Taking the world one wine at a time.
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, you’ll know EXACTLY what I’m talking about in this post. If on the other hand none of this makes any sense to you, you are part of the problem. What the Sommelier says: “I’m sorry, Sir/Madam. We do offer a corkage fee, or may I suggest something within a particular price range?” What the Sommelier thinks: “That’s right! You run to the grocery store! Maybe when you…
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It’s often said that: “There are no stupid questions when it comes to wine!” but for the sake of this article, I’m going to disagree. I HATE the word “good” when referencing wine i.e. “Oh, you’re a Sommelier? What’s a good wine?” is a question I get thrown at me just about every week. I can’t lie, it makes me want to impale myself onto a wine opener every time hear it! It’s probably the…
Read MoreI mentioned a few weeks ago that I was taking part in filming wine-themed segments for I Know Jax, a TV series based here in Jacksonville. It’s essentially a TV magazine-style show, about fun things to do in the greater Jacksonville area. The show is produced by Talentino Media and is housed on the website with the same name – iknowjax.com. The episodes air every Saturday at 11pm on CW 17, right before Saturday Night…
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The traditional gap between a US and Euro-palate is becoming less obvious, according to a French-guy named Louis-Fabrice Latour (you might of heard of him), head of Burgundy negociant and grower Maison Louis Latour. “The trade in the US has become much more English-oriented,” remarked Louis-Fabrice in an interview with The Drinks Business. However, he clarified this perceived shift in the US palate by adding: “It’s the trade I’m talking about, not the final consumers.”…
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WARNING: THIS ARTICLE WAS PRODUCED AS PART OF APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKE. ALL CHARACTERS ARE FICTIONAL. I DO NOT REPRESENT THE COURT OF MASTER SOMMELIERS AND NEVER HAVE. It’s about time hyper-decanting was given the recognition the recognition it deserves!For those of you that aren’t in the loop, hyper-decanting is quite simply the process of pouring a whole bottle of wine (red or white) into a food processor, turning it to the appropriate setting for…
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A wine expert’s “acute sense of taste” may mean that expert ratings and recommendations are irrelevant to wine consumers who were not born with the ability to discern small differences in a broad range of tastes, according to a team of international researchers. "What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different," said John Hayes, assistant professor, food science, and director of Penn State’s sensory evaluation center. "And, if an…
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When it comes to qualifications, one man has sniffed and slurped his way through more wine examinations than perhaps any other. That man is Gérard Basset, 54 years old, boasts not just a Master of Wine qualification, but also a Master Sommelier, and a Wine M.B.A. from the Bordeaux École de Management, for which he wrote a thesis on the psychology of the wine list. If that wasn’t enough, in 2010 he was named world…
Read MoreAccess to the Court Of Master Sommeliers has always been strictly regulated and cameras have never been allowed anywhere near the exam…. until now! “Somm” is the story of four Sommeliers attempting to pass the prestigious and extremely rigorous Master Sommelier Exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. Getting the title of "Master Sommelier" is not something that can happen overnight. In order to qualify, one must take an…
Read MoreYou might think this is exaggerated, but I promise you it isn’t! :)
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A Chicago woman who took her complaint about a local sommelier and his food and wine pairing class to the Internet said she got more than a taste of revenge from the businessman. Cecelia Groark’s post on Yelp (click here for the review), the popular online review site, about Bottled Grapes in Albany Park allegedly yielded an angry response from owner Krunch Kretschmar, (NB: it sounds like an angry name) an internationally known sommelier. She…
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Lately I’ve started realizing that my wine knowledge has been slipping. How could that possibly happen? Well, I did just turn 31, so maybe dementia could be setting in early; but personally I think the truth is that I just don’t seem to use what I had drilled into me from the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not knocking these fine institutions…well maybe…
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