Enoteca operations manager Marc-Antoine Malia takes us behind the scenes at one of Shanghai’s most popular wine bars where we find out it’s not all wine and roses

9am First alarm. Slowly come out of a deep sleep. My girlfriend has already left. Take shower, look at the news, do nothing. I like this first hour, alone, before the rush.
9:45 First decision of the day: what shirt to wear? See bright light coming through the window, so I go for the light colored one.
10:00 Jump in my first taxi. Destination: Enoteca on Anfu Lu (“E1” to those in the know). Really like taxi rides in Shanghai. At 10am the traffic is always okay.

Enoteca 1

10:10 Have an iced cappuccino at the bar as I check my emails and prepare meetings for the day. I also do some work for our big function next weekend at The Center. It’s a big deal for us because Enoteca Catering is a new project we are trying to push. The expectations of the customer are high, but the challenge is worth it.
11:00 Quick phone call to my girlfriend just to say hi and tell her I love her. I won’t see her until late tonight.
11:50 Jump in my second cab of the day and head to Enoteca 2 (“E2” for those in the know). I use this time to read some French magazines to maintain a small connection with where I come from.

Enoteca 2

12:20pm Jose, the manager, has the place ready for lunch. My partner Matthieu Magery is already there. Matt has been my good friend for 10 years. We both arrived in Shanghai three and a half years ago.
12:30 Our first meeting is with Yuri from Finigate. We’re trying to source some retail food products for the Enoteca boutique. It’s a nice sunny day so we do it outside on the terrace. But first, food tasting!
1:45 After a lunch that went longer than it should have, we kick Yuri out. He was starting to get a little bit too comfortable under the sun. The next meeting is with Vincent, our chef. The subject: the new food menu for September for both restaurants. We move onto our second food tasting. Naturally, we decide to stay on the patio.

Office

3:20 It’s not very big, but it is convenient. Doing paperwork at the bar all day is definitely not the best thing, and I hate homework. Check my emails again. Finally have a look at the Enoteca handbook Matthieu made. Not the most fun part of my job, but so important when your company is growing.
5:15 Small talk with Shaoyi, our accountant. Don’t ever forget to take care of your accountant! I don’t know why they always look so worried. Then again, maybe I do know.
6:00 Phone call to Beijing, where we just opened our newest location, to get the latest news and find out if they need anything from Shanghai. Reminds me that I need to book my flight for next week to BJ.

Back to E1

7:30 The restaurant is already busy. Looks like tonight will be one of those big nights. Pierre, the new E1 manager, and the staff are ready for the rush. The truth is they love it.
8:00 Pierre Monier and Youngju Lee, the two owners of Enoteca from Enoterra and Radonda, are at the bar. Together we sample wines: two reds and three whites from Australia and the U.S. Some good and some bad stuff. We talk about the company and share our different points of view. Sometimes it goes late into the night.
9:30 Customers are still coming in so we give up our seats, move to a standing area and keep debating.
9:45 Chris, one of our best customers, joins us for a glass of wine. I check the lounge room to get the vibe tonight. Lots of regulars, a few new faces. Someone is buying bottles for take away, the staff is running around. Looks good!
10:00 Calvin Wang, a friend of ours who is a designer, passes by to show us some designs we ordered for E2. Of course, I completely forgot we were supposed to meet.
11:45 Even after the rush hour, the restaurant is still busy with people enjoying the end of the night. It’s time for me to leave.

Home

11:55 Get some cookies and crash on the sofa with my girlfriend. It’s DVD time. After discussing which one to watch, we finally pick the latest blockbuster.
2am After 10 years in the business, I have a difficult time going to sleep before 2am, but once in bed I’m the fastest one to join the other world.

What we think...

Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Even when the wine is flowing, it’s still all about the meetings. But that’s what it takes to make one of Shanghai’s most successful wine bars. Tell us what you think about Marc’s day at www.cityweekend.com.cn/dayinthelifeSH