Washington, D.C
William Simons of Albi is The MICHELIN Guide Washington, D.C. 2024 Sommelier Award Winner
Congratulations to William Simons of One MICHELIN Star Albi, MICHELIN Guide Washington, D.C. 2024 Sommelier of the Year winner, presented in partnership with Franciacorta!
Meaning “my heart” in Arabic, Albi is inspired by heartfelt flavors originally cooked by Chef Michael Rafidi‘s grandparents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Palestine. Brilliantly complementing the hearth-fired cuisine, Advanced Sommelier (CMS) William Simons serves as the restaurant’s wine director, overseeing a selection filled with fantastic gems.
In his role, Simons balances a sense of education and fun. The menu is sprinkled with historical anecdotes like early winemaking in Armenia, as well as wine quotes from people like Freddie Mercury. He tells guests, “Sauvignon Blanc can be a bit like George Clooney when he was on The Facts of Life, and he was gawky and awkward. But when we blend it with sémillon, now you’re dealing with George Clooney from Oceans Eleven.”
We spoke with him to learn more about his wine list and his own wine journey.
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How were you introduced to the world of wine?
My joking answer is that I read too much Jack Kerouac in high school. Despite reading about traveling hobos, I didn’t drink any wine until I was 18. The first wine I had was Beringer White Zinfandel. Nowhere to go but upward from there.
I was working in restaurants. I developed a reputation among my friends as the guy that knew about wine, but I felt I had a significant degree of imposter syndrome, which drove me to reading. I got hooked on the confluence of place and culture and history, and it grew from there.
A lot of reading and working in restaurants, and then I got thrown into the deep end at a pretty serious wine shop in New York. In retail, you get to taste more broadly than you do in most restaurants, because you have to try to be all things to all people.
Albi has a reasonably large wine list at around 300 bottles, but in a retail shop, that would be tiny. There’s a lot of exposure that comes along with that. I worked in wine retail for years. I made the move back to restaurants and started working the floor as a sommelier and pursuing some certifications, because I moved cities and my resume didn’t mean all that much.
Rey Lopez / Smoked & Infused
Could you tell us more about your wine list at Albi?
We have a global wine list that disproportionately favors wines that feature notable textures and acidity, smokiness to complement things off of the hearth.
We certainly list Lebanese, Palestinian, Cypriot, and some Syrian wines. But we don’t focus on those exclusively. We say, what are the flavors that make sense with this cuisine? What are the textures that make sense with this cuisine?
In some ways, we have a lot of liberty. If a person goes to a French or Italian restaurant, they tend to have a solid understanding of what they’re going to drink. Here, people walk through the door without any real preconceived idea of what they should be drinking, because it’s not a cuisine that they’re used to thinking of with wine.
In the Arabic-speaking world, you have a period of roughly 400 years of de facto prohibition under the Ottomans, and winemaking continued as a personal endeavor. People could make wine for their own consumption, but as an industry, it basically ceased to exist.
As the industry returned, it was largely under the tutelage of the French, so the wine culture that evolved was largely geared toward a French palate and arguably not geared toward the cuisine of the region. This is one of the areas where vitis vinifera originated and certainly where it proliferated under the time of the Phoenicians, yet a disproportionate number of wines are French varieties imported in the late 1800s and early 1900s – cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay.
We offer wines from all different producers in Lebanon (where the most are able to be found) of the old guard French varieties and Bordeaux styles, as well as the new guard. [For the new guard], there are winemakers in the region asking, what does an authentic Lebanese wine look like without French influence? Older winemaking techniques like amphora, indigenous varieties.
Rey Lopez / Mersel & Co
Do we see sustainability on your wine menu?
Pretty much exclusively. I shy away from using the word natural for Albi’s wine list in particular, for a lot of reasons.
One is that it just doesn’t mean anything. When the conversation around natural wine got started, the main focus was on the idea that producers cared about the land, that they took a multigenerational view of their obligation to place. They were stewards of the Earth. Certainly, all of the producers that we have on the list at Albi adhere to that idea. They’re mostly family-owned, mostly smaller operations. An overwhelming majority farm organically, whether they’re certified or not.
How has your taste in wine changed over time?
The things that I look for in wine have been largely consistent over time. I favor acidity and freshness and elegance over power.
I had a brief dalliance with big, high-octane wines, just because when I was exposed to them, I had never tasted anything like them before, and so I was fascinated by them. But then, personally, I find them a little bit exhausting. It’s a chore to try and drink a wine that’s fighting you with alcohol and tannin. So, freshness and elegance and a sense of place have always been things that I’ve looked for.
