Meet the Sommelier: Crystl Faye Horton of DEL FRISCOS DOUBLE EAGLE STEAKHOUSE NY

Crystl Faye Horton has been a fixture of Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse New York since its opening more than 16 years ago. As the Wine Director of the famed restaurant's sommelier team, Crystl plays an integral role in curating an award-winning wine list made up of more than 2,400 selections and 22,000 bottles, which brings in an impressive $8 million dollar average in sales. This year, the restaurant joined the elite group of Wine Spectator's 2017 Grand Award winners. One of only three NYC restaurants that hold Wine Spectator's highest honor, this distinguishes Del Frisco's wine program as one of the best in the world.

A pioneer within the women in wine movement, Crystl was the first female sommelier at Del Frisco's Steakhouse New York. After beginning her studies with Kevin Zraly at the Windows on the World Wine School, Crystl embarked on an education with the American Sommelier Association, where she is still an active member and staff teacher. Crystl holds a Level Two certification and completed the Advanced Class from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She used her passion for wine to rise through the ranks of Del Frisco's wine program and continues to showcase that passion on a daily basis.

Crystl inspires staff and shares her love for wine through weekly, deductive tasting classes. She also launched a wine education course which is now available to the general public, "Saturday's With The Somm," taking place at the restaurant each Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Crystl Faye Horton for our "Meet the Sommelier" feature.

What special personal qualities or talents have enhanced your career?

I think the two biggest things that have helped me along the way in my career are being able to speak French- from a studying perspective and having a background in the theatre. This type of work, dealing with thousands of people a day with all sorts of personalities- winemakers, guests, distributors, and the ability to read the situations and act apropos has been instrumental in my success. There are times when you have to regale people with grand tales and times when you have to be able to read between the lines of the script to find out what is really wanted. The world of the sommelier is a stage in which you move deftly from table to table and role to role. Anyone can taste a wine and tell you the technicalities of it but to bring a life to the wine and to make the wine an integral part of the entire dining experience is something entirely different.

Who have been some of your professional mentors or individuals that have inspired your work?

I consider my first professional mentor to be Kevin Zraly from the Windows on the World Wine School followed by Andrew Bell of the American Sommelier Association, as well as David O'Day who was the wine director here in NYC when I first began my wine journey. I have also taken inspiration from my fellow sommeliers and winemakers that I have met along the way. I trained more than a handful of young sommeliers who have gone on to become wine directors in other restaurants, owners of internationally acclaimed wine shops, and top sales people for some of the largest distributors in the country. I find great pride and inspiration almost like when I would watch the plays that I directed come to life on stage and take on a life of their own.

Tell us a little about your travel experiences as a sommelier.

I have traveled extensively in the wine world visiting the Loire, Bordeaux, Madiran, the Rhone River Valley, the South of France, Champagne, and Armagnac in France. When I was in Bordeaux I partook in a tasting of over 400 recent vintage Bordeaux wines and rated every single one of them. I recently spent a week traveling Northern Italy including Lombardy, Alto Adige, Friuli, and the Veneto. I have spent over a dozen vacations in California traversing the Coast from Anderson Valley, Napa, Sonoma, the Central Coast, all the way to a little known vineyard in the hills of Bel Air. The North Fork of Long Island is where I own a house and have spent the past 10 years visiting wineries and seeing them grow. I have been through the Finger Lakes of New York twice and into the Niagara Region of Canada twice as well. I have visited Oregon's Willamette Valley and have even been wine tasting in Arizona and New Mexico! I have many more places to go in the world and intend on traveling as often as I can to the esteemed vineyards of this beautiful planet.

Why do you find your career as a sommelier so rewarding?

There are many reasons I find this career so rewarding. The people are really what make it the best. Every wine has a story, every wine has a passion behind it, and that passion comes from the people. It is not only the people that grow the grapes and make the wine, or even the people that drink it... It is so much more. It is the harvest workers who come every year to pick the grapes for the same wineries, it is the people who seek out new wines and take them on as their own, it is the sommeliers and wine directors who dedicate their time to creating outstanding lists and creating memorable experiences, it is the educators who bring life-long experience and teach with passion... It is being an integral part in the vast world of wine that is so rewarding. Being a sommelier is not about simply bringing a wine to a table and opening it- even if you are sabering a champagne bottle with perfection... It is about giving people an experience, making them smile, introducing them to new and exciting things, telling them the history and the passion behind wine- it is about being on that stage and getting the standing ovation for a perfect show.

What is one of your favorite meals and what wine would you select for it?

One of my favorite meals is without a doubt braised short ribs with a rich demi-glace and roasted root vegetables. Autumn is the perfect time for this meal. I am a firm believer in understanding the principle behind wine and food pairing and that it is, very simply, all about balance. When you have a rich dish like braised meat you have a healthy portion of fattiness in the dish and what you essentially want from the wine is to mitigate that richness. You need a wine with bold fruit but also higher acidity to cut through that fat. Having said that I always go straight to Old World Red wines for big dishes. I would absolutely pair this with a Left bank Bordeaux such as one of my favorites Calon-Segur 2000 and similarly I would also recommend a bold flavored Brunello di Montalcino such as the Mocali 2009.

Tell us a little about the restaurant that you currently work with.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse New York is an energetic, three-story culinary destination in Midtown, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows within the 18,000 square foot, three-story restaurant that offer grand views of Radio City Music Hall and bustling Sixth Avenue. Out of the 12 Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House locations across the country, Del Frisco's Steak House New York is an iconic staple and flagship. Known for its standout service, high-quality fare, Wine Spectator Grand award-winning wine list and prime location, Del Frisco's seats approximately 450 people and is often packed with the city's broadcast, business and sports elite.

Editor's Note: For the first time since its doors opened more than 16 years ago, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse New York will launch weekend lunch beginning on Saturday, October 7th. Ideal for a pre- or post-Broadway meal, diners can enjoy signature lunch favorites such as the decadent Wagyu Beef French Dip, fresh Lobster Roll and rich Filet Medallions every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse New York is located at 1221 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10020. Call 212.575.5129 and visit https://delfriscos.com/steakhouse/new-york.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Crystl Faye Horton

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