In our latest podcast, Seattle wine professionals Erin Lyman and James Lechner discuss blind tasting with host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe. They explore the value of blind tasting, their personal tasting challenges, and how they use blind tasting in their current positions.
Erin Lyman is the owner of the long-standing Seattle wine shop Champion Wine Cellars. She took over the business from its founder in 2017. Erin has completed WSET Level 3 and the French Wine Scholar program. James Lechner is the general manager of Domaine & Estates, a division of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. He is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, and a board member for SommFoundation.
Listen along as Erin and James blind taste a red wine, and see if you can guess along with them. We’ll reveal the wine they’re tasting at the end of the episode.
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!
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Erin started working in restaurants as a teenager in her hometown of Honolulu. In 2005, she moved to Seattle, where she worked in restaurants including RN74, Zig Zag Café, and Café Campagne. Erin and her partner, Suthap, purchased Seattle's oldest independent wine shop, Champion Wine Cellars, in 2017. She has completed WSET Level 3 and the French Wine Scholar program.
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James has worked in restaurants for over 25 years. He is currently the general manager for Domaine & Estates. Previously, he was the opening wine director at the Seattle restaurants Bastille, in 2009, and Stoneburner, in 2013. James is an Advanced Sommelier with the CMS-A and sits on the board of the nonprofit organization SommFoundation. Before his career in wine, James earned a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at the University of Washington.
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Thanks for sharing these with us - the different tasting journeys are really insightful and helpful!
Nice!!!! TY