Posted on September 16, 2012
The Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition was held on Saturday and Sunday September 15th & 16th in San Diego. The organizer, Robert Whitley, invited 13 sommeliers from San Diego and other parts of the US to judge 800 wine entries.
I was honored to be chosen as one of the judges at the 4th annual Sommelier Challenge. San Diego represented with some great talent. Brian Donegan (Market Del Mar), Michael Farrell (La Costa Resort and Spa), Tami Wong (Third Corner Encinitas), Chuy Galvan (SIP Del Mar), Mark Valin (the Bridges Country Club), Lisa Redwine (the Shores & Marine Room) and Megan Yelenoski (Vela) were there taking their palates to where no palates have gone before. (more…)
Posted on August 17, 2012
The price of wine is usually the deal breaker when purchasing wine. Does the price of wine determine the quality of wine? Are people drawn to higher priced wines or to lower priced wines? Do people have a deeper motive when selecting a wine, other than the price of the wine?
At the restaurant, I catch people selecting their wines by looking at the right column, the price. My next list should be written with the price highlighted on the left column.
(more…)
Posted on July 15, 2012
On Saturday July 14th, Robert Whitley hosted another international wine competition. This time the entries were Mainly Meritage. What does this mean? Mainly Meritage are wines that are made from the six Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec & Carmenere. The whites include Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The competition was fairly small, however the wines were of a higher caliber than most other wine competitions. (more…)
Posted on July 9, 2012
Just people drinking wine!
Today I had the pleasure of spending the day in Coronado at Spreckel’s park for the Summer concert series. It was amazing to see lawns chairs and blankets full of people drinking wine. (more…)
Posted on March 15, 2012
What is the role of the sommelier and why do we even exist?
I will never forget the time I approached a table and one of our guests introduced me, “this is Maurice, he is the sommelier.” Without batting an eye lash and with the most sincerity, one of the guests looked at me and asked, “what part of Somalia are you from?” True story. (more…)
