Q&A with Lauren Goldfarb, Sommelier at Two Michelin Star Jean-Georges

How did you get your start in the Industry?

I first started working in restaurants at the age of 14, just bussing tables. I continued on to work as a server for years and years, returning to the same restaurant (Cucina, in Woodstock, NY)  every summer all through high school and college. That was my initial exposure to a finer level of dining and it sparked a lifelong passion for the art of food, wine, and service. 

After pursuing a different career in undergraduate college and working in a different professional field, I found myself desperately missing the dynamism of the restaurant industry. Any free time I had was filled with researching, reading about, and tasting wine. For a while it felt like a very important hobby, until someone important in my life pointed out that  what I was doing was building a real passion, not just a pastime. I decided to return to the industry, this time with a specific goal in mind — ultimately building a career in wine. 

I left my position in Albany, NY and moved to New York City. My re-entrance to restaurants began at the Mercer Kitchen, another Jean-Georges property, where I started working as a server, a job I was very familiar with after years of earlier experience. Mercer closed its doors in the winter of 2022, but I will always remember it as such a vivacious, exciting restaurant. It was a perfect place to reignite my career in service, and I enjoyed my time there greatly. 

While serving, I still maintained my greater interest in wine, and made a habit out of studying on my own time. At work, I would take it upon myself to work creatively with the wines we had on our list and discuss them with the rest of the staff. Eventually my interest, enthusiasm, and increasing knowledge was noticed, and my name was sent up the chain. I was lucky enough to be promoted within the company to Jean-Georges, the flagship property, initially as a junior sommelier, which is when my career in wine officially began. 

I have now been working professionally as a sommelier since the fall of 2022, and I’ve never looked back.

Which wine regions do you work most with and what’s special about these regions in your own words?

I work heavily with the iconic wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. These regions are widely recognized for producing wine of the highest echelon. I love working with them for that reason, of course, but even more so because they are steeped in history and wine-making tradition. 

What was it about wine that inspired you to become a sommelier?

I grew up with a family that always prioritized the social importance of sitting around a table for a meal with loved ones.  More often than not in our home that included many friends, many laughs, and always good wine. My parents’ favorite dinner party trick was holding a glass of wine to my nose and asking me to pick out the notes, which I would analyze before sharing my assessment with a table full of amused adults. 

While these experiences obviously helped me to playfully develop my nose from a very early age, they also instilled in me the understanding of wine not just as a beverage, but as an important part of the social fabric of food culture. I grew to see wine and wine-making as a form of storytelling — an incredible combination of art, history, and agriculture. 

When I decided to return to the restaurant industry, I knew I wanted to do so with wine. 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy a bottle of wine?

At a long, leisurely dinner — and always shared with friends/family. 

Unexpected wine/food pairing you swear by?

Everyone knows about the infamous pairing of fried chicken and champagne - there’s not much better. But I recently had the pleasure of enjoying Vilmart & Cie ‘Cuvée Rubis’ Brut Rosé Champagne alongside the Gochujang glazed fried chicken at Coqodaq in the Flatiron District in Manhattan, and it was pretty close to perfect. 

You’re a sommelier at  2 Michelin star restaurant Jean-Georges. What’s your favorite dish, and what wine would you pair with it?

There is a very classic Jean-Georges dish that is comprised of hand-cut raw yellowfin tuna ribbons, avocado, and radish. It’s finished with a super punchy ginger soy marinade and a delicious chili oil packed full of warming baking spices. I love to pour a slightly off-dry Mosel riesling alongside the dish - the small degree of residual sugar perfectly tempers the intense flavor of the ginger and soy. 

Outside of wine, what hobbies are you interested in most?

I’m an avid hiker/backpacker - the one downside of living in NYC is lack of access to the outdoors, but I try to escape to my hometown of Woodstock, NY as often as I can to get into the mountains. 

I also practice vinyasa and yin yoga regularly. As someone who works on her feet for hours and hours every day, it’s the perfect way to incorporate movement that’s not very high-impact. 

What’s your favorite recipe?

Carla Lalli Music’s spaghetti with melted cauliflower sauce is a dish that’s on constant repeat for me. The cauliflower cooks down to a sweet, buttery sauce that gets a little kick from Aleppo pepper. I love it with a beautiful Viognier from Condrieu. 

Three of your favorite bars?

For wine: La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (Centre street location)

For cocktails: Maison Premiere in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 

For good times: Aunt Ginny’s in Ridgewood, Queens 

Three of your favorite restaurants?

King near Soho, Manhattan 

Rolo’s in Ridgewood, Queens 

Place des Fêtes in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

And some of your favorite places to stay in New York?

I haven’t spent much time staying in hotels in New York, as I’ve always had friends and family around even before I myself lived in the city. But I have fond childhood memories of going to the Carlyle Hotel to see some great live jazz. I still love to go back and enjoy a fantastic (albeit very expensive) martini at Bemelmans Bar. It’s a dreamy, romantic picture of New York City. I would one day love to spend a night or two in the actual hotel. It feels like such a departure from the day-to-day. 

Favorite or bucket list wine travel destination?

Favorite so far: it’s hard to beat the incredible beauty and hospitality of the south of France. The time I spent in Cassis visiting the wonderful Clos Sainte Magdeleine (producer of one of my all-time favorite Provençal white wines) is one of my fondest memories. 

Bucket list: Burgundy, 100%.