By MS Myles Trapp with Adam Pucillo

Everyone experiences pressure, but research has shown that some people perform above average in stressful situations because they are more skilled at managing pressure. This advantage is available to everyone. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to stress, there are many proven techniques that reduce its impacts.

Those in the wine and beverage industry experience stress in a range of professional settings, from high-level wine exams to sales presentations to job interviews. This article will focus on exams and competitions, which, as our personal stories above demonstrate, are often where beverage professionals experience a new, and potentially destabilizing, level of pressure.

What follows is a curated list of strategies that I’ve found helpful in these situations. It was invaluable to workshop these techniques with my study partner, Adam Pucillo, as we were studying together for the Court of Master Sommeliers Master Sommelier Examination. After repeat failures, Adam and