by admin | Sep 17, 2019 | Blog
n nnnnnGerhard RichternnnnnnI’m often asked about classes I teach outside of the Master Sommelier curriculum. While I often put together one-off custom tasting sessions for various clients, there are two classes that I regularly teach at the Napa Valley Wine Academy...
by admin | Aug 22, 2019 | Blog
n If I had to prepare for the MS tasting exam all over again, I would make the process as streamlined as possible. And the two the things I would spend the most time on are the concepts of “cause and effect” and “impact compounds.” The idea of cause and effect is all...
by admin | Jul 31, 2019 | Blog
n Recently I had lunch with a colleague. At some point during our conversation he bemoaned the complexity of food and wine pairing and how difficult it was to get the right match, much less explain the concepts. I countered saying it was a lot easier than he thought...
by admin | Jul 17, 2019 | Blog
n Some years ago I lent a recording of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra to a colleague. We’d been having a series of conversations about classical music that ended in 20th century works. I remember raving about Bartok’s concerto, my favorite 20th century piece. I...
by admin | Jun 22, 2019 | Blog
n ©Leo Cullum – New Yorker Magazine Tasting notes. They’re a blessing or a curse depending on your viewpoint. If you’re in the business, they’re a necessity. For industry pros, a tasting note is a multi-layered memory device. It’s an attempt to record...
by admin | May 23, 2019 | Blog
n ©Leo Cullum – New Yorker Magazine Recently I had a lengthy phone conversation with a friend who’s not in the wine industry. During our chat he happened to mention how difficult it was to get a good bottle of wine in a restaurant. My reaction was somewhere...
