I could have titled this article “Dirty Laundry” or “Out With The Old…” Let me explain;

I started Wine Time TV back in late July 2009 on the wake of the then infamous Murphy-Goode Winery “Lifestyle Correspondent, A Really Goode Job” campaign, where I was publicly acknowledged as a Top 10 candidate (from over 1,000 applicants) and promised a Goode job by none other than Billionaire Entrepreneur himself, Jess

Jess Jackson

Since then however, Jess and Jackson Family Wines have reneged on their promises, thus leaving this Wine Aficionado in training high and dry. Since receiving that awful news only a few weeks ago, you might imagine that someone transplanting themselves from Germany to California has likely already made travel plans and tied up local loose ends (flat, jobs, etc.) preparing for a new life in a new town/country. That someone, me, was basically screwed.

New Wine Time TV Experience

David Ready Jr.

For a while there, it was difficult to NOT let Jackson Family Wines despicable and dishonest business practices corrode my new found lust for Wine, Wine Culture and Wine Edu-tainment and I certainly thought about calling it a day, related to my many online wine-oriented activities. It takes energy, commitment and passion to keep social networks alive and kicking, as many of you certainly know from your own exploits. I for one, have a very loud voice and strong presence in a variety of online niches (search Kamary Phillips google or yahoo) and have decided to continue growing Wine Time TV.net within the Winosphere, despite my unfortunate setbacks courtesy of Jackson Family Wines. (Wow, imagine if I was getting paid and dedicated everyday/all day to this!?) Thankfully there are thousands of wineries in the United States and I look forward to finding a new personal favorite and also creating mutually beneficial relationships with those knowing the value of social media and understanding the true meaning of partnership and promises.

New Writers

Helping with the new Wine Time TV experience are a handful of talented writers who’ll be contributing interesting and entertaining articles related to Wine, Food and the culture surrounding both. I’m happy to announce a few of them today as promised. Please give a warm Wine Time TV welcome to Jodi Fritch, Elizabeth White, and Rachel (just Rachel, like Cher!) Expect to see regular articles from these brilliant folks as well as several other talents being announced in the next days. Welcome aboard!

Thanks for reading,
Kamary

Recently I had the honor of hanging out (virtually) with top Foodie and Wino and new star talent in The Winemakers Season 2 (PBS), Tanya Melillo! In this first websode we learn a lot more about Tanya and what makes her tick. We also discover how the heck she and I even know about one another. And I finally figure out what her connection with the likes of comedian Will Ferrell, star chef’s Tom Colicchio and Rocco Dispirito are all about!

Here’s a teaser…

Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Kamary

What is a sommelier, let alone a Master Sommelier, and how do you become one? The dictionary’s definition of a sommelier is a bit lame. However the the job of a sommelier is no secret within the industry; To manage the wine selection, purchasing, receiving, storage, sales and service for a restaurant, club, hotel or other institution. Did you know there is no legal requirement in the U.S. to be certified for this position? However, there is one internationally recognized organization for certification; The Court of Master Sommeliers which was founded in London in 1977. The organization conducts general education and testing for restaurant wine professionals. There are at least 3 levels of certification within the organization: introductory, advanced and Master Sommelier Diploma (MS).

The Introductory Course is a two day educational seminar. It covers wine regions of the world, viticulture, viniculture, appellation rules for various countries and regions, production methods for beers and spirits, cigars, food and wine pairing, service and blind tasting techniques. At the end of the seminar is a multiple choice exam for which a score of 60% is required.

The Advanced Course is a big step up from the Introductory. It covers all of the same material but with far greater detail. The pace is also faster as it is expected that you are prepared for the exam before you get there. The seminar is also one day longer than the Introductory Course. The biggest difference is the test itself. It is a two day test split in to three sections.

The first section is theory. It is an 82 question test with 20 multiple choice and 62 short answer questions. One hour is allowed for completion.

The second section is blind tasting. Which personally I would suck at beyond differentiating between a Chard and a Merlot! The candidate enters a room with a table with six glasses of wine on it and two Master Sommeliers sitting on the opposite side of the table. They listen as you swirl, sniff, taste and comment about each wine. You have 25 minutes total to identify all the varieties set before you. These wines may be from anywhere in the world thogh sticking to classic examples. Points are given for your analysis and deductive reasoning as well as your identification of the wines.

The final section is the toughest of all; Restaurant service. Master Sommeliers judge your skills at opening still and sparkling wines, decanting, cigar service, freehand pouring, wine and food pairing, proof reading of wine lists, setting tables for a variety of menus, conversing with the guests and even complaint resolution. You can also expect test questions which need to be answered correctly during all of this. A passing score of 60% is required on all three sections.

The final test is by invitation only. You are also required to wait at least one year between passing the Advanced and your first attempt at the Master. The test is the same as the advanced but the theory portion is verbal instead of written, with far more detailed answers needed as well as a 75% passing score. An example of the difference between an Advanced question and a Master question might be: name six of the Anbaugebiet (high quality wine regions) in Germany for the Advanced versus name all 13 Anbaugebiet for the Master.

Though very few people pass it on their first attempt the pass rate for this exam is approximately 4%. As of the first 29 years of testing, only 142 people in the world had completed the Master Sommelier (MS) level. It’s likely safe to assume that 2 years later (now) there are still less than 150 Master Sommeliers on the planet.

Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Kamary

How wrong was I. Then again, the guy who actually won the dream job, Hardy Wallace, I’d only given an honorable mention. Doh! I guess I just didn’t ‘get’ his video.

So, have a look a Tanya Melillo’s interview with TOP CHEF’S Jamie Lauren. Thanks Tanya for the submission and keep up the great work!