“Chonk, Thickums, Thicc.” Wine director + sommelier Miles Merton is on a mission to make wine fun again.
Interview : Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing
Location: Familiar Creature, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Tastemaker: Miles Merton | IG: @miles_merton
Current Restaurant: Familiar Creature, Saratoga | IG: @familiarcreaturebar
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
Current city: Saratoga Springs, NY
Personal style: Relaxed and refined; big UNIQLO enthusiast
Listening to: Guerillaz - H.LLS, Lucy Park
Favorite wine: Champagne! If I had to pick one Charles Heidsick Blanc de Millionaires 2017
Favorite spirit(s): Tequila and Cognac
Favorite classic cocktail: Mezcal Negroni
Favorite restaurant or bar experience ever: Ala Shanghai, every time.
Biggest industry influence: William Roach of Putnam Wine
Industry trend that should end: Hating on Chardonnay and Riesling! You just haven’t had the right one!
Welcome to The Dishing’s Quick Serve interviews where we talk matters of taste with tastemakers in the hospitality industry and trailblazers at the intersection of food, culture and art. Today Miles Merton, Wine Director at Familiar Creature in Saratoga talks rethinking wine terms, crafting wine lists + why wine is for the people.
Hey, Miles! Great to talk with you! Familiar Creature has this fabulous wine list divided into categories like “Old Dog, New Tricks”, “Island Wines” + “Chonc, Thickums, Thicc.” It definitely feels more fun than regular wine lists. What gives?
MM: It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with wine… It’s a story as old as time. You try to look at the restaurant’s wine list, understand little of it, and order the second cheapest bottle. One of the goals when creating Creature’s list was making the list as fun and approachable as possible. I want someone who looks at our list to get something other than anxiety out of it. And for the established wine geeks hopefully we’ve created a “Where’s Waldo” with some really well-priced gems.
Your fun, friendly approach feels in sync with Gen Z getting into wine but rejecting the old-school formality. I remember Lil Deb’s Oasis opening wine list described wines in literal sensory terms like “cold spring plunge, red leather and smoking gun” which felt both antiestablishment and relatable. How do you make wine more of a conversation about personal taste than an expert lecture?
MM: I find people who know nothing of wine but try to understand it are the best at it. A brain before all the science and history mumbojumbo got in there. The backstory is arguably the coolest part about wine, but there’s a time and place for that, right? Read the room and read your guest! Most people just want a cool bottle to enjoy while they catch up with their family and friends. Find ‘em a bottle that matches their taste with a cool little story behind it and you’re gold.
At 29-years old, you’re a young Wine Director and Sommelier, but you’ve worked in the industry for a number of years. You started out at Adirondack Winery, attained your level 1 Court of Master Sommelier certification, and moved onto Wine Director roles at Kindred and Prime at Saratoga National. How different is it creating an approachable wine list from scratch versus managing a large, pricey inventory like the 300-strong bottle list at Prime?
MM: The difference is night and day… It’s a lot of meeting the audience where they are and slowly creaking the door open to try new things. At the end of the day, I’d rather get guests drinking more “people-forward” versions of the styles they already love and slowly open up their minds to grapes and regions they maybe unfamiliar with. For the guest, enjoying wine is a journey of learning—just take it slow and enjoy each sip.
Familiar Creature has this French bistro, casual vibe, with open shelves of wine and wines by the glass written on the mirror of the backbar. But it seems rare to have a full-time wine director circulating on the floor all night and interacting with guests at every table. How do you view your role at Familiar Creature?
MM: It’s already rare and becoming even more so as the years go on, so it’s a real privilege to work at a restaurant that’s still trying to care about wine in that way. It’s a treat blending in with all the servers and staff while I take tables. I think it helps take away some of the classic intimidation away from being “the Somm”, as well as helps lift the rest of the staff up to talk about wine as though I weren’t there. They really are better at it.
Maybe as an extension of that question… I’ve seen you engaging with tables with 3 bottles in hand, giving people a taste of different wines to help guide their choice. What is it about that more personal, casual approach of sharing wines you’re excited about that works well in the current climate?
