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Meet Our Sommelier

Meet Bopp & Tone Sommelier, Zac Horntvedt.

With a wealth of experience and passion for wine, Zac has already made an impact on the wine list, service, and wine culture at Bopp & Tone.

Working under the guidance of Applejack Hospitality Group Sommelier Amandine Rouviere, the two are elevating Bopp & Tone’s wine list to new heights. Working with us since the beginning of 2023, Zac had brought passion for premium wines and great wine service on the floor to our Wynyard restaurant.

Keep reading to get to know Zac, his passion for wine and his current favourite wines on the Bopp & Tone wine list.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your experience in hospitality?

“I started my career in wine sales back in 2016 with my family’s wine distribution whilst I was waiting/bartending for a small Italian restaurant in Narrabeen – worked away at both jobs for a few years learning, and more importantly drinking! Until one night in late 2020, our very own Amandine Rouviere came into the restaurant with the Bert’s Bar & Brasserie Sommelier and Management team for a BYO birthday dinner; we got to talking and the next thing I knew they were taking a bet on a random bartender to work as a Sommelier in a two hatted, Wine list hall of fame restaurant! For the next two years I spent all my time studying wine and service, worked closely with my mentors at Bert’s and Merivale.

But in a case of deja vu, I again followed Amandine to Applejack and into Bopp & Tone. And now for the past four months I have been loving my new role at Bopp & Tone and all the people I’ve met and worked with so far, so I’m pretty excited about what the future has to offer here.”

What do you love about working as a Sommelier in the hospitality industry?

“I am and always have been a people person, I started working hospitality when I was only 13, now 26 it’s literally been half my life in the industry – early starts, late finishes, cleaning, running etc… I’ve seen it all and done it all. Being a Sommelier has been the best gig so far – and far less food stains on my clothes to worry about!

To me it’s a lot more personal, I’m here to not only help find what wine matches someone’s palate or dish, but also introduce them to something completely new and exciting. The history and stories behind the wineries and the people that work them are also amazing, I’ve been privileged to meet some incredible winemakers and go travel to some phenomenal wineries in and around Australia and New Zealand. Hearing how each and every winemaker has their own ethos around their wines and how they grow, make and mature them is incredible – this has truly become such a fulfilling career.”

Describe the Bopp & Tone Wine List in one word...

“Empirical – We don’t add wines because we have to or should, we add wines because we believe this is what the people want, and we listen to them.”

What is your favourite wine or winery currently on the Bopp & Tone winelist?

“My personal favourites at the moment are…

Favourite Wine – Cerretto Barbaresco 2019 (Italian Nebbiolo)

Favourite Winery – Pierre Girardin (Burgundian wine maker)”

Join us for a premium glass of wine & to enjoy Zac’s Stellar wine service next time you visist us.

Book your seat at the link below.