The REAL Secret Behind Enjoying a Good Bottle of Wine….
January 28, 2012
“Somm” Chronicles the Preparation for the Nightmarish Master Sommelier Exam.
January 28, 2012Access to the Court Of Master Sommeliers has always been strictly regulated and cameras have never been allowed anywhere near the exam…. until now!
“Somm” is the story of four Sommeliers attempting to pass the prestigious and extremely rigorous Master Sommelier Exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.
Getting the title of "Master Sommelier" is not something that can happen overnight. In order to qualify, one must take an incredibly challenging test — one that requires students to identify wines from all over the world. Thus, preparation for this exam takes years, and a lot of dedication. In the yet-to-be-released film "Somm," Director Jason Wise filmed students planning to take this test. Wise took two years, and traveled to six countries, to shoot the film. Check out the trailer below:
Posted in News | Tagged Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Sommelier | 2 Comments //Decoding Champagne Wine Bottle Sizes & Names.
January 27, 2012
It was the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon (1638-1715) who proclaimed, “Come quickly! I am drinking stars!”, (NB: probably because Champagne makes everyone yell silly things) so it makes perfect sense that the range of Champagne bottles take their names from figures inspired by the bible.
Before we get started, it’s worth pointing out that apart from magnum and jeroboam, very few of these names are ever been used seriously. However, I always seem to get asked about the names of the various sizes of wine bottle, and what they mean, so I thought it was post-worthy:
Magnum
Size: 1.5 liters or 16 glasses.
Story: Latin for “great,” a magnum is twice the volume of a regular bottle.
Jeroboam
Size: 3 liters or 32 glasses.
Story: Named after the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who ruled for 22 years during the 10th century BC. The name means “may the people grow numerous,” which makes sense, as if you manage to get your hands on a bottle, I’m sure you’ll unexpectedly develop new friends!
Happy Friday: Win a Soiree Wine Aerator!
January 27, 2012
I woke up this morning in a “giving” mood, I don’t know why, I just did. Therefore, I feel an urge to offload one of the Soiree Wine Aerator’s ($25 value) that have been cluttering up my office!
Since it’s Friday I don’t want to make you work any harder than you have to, therefore I’ve made it simple to win. All you have to do is the following task:
Go to the Soiree Facebook Page, and wish them a “Happy Friday!” on their wall.
That’s it! I told you it was easy!
The competition lasts until Sunday January 29th at 6pm, with all the participants names being thrown into a hat, and the winner notified via Facebook private message that night.
English Sparkling Come of Age, with a Little Help From the French.
January 27, 2012
The first English sparkling wine made by a French champagne maker is about to go on sale in England, signaling clearly that British “fizz” is starting to come of age.
According to a report published in The Guardian newspaper, labeled as Meonhill, the British bubbles will be available early this year. It has been made from grapes grown from French rootstocks planted in Hampshire.
The planned release of the first 5,000 bottles by Didier Pierson-Whitaker, owner of a grand cru vineyard in Champagne, comes as established English vintners of champagne-style sparkling wines report a dramatic growth in sales and demand.
Just for Sommeliers.
January 26, 2012You might think this is exaggerated, but I promise you it isn’t! :)
Posted in Funny | Tagged Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Sommelier | Leave a comment //
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