I realize you are the wine expert, but I have a question about a cocktail we LOVED before dinner the other night at Prime. The recipe for the Cucumber Martini...it was wonderful! I do hope you can help us out here. We are back in Florida now, sitting by the pool. Much much appreciated! Thank you! - Jane
Jane - I'm not only the wine expert, but I also love to experiment with cocktails. I named the cocktail Summer Dream after the song : "Summer breeze, makes me feel fine… This drink really makes us feel fine, and so glad that you enjoyed it.
Sapphire Martini ( Summer Dream)
- 2 oz Bombay Sapphire
- 3 Lemon Wedges
- Simple Syrup
- Muddled Cucumber w/ ice in shaker (the secret is to muddle it for 60 seconds with no skin)
- Shake all
- Add Dash Prosecco after shaking
- Pour it into a Rocks Glass
- Garnish with a Cucumber Disc.
I hope to see you in your next trip to NY! - Paulo
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Paulo’s interest in wine started at a young, ripe age, while growing up in southern Brazil. Neighboring Italian immigrants would give Paulo free homemade wine as long as he brought his own bottle; back then the bottle was the greatest expense. His journey to become a sommelier began in the restaurant business in 1983 as a bus boy. Classically climbing the ranks, he became Captain/Sommelier of Windows on the World Restaurant in 1996 and remained until its tragic end in 2001. Paulo was the last to grace the vast wine cellar before it fell on September 11.
Paulo is fluent in five languages, was class valedictorian for the Sommelier Society of America in 1998, and has earned his degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janiero. Paulo’s vast knowledge of wine doesn’t just come from the books. It comes from his teachers Kevin Zraly and Andrea Immer, friends, family, experience, tasting 40-50 wines per week and the many trips he takes. “You learn more by actually going to the regions. One can not speak of a Rioja wine until they are sitting alongside the mountains of Rioja, feeling the traditions of the people, eating their food and becoming companions,” says Paulo. He makes an effort to go on at least one trip per year and has graced Napa Valley, Italy, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Germany and the “death march” in Spain to name a few.