Once I started to get really interested in wine, Burgundy was the first place that really spoke to me. The combination of complexity and simplicity that it has in that it’s “just two grape varieties.” There’s still this incredible variation within it.
Rey Lopez / Philokalia
What’s the biggest misconception about being a sommelier, or wine in general?
People don’t know just how much time you spend in front of an Excel spreadsheet. I love inventory, cataloging, counting bottles, digging into spreadsheets, and organizing things. But at the same time, we do get to taste wine and talk about wine and pursue what we’re passionate about.
The misconception I worry about most is trust. We talk about servers and captains being guest advocates, but there often is a perception that sommeliers are just there to make the sale. Any good sommelier should be interested first and foremost in pairing wine to the guest at the table and developing that trust in that relationship with the guest.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a position like yours?
Take your time. I came into working in wine before the Somm craze and before the documentaries that made the certifications household names.
For me, taking my time was something that was viable because it was the older model of the industry, where it was based a little bit more on the idea of an apprenticeship. In the kitchen you still see it. You don’t take a test that says you’re a sous chef. They have to work their way into the role.
Chart your own path, whatever that is. Find a place that works and make it your own, or don’t. Move around, gain experience, work other places while you’re young and still can. There’s a lot of different avenues to get there.
Hero image: Hawkeye Johnson / William Simons
Alain Ducasse and Daniel Humm chat life, what they think of each other’s cuisine, and the future of fine dining.
WASHINGTON – The Metropolitan Police Department released new body camera footage on Friday of an officer firing his gun at an armed carjacking suspect last month.
The backstory:
The carjacking happened early in the morning of June 24.
According to MPD, two suspects held a man at gunpoint in the 700 block of 19th Street in Northeast Washington before taking his keys and driving off.
After the carjacking, officers searched the city for the suspects, before finding the car on Valley Avenue in Southeast. Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver took off, before bailing at 2nd and Xenia Streets.
What we know:
The body camera footage released Friday picks up during officers’ search for the suspects.
In the short clip, the officer can be heard shouting out the window of his patrol car before firing out the window.
According to MPD, the officer was driving on Livingston Road SE when he saw one of the suspects. The officer asked the suspect to show their hands, but instead, MPD said the suspect pointed a rifle at the officer. That’s when the officer fired, and the suspect ran off into the woods.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 13-year-old charged in DC armed carjacking, officer shoots at second suspect
What’s next:
That suspect is still on the run, according to MPD. A second suspect was arrested the night of the carjacking. The 13-year-old has been charged with armed carjacking, reckless driving, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for DC and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division Force Investigation Team will both review the shooting.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 DC reports.
Washington, D.C
What’s that noise? What you need to know about D.C. flyovers Friday and Saturday – WTOP News
Reagan National Airport will close for America 250 flyover rehearsals Friday and celebrations Saturday featuring the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and more.
Reagan National Airport will close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday for rehearsals ahead of this weekend’s America 250 celebrations, meaning people around D.C., Arlington and Alexandria may hear and see low-flying military aircraft.
According to Freedom 250 event organizers, Friday’s “Wings of Freedom” demonstrations over the National Mall will feature parachute teams, helicopters and military aircraft, including the U.S. Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey and F-35B, the Navy’s F-18F and F-35C, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the Thunderbirds and a tri-bomber formation.
On Saturday, the FAA will close the airport from noon to midnight for the full celebration. All arrivals and departures at Reagan National are scheduled to end before noon.
Flyovers and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening along the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds, including appearances by Air Force One, the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, military aircraft fleet reviews, parachute demonstrations and B-2 stealth bombers.
Highlights include an Air Force One flyover scheduled for 7:03 p.m., a Thunderbirds demonstration beginning at 6:25 p.m., a tri-bomber formation at 6:02 p.m. and a stealth aircraft flyover at 7:38 p.m.
