"Originally from Long Beach, CA, Wine Director Eric Lecours has found his home at Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, carefully crafting a well-balanced and eclectic wine list for his guests to enjoy.

Previously apprenticing at Domaine Roulot in Meursault, France, and Domaine Grivot in Vosne-Romanée, France, for a year and a half, Eric has a passion for European wines, and brings that sensibility to crafting the list at Donato Enoteca. Focusing primarily on Italian varietals, he built Donato Enoteca’s wine list to feature approximately 140 bottles, 35 of which are available by the glass, quarto and mezzo.  Eric has also crafted a special reserve wine list of 60 labels with rare and harder-to-come-by selections.  Complementing the rustic and authentic dishes from Executive Chef Donato Scotti, Eric offers a variety of options for guests and encourages exploration on his wine list.

 

 

“Living in Burgundy and Europe, I realized wine’s place is so different there. Wine is an organic, inseparable part of a meal. Breaking bread, sharing a meal and a bottle of wine amongst friends and family is a daily pleasure and an essential part of life,” he says.  “The Italian culture of sharing a beautiful dinner around the table with friends and enjoying a variety of wines in an approachable way is what I look to create for each guest at Donato Enoteca.”

He began his wine career in 1999, working harvest at Melville Winery as well as Brewer-Clifton in Santa Rita Hills. He followed this by producing his own vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Following his time there, he also worked a harvest season at Kosta-Browne. Among his accolades, Eric is a Master of Wine candidate and was one of 10 Americans to be selected by the Le Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) to become an International Bordeaux Educator where he was sponsored to attend a week of tasting, education and qualification in Bordeaux.   

Eric is a Certified Wine Educator of the Society of Wine Educators, a Certified Sommelier of the Court of Master Sommelier as well as a Certified Spanish Wine Educator of the Wine Academy of Spain.  During his career, Eric has traveled extensively throughout the vineyard areas of Europe and the United States.  He speaks French and Japanese and has assisted in Japanese wine courses for the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. In 2007 Eric was the Bay Area Director of the French Wine Society.  Additionally, he has taught numerous wine courses and trainings for the CIVB and the Wine & Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) in Napa, San Mateo and San Francisco. 

He holds a degree in Enology and Viticulture from La Viti de Beaune in Burgundy, France, and a BA in economics from UCLA.  He also holds a Diploma in Wine & Spirit from WSET.