In this month's tasting episode, MS Chris Tanghe sits down with Mia Van de Water to discuss her approach to blind tasting, why it’s an important skill to hone as a beverage professional, and how she overcame her own "blind" spots. Mia is the head of beverage operations for COTE Korean Steakhouse and became a Master Sommelier in 2018.   Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect to and grow the community. Cheers!

In this episode, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe chats with Amanda Barnes about what's new and exciting in Argentine wine. Amanda’s new book, “The South America Wine Guide,” offers a comprehensive look at the wines of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It explores not only regions and producers but also cuisines and places of interest. The book is available in both print and digital versions at southamericawineguide.com. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Cheers!

In this episode of the Tasting with GuildSomm series, longtime member Ryan Robinson speaks with Emily Nixon about the development of his blind tasting methods, how to find mentors and study groups, and how be became the first Idaho resident to pass the CMS Advanced Exam. Ryan also leads a blind tasting of one wine; can you discern the grape, region, and vintage based on Ryan's description? We hope you enjoy this new series. Leave us a comment and review wherever you get your podcasts. Cheers!

In this episode, Chris Tanghe hosts Ruinart Chef de Cave, Frédéric Panaïotis. They discuss the storied past of the Ruinart estate within the broader context of Champagne's history, as well as how the region continues to develop as its producers look to the future. Frédéric also gives a preview of this year's Ruinart Challenge lecture, centered on the topic of cork.     All active GuildSomm members are welcome to apply to the Ruinart Challenge. We're still accepting applications for these events in Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Check www.guildsomm.com for more information on how to apply before June 13.  

We're adding a regular tasting series to the GuildSomm podcast! In addition to our monthly wine topics, we'll be releasing monthly podcast episodes devoted to theme of tasting. We'll cover a wide spectrum of tasting subjects, including blind tasting study methods, challenging comparatives, full-length tasting sessions with GuildSomm members, and more. To kick off the first episode in this new series, Director of Education MS Chris Tanghe introduces GuildSomm's new Executive Director, Jenny Hemmer. They discuss why blind tasting is so much more than a parlor trick and why this skillset is essential for a successful wine career.  We hope you enjoy this new series. Leave us a comment and review wherever you get your podcasts. Cheers!

In this episode, Chris Tanghe discusses pairing food and wine with Master Sommeliers Andrea Robinson and Max Kast. They cover their basic guidelines for selecting pairings, share some favorite pairings that are consistently successful, and offer advice on pairings to avoid. 

In this episode, we continue our Emerging Wine Regions series and explore several states producing wines off the beaten path in the United States. First, Chris Tanghe interviews Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon about the wines produced across Michigan. Madeline is famously the first American woman to pass the Master Sommelier exam, and has witnessed the Michigan wine industry develop since she began her career in the 1970s in Detroit. Then, Chris speaks with Jessica Dupuy, wine journalist and author of The Wines of Southwest U.S.A., about the exciting and unexpected wines being grown in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.  Blind tasting guest Paula de Pano reveals the wine she and Emily Nixon tasted on the Rum podcast episode. Stay tuned for another blind tasting feature in a bonus episode coming soon.  To learn more about becoming a GuildSomm member, visit us at https://www.guildsomm.com/about_us/member-benefits.

In this episode, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe explores the vast world of rum. First, he interviews Shawn Martin, Distillery Manager of Papa's Pilar Rum in Key West, who discusses the production methods used to make myriad styles of rum. Then, Chris speaks with Ian Burrell, the Global Rum Ambassador, about rum's origins in the Caribbean, how the colonial power of the Royal Navy informs the legacy of rum, and how the category continues to evolve, and more. This month’s blind tasting segment with Emily Nixon features Paula de Pano, proprietor of forthcoming wine shop Rocks + Acid in Chapel Hill. Can you identify the grape and region purely based on Paula's tasting note? Additionally, Kelly Coggins reveals the wine he presented in the Emerging Regions: Vermont & The Finger Lakes episode.  To celebrate the new year, GuildSomm is offering a membership discount to all first-time GuildSomm members. While we work hard to always keep GuildSomm membership affordable at $100, first-time members can now sign up for one year of GuildSomm membership for $79 using the partner code NEWYEAR79. Register for a year of membership here: https://www.guildsomm.com/new-member-join. This offer is valid through February 28, 2021 for all listeners who have never previously had a GuildSomm membership. GuildSomm members have access to all of GuildSomm’s educational content, including e-learning courses, study guides, review quizzes, our compendium of wine law, wine seminars, and more.   

