, and there was a lot of freedom. When looking for a job in Amsterdam I came
across The Dylan. It’s also a smaller hotel with a lot of history, nice old architecture
and high standards. It basically gave me the same feeling as the hotel in Spain and that is
why I decided to apply.
So what does a sommelier do?
As sommelier I am in charge of all wine-related things for the entire hotel. This means ordering wines and maintaining the stock. But also updating the wine list, creating the wine pairings for both Vinkeles, our fun ‘High Wine’ concept at Bar Brasserie OCCO as well as the wine suggestions for private events in the hotel. Besides that I assist in the service, from serving our wines to explaining our dishes. We have a small team and have all a good bond with each other, which makes it really nice and fun working here.
Besides that wine is part of my job it is also one of my big passions. In the end hospitality is
about giving people a great experience and a good time and I am able to combine that with
something I really love to do. In combination with the trust and freedom I get from all my
colleagues I really could not wish for a better job.
And what do you like to do outside The Dylan?
Well since my family and friends still live in the east-side of The Netherlands I try to go
there once a month to visit. It is much more quiet over there so it is restful at the same time,
especially when it is summer and I can just sit in peace in the garden of my parents.
Besides that I like to go to restaurants, wine tastings and when possible short wine trips. A
few times a year I help out a wine shop with special events and tastings. To see people
enjoy wine, see familiar faces and meeting winemakers gives me a lot of positive energy!
I think you see this one coming… Tell us about your your favorite wine!
This is difficult to answer. I think I had a lot of different favourite wines over the past years. To me, it is more a favourite style of wine or special moment with wine, memories, really. For example, we went to the Bordeaux for harvest with a few colleagues from the hotel. More about that later! We also wanted to visit a Chateau and via one of our suppliers a visit to Chateau Lafite Rothschild had been arranged. We didn’t really know what to expect and we started of with a tour. The guide showed us around through the cellars with a nice and casual way of explaining. After that we got to taste 2 wines which one of them was ‘Chateau Lafite Rotschild 2002’ 1er Grand Cru Classé.
Everything about that moment was right, the location, the people, the wine it self was shining, it was a real experience to taste the wine and I can still remember everything about it. Normally I like to talk a lot and make silly jokes but I was completely speechless and deeply impressed by everything. This is something that will stay special and I will never forget…
This is another wine that holds a special place for me. Tobias started his small vineyard in 2015, and I met him a few years ago in Winningen, where he is based. I had an appointment with his wife, who is also a winemaker, and she introduced me to Tobias’s wines. They truly impressed me with their pure, light, and elegant style, while still being serious thanks to the herbal notes and the intense, slate-like fruit character. Nowadays, I visit him in the Mosel a few times a year. We have great conversations, share plenty of laughs, enjoy amazing wines, and I try to lend a hand during the harvest period.
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