MM: I feel like anyone that’s worked in and had passion for wine always ends up looking into the void asking themselves “How do I make this more approachable? How do I make them love it even a little bit?” It’s just a fact that people are drinking less and young people aren’t into wine the same way. I don’t think there’s one perfect answer but using every tool at your disposal surely helps. Try all the wines I have open, let me show you every bottle off my list, whatever it takes to find the one for them and hopefully creak the door open to the world of wine just a little bit more.
Actually, you have a cool tattoo on your hand to seal the deal. What’s the story behind the snake?
MM: Well, it's a bit of a story but I used to have this dream/nightmare involving a snake as a kid... At some point it felt fitting to get it tattooed on me, haha! It’s from Musu at Shark Tooth Tattoo in Saratoga.
Your Familiar Creature wine list was awarded gold for ‘Best short list in the Americas’ by Star Wine List, which is sort of the Michelin of wine + you went to Sweden for the global finals. What was that like for you?
MM: Reaffirming and humbling… Mostly humbling. Being from small-town Saratoga, it was really refreshing to be surrounded by so many passionate Sommeliers. The whole event took place in Swedish wine country so, as disappointing as it was to not take the International Gold, the trip was an incredibly gorgeous, re-inspiring experience. I came back refreshed and ready to make the changes necessary, to hopefully, take Gold in the International for 2027.
I know that the European tariff war was a genuine concern and many wine bars began turning their patrons onto U.S. or South American wines. Was there any area that you were less familiar with that you began to pay more attention to?
MM: The tariffs have definitely had an unfortunate impact. I think generally I’ve worked more closely with the reps I trust to help me find better values, no matter where they’re from. I’ll always shout out the Finger Lakes when I can though! Such good wine for so little if you know where to look. We always have a few bottles and usually at least 1 glass pour on the list.
Familiar Creature comes from a line in Shakespeare’s Othello, “Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used.” Assuming that your wines are put to good use, what’s the future direction for the Familiar Creature list? Are you going for another gold?
MM: More, more, and more! As fun as our pamphlet/foldout style wine list is, there's no room for any more wine or better descriptions so a goal for 2027 is a book to flip through where we can add anecdotes, descriptions, feature more wine. We’ll probably keep the pamphlet for the everyday in some way, shape, or form, but who knows! And Brendan and I have been plotting a few things to get another gold. But for that we need more wine storage! People don't realize that Familiar doesn't have an attic, basement, or backroom suitable for wine storage. So what you see is what you get... Once we have a list capable of fitting more wine we'll be searching for a wine fridge that'll fit in the dining room so we can keep expanding and improving upon the list.
Alright, it’s November and we’re coming up on the holiday season. What would be three your recommendations for the Thanksgiving table or a holiday party?
MM: Off-dry Chenin Blanc, Beaujolais, & Bandol Rosé. I won’t get too specific… Just go to your local wine store, ask for the above, and have a time at the table.
You’re on the floor most nights, so outside of wine and work, how do you unwind?
MM: On my days off, I like to start my mornings with a breakfast sandwich and coffee from Arthur’s Market down in the Stockade, probably reading a sci-fi or wine book while I’m there. Take some long walks with my girlfriend’s dog, (shoutout Cowpoke), cook up some new recipes while blasting Bad Bunny in the kitchen, or hiking in the Adirondacks.
Where are some of your favorite places to eat or drink in the Capital Region or broader Hudson Valley?
MM: A La Shanghai in Latham always. But lately Suwun Thai (Albany), Saigon Spring (Clifton Park), and Milas (Schenectady) have been the local spots for my girlfriend and I. Otherwise, The Aviary is always a nice treat when we’re looking for a small drive to get away for the day. Big plus being next to Kinderhook Bottle Shop so we can grab a few bottles for home on our way out!
Is there any wine or new release that you’re excited about or trying to get in?
Right now Billecart-Salmon’s newly released Ratafia… Incredibly rare, 2 barrel production they’ve made from their most-prized vineyard for the first time in 208 years. In no reality should we have gotten some. But, due to some insane luck, and intervention from a good friend, we got our hands on a bottle or two. Come grab a pour after dinner and ask us the story behind it.
Oh, wow, that’s exciting. Okay, let us know when you get your hands on it. I’m in! Thanks, Miles! — SDP
