Bartender of the Month: October 2002 By Fritz Hahn washingtonpost.com Staff Writer

Roland Hankerson leads wine tastings every other Tuesday at Bethesda's Grapeseed. (Photo by Fritz Hahn/ washingtonpost.com)

Although he's been working around wine for seven years, Roland says, it took him a while to be serious about it. "I took a wine class when I worked at Maggiano's, about five years ago. It seemed to stick with me more than it did with everyone else, so I started asking questions of vendors and wine experts, reading about wine, and it went from there."

To soak up even more of his knowledge, attend a wine tasting at Grapeseed, which is held every other Tuesday. It's $15 per person, but you do get to sample a lot of wine. He'd do them every week, Roland says, but each presentation takes about a week to prepare. Upcoming topics include "France: Rhone vs. Bordeaux" on Oct. 8, Chardonnay on Oct. 22 ("She's everyone's Miss Congeniality!" trumpets the flier) and Ports on Dec. 3.

A brief Q & A with Roland

What's YOUR favorite drink?
Right now, my favorite white is the 2000 Chalk Hill Chardonnay, because of its butter and oak flavors. I like its fullness. My favorite red is the 1998 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon. It's smooth and not too tanic, with great fruit.

What's the drink you make most often?
It really just depends on the person. We have 280 wines. During the winter, it's almost all red. During the spring and summer, it's white. But if they don't know, I ask what they like, what they're eating.

What was the last drink you didn't know how to make?
Well, despite the appearance, we do most drinks here, but they're usually not too complicated. In terms of wine, people do ask for glasses and tastes of wine that we only have by the bottle, including some of the champagnes.

What do you have to do to get '86ed?
There's a real clear cutoff, the same any other bartender uses. Continue to be loud after several warnings or be abusive to anyone, and I say, "Hey, you can pay your tab now. You're gone."

Finish the line: A man walks into a bar . . .
. . . and draws a blank, because he doesn't know what he wants.

What's the best pickup line you've ever overheard?
There's a regular who somehow always works in that he sells props to "Sex and the City," and then all the women turn around and pay attention.

What song do you wish they'd take off the jukebox?
After Maggiano's, I'm sick of Frank Sinatra's "Goody Goody."

The first sign a patron's drunk is:
Slurred speech. Or they're really quiet without concentrating on one specific thing.

Have you ever dated/gone home with someone you met while you were working?
Yes. I met my fiance.

Which bars do you visit when you're not working?
Rock Bottom Brewery. Bethesda has a really close restaurant scene, and I have lots of friends who wind up there after their restaurants close.

How cheap are people, really?
Usually, people tip me very well. You get the occasional person who doesn't, but for the most part, people are good.

What piece of bar etiquette do you wish people would learn?
No matter how slammed we are, I try to say "Hi" to people when they come in. I wish they'd just say "Hi" back instead of "Can I get a . . ." when I greet them.

Give us a piece of advice.
In vino veritas. ("In wine, there is truth.")

Read about our other bartenders of the month

Who's your favorite bartender? Tell us, and maybe we'll put him or her on the spot next month.