Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend a Sommelier Roundtable at the Food & Wine Festival. Special thanks to my new friend, Corinne, for helping me make that choice!
A Sommelier is a wine professional. A certified sommelier must take courses and pass exams to earn the formal title. There are 4 levels of certifications, the highest level being Master Sommelier. Only 180 people have ever earned the title of Master.
Participants in the Sommelier Roundtable included:
- Virginia Phillip– Master Sommelier (only the 9th woman to earn the title!), The Breakers Palm Beach
- Heath Porter – Director of Wine, The Greenbrier (Advanced Sommelier)
- Stephen Satterfield – Founder/President, International Society of Africans in Wine (Certified Sommelier)
- Clint Sloan – Beverage Director, McCrady’s and Husk (Advanced Sommelier), named one of F+W’s Top Sommeliers of 2011
The session was attended by yet another Master Sommelier, Andrea Robinson. She is one of 15 women to have been appointed a Master Sommelier.
Needless to say, I was starstruck. Thankfully, they were serving wine.
Ready to taste
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So what did we taste?
1. Rose Brut
Name: Alfred Gratien Brut Rose Champagne
Notes: This champagne (Did you know that to be called a “champagne,” the wine must originate from the Champagne region of France? Otherwise, it’s just sparkling wine) was pleasantly crisp, lots of strawberries and raspberries on the nose, some minerals, tiny bubbles and a deliciously yeast-y finish (think fresh breakfast rolls).
Price: ~$70
My Rating (1-5): 4.0
2. Lebanese Red Wine
Name: 2001 Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar, Red
Notes: An interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault from Lebanon (who knew they made wine in Lebanon?!). It was extremely dark in color. Heavy on the nose, strong woodsy/licorice taste with a nice spice at the beginning. It packed a surprisinglysmooth finish… though I thought it died a bit too soon.
Price: ~$30
My Rating (1-5): 3.0
3. Syrah
Name: 2006 Joubert-Tradauw Syrah
Notes: Intoxicating coffee scent. Hints of plum as the wine opened up. Long, smooth, cocoa-filled finish. Complex layers, not one to sip on a hot day. Would love to drink with a fillet or dark chocolate. This bottle will definitely impress at a dinner party!
Price: ~$20
My Rating (1-5): 4.5
4. Sherry
Name: Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno Sherry
Notes: I’m not a big sherry drinker, but this changed my mind. Caramel with a hint of burnt orange on the nose. More citrus at the beginning, then the caramel intensifies and some nuttiness is apparent. Well-balanced flavors, toasted nut flavor on the end. Unlike many sherries, there is no overpowering alcohol taste. We were given an almond to eat as we tasted – this made the flavor really pop and left me dreaming of enjoying a glass with a simple chocolate-hazelnut tart.
Price: ~$28
My Rating: 4.2
Can you guess which sommelier chose which wine?
- Rose Brut – Heath Porter
- Lebanese Red – Clint Sloan
- Syrah – Steven Satterfield
- Sherry – Virginia Phillip
All of the wines were so different – it’s hard to choose a favorite. This will not be the last time I have that Syrah though! Or the sherry.
If you are interested in learning more about Sommeliers, click here.
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I am carving wine after this post. Which means it’s past time to hit the gym. 🙂 Tasting tent recap tomorrow!
Are you a wine drinker? What’s your favorite region/grape… or other beverage?
I love your descriptions of each wine! I do enjoy a glass of wine every now and then, but I could definitely be more educated on the different kinds. Thanks for sharing your notes!
I like wine but I know very little about it. I like savignon blanc and chardonnay.
I’m not a big chardonnay fan, but I do really Groth’s. They are out of Napa and make a nice, buttery bottle.
Have you tried Pomelo? It’s a Sav Blanc out of Cali. They sell it at Kroger – great citrusy summer wine for ~$10.
Those all sound great! I especially like the sounds of the champagne for a warm summer night.
I can’t believe only 180 people have become a master.. that is so interesting to me! It sounds like you tasted some yummy wines! I am only 18 so I can’t exaclty give any wine input 😉 LOL!
I love wine but don’t know near enough about it. This sounds like something I would love to attend and learn more.
How FUN! I’m always interested in going to wine/beer tastings. I’m a total red wine girl myself, Pinot Noir has my heart. The university I went to started having classes on wine after I left, that would have been awesome because I pretty much majored in drinking anyway;)
There are tons around ATL. Check out Perrine’s Wine Shop. She brings in some great winemakers and does tastings with cheese and crackers 2-3x a month!
I try to keep my wine rack full and would say I have at least a glass about every other day. I’ve tried the Syrah before, although I don’t remember exactly when(I thought it was great), and I just had the Rose Brut a few weeks ago. Crisp is a good way to describe it, I was a fan. Love that you gave your own description and rating of these.
I need to be a bit more wine educated lol I feel so unrefined sometimes 😉
This seems like QUITE the afternoon! I’m a big pinot noir and shiraz fan myself!