In this month's tasting episode, MS Christopher Tanghe sits down with Raymond Sholes of Michael's Genuine in Miami. Ray shares his approach to blind tasting and how he applies it to his buying habits for the restaurant's list. Then, GuildSomm Executive Director Jenny Hemmer speaks with GuildSomm alum Kelli White to hear her perspective on the blind tasting skillset. Kelli is the director of education for Meadowood in Napa Valley and the author of Napa Valley, Then & Now, a magnificent tome on all things Napa.
Following each conversation, you'll hear Ray and Kelli blind taste the same wine. Listen closely and see if you can guess the wine along with them!
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Ray Sholes is the sommelier at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink in Miami and the founder of Royal Vines, an event and consulting service. He is an educator, speaker, and judge.
Ray studied food service management at Johnson & Wales, which sparked a fascination in wine. He has now worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 15 years. Ray is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Follow Ray on Instagram.
Kelli White is the director of education for the Wine Center at Meadowood in Napa Valley and was previously the senior staff writer at GuildSomm. (Find all of her feature articles here!) She won two Roederer Awards for her writing at GuildSomm.
Kelli has also been published in many other publications including World of Fine Wine, Robb Report, Le Pan, and Vinous, and she is the author of Napa Valley, Then & Now, which won the IACP award for Best New Wine, Beer, or Spirits Book. Earlier in her wine career, she worked as a sommelier at New York City's Veritas and at PRESS in St. Helena.
Follow Kelli on Instagram.
Always enjoy the podcasts! It’s fun to guess as the wines are broken down.
This was helpful in preparation for blind tasting/certification testing. And, it was fun! My takeaway is to trust at least some of my initial response at the front end of blind tasting. Impressive. Thanks!