Chicago Somm Pairs Songs with Sips
At 1340 Beer Wine Spirits, Derrick Westbrook harmoniously showcases his unique approach to wine appreciation and education.
When it comes to pairing wine and music, Derrick Westbrook is that guy. A talented sommelier and the proprietor of 1340 Beer Wine Spirits, he loves to combine his formal wine training with his appreciation for good music.
“I grew up around a lot of hip-hop, jazz, a lot of blues, R&B, soul, and gospel, so you’ll see remnants of that for sure,” notes Westbrook, who, prior to opening his West Loop shop, worked at the likes of high-profile Chicago restaurant Next as well as Elizabeth, where he served as beverage manager and credits as the place he “found his voice for falling in love with wines that are a little bit off the beaten path.”
He continues: “Every time I taste a wine, I think of textures and weight, and for me, those textures and weight are very similar to sound in a lot of ways. … for example, [any wine] that has bright, crisp citrus notes, I always hear horns, I always hear treble clef, I always hear high key, high pitch tones.”
I was fascinated as to how one goes about coming up with the ideal wine pairings for music, so during his episode on the LIVE! Culinary Series, I requested him to offer a few examples. I threw out random music genres, from deep, soul house music to classic Miles Davis to N.W.A. I could have listened to his pairings for hours!
But there was so much more to discuss. Westbrook also talked about his virtual wine and cocktail classes, a wine club that’s curated by him, and his thoughts on supporting marginalized wine, craft beer and spirits producers.
“There’s space for everyone,” he says. “Everyone does something different. I think about [the wine business] the same way I think about music. … I support the movement and the idea. If you’re in the industry and you’re a person of color, and LGBTQIA+, I support everyone 100 percent in that space, and I don’t shy away from honest critique. If you’re fire, like music, as long as it’s jamming, I’m rocking with it.”