GuildSomm International

Feature Articles

Ruinart...the Perfect Sommelier: Ruinart...The Perfect Sommelier

Sydney Paris

I am still recovering from an epic trip to Champagne, only a portion of which I still remember. The Ruinart team hooked us up big time! There is no way that the experience and knowledge that we garnered as Ruinart guests could come from textbooks and web sites. What I found so striking and what will endure for me is the way that Ruinart accommodated us. They took a page out of the hospitality book; they got into our heads…
- 22 Oct 2010
Andrew & Laura: Fall… er… Winter in Austria

Andrew McNamara

Domaine Select Wine Estates Harvest Trip

October 28- November 3, 2009

Andrew McNamara and Laura Maniec

Andrew: It wasn’t until I stepped off the plane in Washington, D.C. and rode the moon-bus to the International Terminal that it hit me that I was going to Austria for the first time – and going to work in the cellars and vineyards of some of the great producers in the Wachau and Wagram. I knew two of the…
- 10 Sep 2010
Peter Liem: Beyond the Bubbles: Five Tips on Understanding Champagne Better

Anonymous

This is an article that I am posting at Geoff’s request. It’s a little longer than an average blog post, but I hope that you find it worthwhile. Thanks to Geoff for the invitation to participate here.

Magnums of Avize chardonnay in Bollinger's cellars, to be used as reserve wines

Champagne is arguably the most famous wine in the world, yet while few people dislike drinking it, it often happens that even…
- 24 Jun 2010
A trip to Champagne with the Guild and Ruinart- Rachael Lowe: Champagne with Ruinart

Rachael Lowe

I want to extend an enormous thank you to the Guild of Sommeliers and Ruinart for making the trip to Champagne a reality; it was truly an honor to be a part of such an experience. To give future competitors some insight to the itinerary we all experienced I thought I might write about some of the highlights:

When I first sat down to the examination with 19 other competitors in the Chicago area, I hadn't the slightest…
- 11 Jun 2010
Megan Yelenosky: Guild Trip, New Zealand 2010 screwcap vs. cork and it's not just Sauvignon Blanc

Megan Yelenosky

This January I was one of the lucky recipients of the Guild scholarships to New Zealand and what a great trip! The Twelve Families were our hosts once we landed and the generous hospitality was instantly poured on, and on behalf of my traveling companions I would like to say, thank you.

We touched down on our first day and hit the deck running with a quick flight to Gisborne and were met by the Millton’s, who…
- 24 Apr 2010
Yoon's Blog: Seven Flights of Historical California Wines

Yoon Ha

On Sunday February 28^th, I had the privilege of attending a tasting of mature, benchmark wines from California. Mr. F, a very prominent collector, who had attended the event that was the topic of my earlier blog, A Sommelier’s Ultimate Experience, had very generously invited me to his residence in Calistoga to join seven of his peers in tasting these historical bottles from his cellar. The table was set beautifully…
- 1 Apr 2010
Michael Jordan: Best Study Practices

Michael Jordan

A very special and heartfelt thanks goes out to Leslie Rudd! It was my great honor to be selected as one of the MS to participate in the Rudd Roundtable last weekend in Napa Valley where the some of the best and brightest talent in our industry gathered together to study and share some great information about preparing ourselves and each other for the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination and for excellence in the roles…
- 31 Jan 2010
Yoon's Blog: Germany Day Two - (video) "A Good Pinot is Like a Red Riesling"

Yoon Ha

To say that this second entry is belated (The Riesling Enrichment trip took place almost 4 months ago) is a gross understatement and I apologize for the gap. However, I did manage to amass quite a bit of video footage throughout that week. The most compelling visit on day two was with Klaus Peter Keller of Weingut Keller in the Rheinhessen at his estate in the village of Florsheim-Dalsheim. In the footage below Klaus…
- 24 Jan 2010