A Little Background            

            Normandy, located east of Brittany and north of the Loire Valley, is a coastal region along the English Channel, whose native populace can claim Viking ancestry.  In 911, King Charles III of France ceded Normandy to Scandinavian invaders led by Rollo, who was formally baptized as Robert and pledged as vassal to defend the French king.  The line of Robert’s successors, the Dukes of Normandy (Norman…

The Guild of Sommeliers is kicking off our new series of sommelier interviews with one of the best, Gerard Basset, MS MW, winner of the 2010 World Sommelier Championship.  Gerard is the President of the European Court of Master Sommeliers, and he owns Hotel TerraVina in the UK with his wife Nina.  Gerard's full bio, along with his complete list of accomplishments in the wine world, can be found on his website, http…

Mike Officer, Owner and Winemaker of Carlisle Winery & Vineyards, is one of California's premier producers of Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah, and more.  Mike is passionately committed to the preservation of old vine sources in Sonoma County, and is a founding member of the Historic Vineyard Society.  We recently sat down with Mike to talk about the value of these historic vines.

What does the term “Old Vines” mean to…

Reflections on Alcohol and Balance in California Pinot – A Short Q&A with Myself

Plaints about very ripe-picked, extracted and high-alcohol wines -- from somms, retailers, members of the wine press and yes, even some consumers -- may not yet have reached choral dimensions, but their frequency does seem to be increasing, and a disproportionate share of the unrest seems associated with pinot noir.  Last year Jim…

I had the great pleasure of working harvest in Champagne in 2010 with Aurelien Laherte from Laherte Freres in Chavot, just outside of Epernay in the Vallee de La Marne. I can't begin to tell you how much I learned from him. One of the many intriguing lessons I learned was the difference between the seven Champagne grapes and what each grape varietal can add to a blend. Les Clos, the single vineyard plot behind the house…

I recall approaching the examination room for the first time several winters ago in Toronto, as an introductory candidate from the Midwest.  I had the opportunity for the first time in person to meet and to learn from a Master Sommelier.  I felt awe and reverence at that moment for these gentlemen with red pins on a scale normally reserved for gods and natural disasters; I recall praying throughout that first terrifying…

Many of you are prepping for the upcoming MS Exam in February. This can be one of the most exciting and challenging times in your life. Here are a few things that may help you out. May seem a bit existential, but sometimes that is needed to balance out the analytical.

 1.  Wine is not learned in a four minute and ten second vacuum. Meaning- there is only so much you can learn about wine blind tasting in the 25-minute format…

How well are you performing in your role as wine manager?  The owner wants 29% cost and you hit it every month.  But so what?  Maybe the operation should be running 25% and you have lots of waste. What should your costs be?  Do you have problems in your operation of which you are unaware?  A very quick and easy calculation of theoretical wine cost gives huge insight into your operation.  Theoretical beverage cost is the operation…