Friday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration rehearsals along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 10 a.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 10:15 a.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 10:20 a.m.: USMC V-22 Osprey Demo
- 10:35 a.m.: USMC F-35B STOVL Demo
- 10:50 a.m.: USN F-18F Demo
- 11:10 a.m.: USN F-35C Demo Team
- 11:30 a.m.: USAF F-22 Raptor Demo
- 11:50 a.m.: NASA F-5s
- 12 p.m.: HUGE (1) Formation
- 12:05 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds
- 12:55 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber
Saturday’s schedule of flyovers and demonstration along the National Mall and Washington Monument
- 1:14 p.m.: – NASA F-5 Flyover
- 1:24 p.m.: -NASA Fleet Review
- 1:44 p.m.: USCG Helo Flyover
- 1:54 p.m.: USCG Fixed Wing Flyover
- 2:09 p.m.: Golden Knights, Leap Frogs
- 2:29 p.m.: Army Helo Flyover
- 2:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Heavies
- 2:54 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 2 – AFSOC
- 3:04 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 3:29 p.m.: Executive Rotary Wing Airlift
- 3:39 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 3:49 p.m.: USMC Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 3:59 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 1 – Rotary
- 4:09 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 2 – Fixed Wing
- 4:19 p.m.: USN Fleet Review – Wave 3 – Fighters
- 4:21 p.m.: USN F-18F Demonstration
- 4:59 p.m.: USN Blue Angels
- 5:26 p.m.: USMC MV-22 Osprey Demonstration
- 5:44 p.m.: USAF Fleet Review – Fighters
- 6:02 p.m.: USAF Tri-Bomber Formation
- 6:05 p.m.: USN F-35C Demonstration
- 6:25 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration
- 7:03 p.m.: Air Force One Flyover
- 7:07 p.m.: USAF Thunderbirds Delta Break
- 7:17 p.m.: HUGE 1 Flyover Led by the Newly Renovated Air Force One
- 7:38 p.m.: U.S. Stealth Airpower Flyover
- 7:39 p.m.: F-22 Raptor Demo
- 7:53 p.m.: F-22 Raptor in Afterburner
- 7:59 p.m.: B-1 Flyover
- 8:07 p.m.: B-1’s in Afterburner
- 8:11 p.m.: HUGE ONE Fly Over Review
- 8:22 p.m.: Golden Knights Twilight Jump
- 10:36 p.m.: B-1 Afterburner Night Pass
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An Air Force major was arrested in uniform on the steps of the Capitol after he called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested Jason Watson, an active-duty service member, on Wednesday afternoon following remarks at a news conference where he said Trump and Vice President JD Vance should be removed from office.
The event was organized by the Removal Coalition, a group that lobbies members of Congress to impeach Trump, and attended by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has repeatedly introduced articles of impeachment against Trump.
“I’m here with him because Rep. Green is the only member of Congress that has demonstrated the courage and conviction to … force a vote on articles of impeachment,” Watson said at the event. “If Congress followed his example, we could remove the entire Trump administration, but Congress remains unconvinced of the urgency and necessity for them to honor their oaths, so we must persuade them with our unrelenting, uncompromising civil resistance.”
Watson said he is not a Democrat and does not share policy positions with Green, who lost his re-election bid this year. Green’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Watson’s arrest.
Capitol Police said in a statement that it “is generally against the law for the public to demonstrate on the House Steps unless they are with a Member of Congress.”
“Yesterday afternoon, a man was escorted to the House Steps by a Member of Congress,” the statement said. “When the Member of Congress left the area, our officers gave the man lawful orders to stop the illegal demonstration or he would be arrested. The man refused our lawful orders.”
Capitol Police identified the man as Watson, adding that he was arrested on charges of “Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding” and that it is legal to protest in other spots on the Capitol grounds.
Service members are subject to stricter laws than the average citizen when it comes to protesting. The Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits officers from “using contemptuous language towards the President, Vice president, the Secretaries of War and of a military department, Congress, and certain other officials,” according to an Air Force memo last year.
An Air Force spokesperson said in a statement Thursday: “Service members must comply with all laws, regulations and policies governing conduct and the wear of the uniform. All Department of the Air Force personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of discipline and professionalism, both on and off duty.”
All service members, not just members of the Air Force, are prohibited from participating in “political activities” in uniform.
Watson’s criticism of Trump and Vance focused on the administration’s actions in Venezuela and Iran, calling them “an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’ authority and a violation of the War Powers Clause.”
“These violations resulted in the deaths of 13 service members and injuries of hundreds more,” he said, referring to the number of U.S. military deaths tied to the Iran war. “For this, the president and vice president must be impeached, convicted and removed.”
Watson also called the administration’s immigration policies and tactics unconstitutional.
The Removal Coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Watson could not be reached.
President Donald Trump responded to criticism of a financial disclosure that listed $1.4 billion in crypto earnings largely driven by meme coins.
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