In this episode, we explore two wine regions in the northeastern United States. While Vermont and northern New York State are both located in the extremes of viticultural viability, both regions have emerged as hubs of quality wine production. GuildSomm's Chris Tanghe interviews Master Sommelier David Keck about his winemaking venture in northwestern Vermont and then speaks with Meaghan Frank about her family's multi-generational winemaking legacy at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in New York's Finger Lakes.   This month’s blind tasting segment with Emily Nixon features Kelly Coggins. Can you determine the wine purely based on Kelly's description? Additionally, Thatcher Baker-Briggs reveals the wine he presented in last month’s Rosé & Orange Wines episode.

In light of Becky Wasserman’s passing last month, we are rereleasing this 2019 conversation Becky had with our staff writer, Bryce Wiatrak. Becky had a profound impact on the careers, palates, and personal lives of wine professionals across the globe. She will be remembered as a champion of the underdog and a pioneer who opened wine industry doors for small producers, for women, and for Burgundy. At the end of the episode, Bryce will share some thoughts about the impact Becky’s friendship had on his life, including his memories of the first time they met.

In this episode, the GuildSomm team delves into rosé wines and white wines made with skin contact. First, Bryce Wiatrak interviews Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay about all things rosé. They discuss rosé's varied and often misunderstood production methods, whether a rosé's color connotes quality, and Elizabeth's recommendations for emerging rosé-producing regions. Later, Chris Tanghe interviews Mitja Sirk, a young winemaker from Friuli who made his first vino macerato at the age of 11 and continues to hone his expertise making lightly macerated wines in northern Italy. 

In this episode, we discuss wine pairings on multiple dimensions. First, Bryce Wiatrak interviews Master of Wine Susan Lin about her career as a classical pianist and how her first passion inspired the topic of her MW Research Paper: pairing Champagne with classical music. Then, Bryce and Chris Tanghe dive into a friendly debate to settle the question of whether wine and food pairings are all they’re cracked up to be. This month’s blind tasting segment with Emily Nixon features sommelier Jonathan Eichholz. Are you able to recognize the wine based on Jonathan’s description alone? Wanda Cole-Nicholson also reveals the wine she tasted in last month’s Managing New & Old Vines episode.

In this episode, we discuss managing a vineyard from the perspective of two winemakers. Bryce Wiatrak interviews Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Wine Co. about the benefits and challenges of working with old vines, and Chris Tanghe speaks with Matt Crafton of Chateau Montelena about the technical, environmental, and financial considerations behind repainting a vineyard to new vines.  This month’s blind tasting segment with Emily Nixon features sommelier and wine consultant Wanda Cole-Nicholson. Can you guess what they're drinking based on Wanda’s description of the wine’s appearance, nose, palate, and structure?   For more information on this episode, visit GuildSomm’s podcast page. 

In this episode, GuildSomm Interim Executive Director Chris Tanghe interviews two entrepreneurs who specialize in east Asian beverages. Master Sommelier Kyungmoon Kim discusses how his company, KMS Imports, is creating a market for Korean soju and other artisanal beverages in the US. Later, Todd Bellomy describes the production process and styles of sake and the vision behind Farthest Star Sake, his forthcoming sake brewery in the Boston area.  Emily Nixon continues the blind tasting series with Master of Wine candidate and trade liaison for Hispanics in Wine, Ivonne Nill. Can you guess what they're drinking based on the description alone? For more information on this episode, visit GuildSomm's podcast page. 

This month on the GuildSomm podcast, we're hosting a special series focused on careers in the wine industry. We'll release one episode per week throughout the month of May, featuring interviews with wine professionals whose careers highlight lesser-known paths within the industry. In June, we'll get back to our regular monthly podcast, including the blind wine reveal from the "Unexpected Booze" episode. For our fourth and final episode in the series, GuildSomm Director of Strategic Partnerships Emily Nixon interviews Kevin Shaw, founder of Stranger & Stranger, a packaging design and branding company specializing in alcoholic beverages. They discuss the importance of design in making a wine or spirit stand out on a shelf, the jobs that contribute to the production of a label, and Kevin's vision for innovation in wine packaging. Toward the end of this podcast, they discuss Kevin's cameo in an episode of the BBC show "Britain's Really Disgusting Drinks." Watch the clip here.  To accompany the careers series, GuildSomm is offering a membership discount to all first-time GuildSomm members. While we work hard to always keep GuildSomm membership affordable at $100, first-time members can now sign up for one year of GuildSomm membership for $79 using the partner code PODCAST79. Register for a year of membership here: https://www.guildsomm.com/new-member-join. This offer is valid through June 10, 2021 for all listeners who have never previously had a GuildSomm membership. GuildSomm members have access to all of GuildSomm’s educational content, including e-learning courses, study guides, review quizzes, our compendium of wine law, wine seminars, and more. 

