In this episode, the GuildSomm team delves into rosé wines and white wines made with skin contact. First, Bryce Wiatrak interviews Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay about all things rosé. They discuss pink wine's varied and often misunderstood production methods, whether a rosé's color connotes quality, and Elizabeth's recommendations for emerging rosé-producing regions. Later, Christopher Tanghe interviews Mitja Sirk, a young winemaker from Friuli who made his first vino macerato at the age of 11 and continues to hone his expertise making lightly macerated wines in northern Italy.
This month’s blind tasting segment with Emily Nixon features sommelier and wine consultant Thatcher Baker-Briggs. Can you deduce the wine from Thatcher's tasting description? Additionally, Jonathan Eichholz reveals the wine he presented in last month’s Wine Pairings: Music & Food episode.
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Elizabeth Gabay began her career in the wine trade in 1986 and earned the title of Master of Wine in 1998. She specializes in Southern France and Central Europe and is an expert in rosé wines. Her book, Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution, was published by the Classic Wine Library in 2018 and her Buyers’ Guide to the Rosés of Southern France can be found at pink.wine. Elizabeth lives in Southeastern France and splits her time between Provence, the Rhône Valley, Liguria, and Piedmont.
Mitja Sirk grew up in Friuli, Italy, at his family's hotel and restaurant, La Subida. At age 11, local winemaker Josko Graver gifted Mitja an amphora, and the two made wine together for the next seven vintages. Today, at 28, Mitja helps run La Subida and continues to make wine in Friuli.
Thatcher Baker-Brigg's career began in restaurant kitchens in Canada, but he began to focus on wine and moved to front-of-house positions shortly after his 21st birthday. He worked as a sommelier at San Francisco restaurants Saison and Angler before launching his wine consulting business, Thatcher's Wine Consulting, in 2019.
Early in the episode, Jonathan Eichholz returns to reveal the wine he tasted with Emily in last month's podcast episode, Wine Pairings: Music & Food. If you haven't yet heard Jonathan's tasting description yet, listen to the final 11 minutes of that episode. You can find the wine here.
Jonathan Eichholz is a sommelier in New York City. While he studied neuroscience and history in college, his focus soon shifted to wine after spending a summer working at Murray’s Cheese. Since graduating from Colby College, Jonathan has served as a sommelier at Michelin-starred restaurants Aquavit and The Modern. In 2019, Jonathan was named Best Young Sommelier in America and Second-Best Young Sommelier in The World. He is an Advanced Sommelier, Certified Cicerone, and New York hip-hop aficionado.