by admin | Jun 24, 2026 | Blog
Recently, I was in Dallas for the MS Advanced Course. The class is only given once a year. This year’s edition had 188 students from five countries, with over 30 Master Sommeliers teaching and coaching. The three day program is broken down into lectures alternating...
by admin | Jun 9, 2026 | Blog
You wouldn’t think it, but your senses of smell and taste are best first thing in the morning. That’s because when you wake up, your body is slightly dehydrated from the night’s sleep. Hence your smell and taste are sensitive early in the day. It’s a good thing if...
by admin | May 27, 2026 | Blog
I’ve judged various wine competitions over the last 35 years. The most recent was for the Sommelier’s Choice Awards near Chicago. On game day I was teamed up with two local industry professionals. Team 9, as we were dubbed, would taste through seven flights of wines...
by admin | May 13, 2026 | Blog
Many moons ago I had an appointment with my GP. We were discussing the numbers from my most recent blood test. There was a problem. My cholesterol was at 260. “That’s not good,” she said. “You need to get the number down or I’ll have to put you on a statin.” In...
by admin | Apr 29, 2026 | Blog
I’m finishing up this post while on a plane to Portland, Oregon. Tomorrow, I’ll help adjudicate the annual Master Sommelier Diploma theory examination for dozens of candidates from the U.S., Canada, and beyond. It’s an oral examination comprising over 75 difficult...
by admin | Apr 15, 2026 | Blog
Eons ago, at my last restaurant gig, one of the investors regularly came in with his wife to have dinner. We’ll call him Carl. Carl owned a construction company that did commercial work all over the Bay Area. To say that Carl was successful is a major understatement....
