In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Advanced Sommelier Alisha Blackwell-Calvert joins GuildSomm's director of education, Chris Tanghe, to blind taste three high-acid white wines. They discuss the differences between lees and oak aging as well as the evolution of typicity in classic winemaking regions.
Alisha is based in St. Louis and is currently the wine director for Madrina. She previously worked at Cinder House in the Four Seasons Hotel and was a James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service in 2025. She judges for the Decanter World Wine Awards and has served as a mentor for the Bâtonnage Mentorship Program.
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Alisha Blackwell-Calvert is an Advanced Sommelier through the CMS-A and the beverage director of Madrina in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a James Beard Awards semi-finalist for the 2025 Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, a Wine Enthusiast Magazine 2021 Sommelier of the Year Wine Star Award nominee, and a Wine Enthusiast Magazine 40 Under 40 Tastemaker in 2018. Alisha has been a mentor for the Bâtonnage Mentorship Program and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International.
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