This article was updated in October 2020 to reflect new reporting by the New York Times that reveals troubling accounts of sexual violence within the Court of Master Sommeliers of America (CMSa). Several CMSa members have spoken up to defend the institution; we have given them their own page here: Sommeliers Speak Out. Is it […]
Read MoreWhat does it take to become a master sommelier?Step one is to become a sommelier. To non-industry people, it probably sounds like a neat excuse to get paid for drinking-okay, maybe it is. Master Sommeliers take particular pride in their work. It is well warranted. They are a great deal more than a well-informed drinking […]
Read MoreThe Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas announced Devon Broglie as the new Chair and Matt Stamp as the new Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. Broglie is the Global Wine Buyer for Whole Foods Market and Stamp is the co-founder of Compline wine bar, restaurant and wine merchant in Napa Valley.For the current scandals […]
Read MoreThe Napa Valley Needs Your Help Photo: V. Sattui Winery under blue skies on Friday, October 20, 2017 WHY: The nightly images of the devastation broadcasted around the world have given the impression that damage to wineries and vineyards was widespread. It was not.Of the nearly 500 wineries in the Napa Valley, only 7 wineries were severely damaged […]
Read MoreWashington, DC (October 16, 2017)— This November, recipients of the 14th Annual Wines of Chile Awards (AWOCA) presented by Wines of Chile will be formally announced at a special event in Washington, DC. The judging of more than 300 wines took place in early September in San Francisco during a two-day blind tasting with 27 judges from all sides of the […]
Read MoreThere are eight points that all master somms must be able to accomplish when tasting wine.When we talk about “Master Somms” we are technically talking about Court of Master Sommeliers, since they own the copyright to the term Master Sommelier. However, in common parlance that means any Level V Graduate, which includes the Master of […]
Read MoreWhat is a Sommelier? Let’s Get to Brass TacksThe term has two meanings:A Sommelier’s job is running the beverage program at a restaurant, with a focus on the wine list. A less sexy name for this job is “Beverage Manager.” The job actually predates restaurants: back in the Victorian era, a Sommelier was a servant […]
Read MoreWant to know how to order wine at a restaurant? One of our master sommeliers breaks it down for you. Want to know more about wine? Check out our guide to wine schools in America.Ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant is sometimes a very intimidating process for those who are not involved in the industry […]
Read MoreFake Sommelier?Not all sommeliers are trained to accurately taste wine. This is what we call a “fake sommelier. ” After all, the core element of the job is to have a great palate. If the job was just to bloviate, there would be a line of applicants out the door of every restaurant. Several dozen studies […]
Read MoreOrigin Pizza PienaSome of us call it pita or stuffed pie, but the real name for this delicious Italian dish is pizza piena. While this is typically made around the holidays, and particularly Easter, the coming fall helps to recall the tradition of this dish and family and thus worth a mention as we head […]
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