This month on the GuildSomm podcast, we're hosting a special series focused on careers in the wine industry. We'll release one episode per week throughout the month of May, featuring interviews with wine professionals whose careers highlight lesser-known paths within the industry. In June, we'll get back to our regular monthly podcast, including the blind wine reveal from the "Unexpected Booze" episode. For our third episode in the series, GuildSomm Director of Operations & Editor Stacy Ladenburger speaks with Marie Keep, founder and Director of the fine wines departments at Skinner Auctioneers. They discuss the operations behind assessing, appraising, and cataloguing a wine cellar for auction, how the secondary market differs from the retail market, the effect of the pandemic on the wine auction business, and more. Marie also offers advice to wine professionals who are interesting in transitioning into the auction space for the first time.  To accompany the careers series, GuildSomm is offering a membership discount to all first-time GuildSomm members. While we work hard to always keep GuildSomm membership affordable at $100, first-time members can now sign up for one year of GuildSomm membership for $79 using the partner code PODCAST79. Register for a year of membership here: https://www.guildsomm.com/new-member-join. This offer is valid through June 10, 2021 for all listeners who have never previously had a GuildSomm membership. GuildSomm members have access to all of GuildSomm’s educational content, including e-learning courses, study guides, review quizzes, our compendium of wine law, wine seminars, and more. 

This month on the GuildSomm podcast, we're hosting a special series focused on careers in the wine industry. We're releasing one episode per week throughout the month of May, featuring interviews with wine professionals whose careers highlight lesser-known paths within the industry.   For our second episode in the series, GuildSomm Interim Executive Director Chris Tanghe interviews Erik Segelbaum about his wine consulting business, SOMLYAY. They discuss how Erik's sommelier career evolved over the course of nearly two decades, what ultimately drove him to transition into consulting, and how other wine professionals might find success working for themselves. Erik also invites listeners to learn more about the United Sommeliers Foundation, which was founded during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide monetary assistance to sommeliers experiencing financial hardships.   To accompany the careers series, GuildSomm is offering a membership discount to all first-time GuildSomm members. While we work hard to always keep GuildSomm membership affordable at $100, first-time members can now sign up for one year of GuildSomm membership for $79 using the partner code PODCAST79. Register for a year of membership here: https://www.guildsomm.com/new-member-join.   This offer is valid through June 10, 2021 for all listeners who have never previously had a GuildSomm membership. GuildSomm members have access to all of GuildSomm’s educational content, including e-learning courses, study guides, review quizzes, our compendium of wine law, wine seminars, and more. 

This month on the GuildSomm podcast, we're hosting a special series focused on careers in the wine industry. We'll release one episode per week throughout the month of May, featuring interviews with wine professionals whose careers highlight lesser-known paths within the industry. In June, we'll get back to our regular monthly podcast, including the blind wine reveal from the "Unexpected Booze" episode. For our first episode in the series, GuildSomm Staff Writer Bryce Wiatrak interviews Alex Schrecengost about her career in wine public relations and learns what it's like to represent some of the best-known producers and regions in the world (how many people can say they've done PR for DRC?!). They also discuss how the challenges of Covid led her to define a new, entrepreneurial path by founding her own company in the virtual events space.  To accompany the careers series, GuildSomm is offering a membership discount to all first-time GuildSomm members. While we work hard to always keep GuildSomm membership affordable at $100, first-time members can now sign up for one year of GuildSomm membership for $79 using the partner code PODCAST79. Register for a year of membership here: https://www.guildsomm.com/new-member-join. This offer is valid through June 10, 2021 for all listeners who have never previously had a GuildSomm membership. GuildSomm members have access to all of GuildSomm’s educational content, including e-learning courses, study guides, review quizzes, our compendium of wine law, wine seminars, and more. 

In this episode, the GuildSomm team explores wines made from fruit other than grapes. Stacy Ladenburger interviews Michael Terrien about his Maine blueberry wine label, Bluet, and co-fermentation projects at his Sonoma Winery, Obsidian Ridge, and Chris Tanghe speaks with Alyson Schramm Naeger about her family's meadery in Ferndale, Michigan. The episode closes with another opportunity for listeners to practice blind tasting, in a conversation between Emily Nixon and GuildSomm member Hai Tran.

In this episode, we cover all things Sangiovese. Chris Tanghe talks with Frasca Hospitality Group Wine Director Carlin Karr about the versatility of the grape from the sommelier perspective, and Bryce Wiatrak interviews winegrowers Roberto Stucchi of Badia a Coltibuono in Chianti Classico and Tancredi Biondi-Santi of his family's Il Greppo estate in Montalcino.          

In light of Steven Spurrier's passing last week, we are rereleasing this 2018 conversation he had with our interim executive director, Chris Tanghe. We remember Steven as a humble leader in the industry, whose passion and curiosity for the world of wine inspired countless others in their careers. We hope you'll enjoy hearing Steven's insights about the UK's wine history and its influence on several of Europe's major wine regions.