Wine Time TV continues with my ongoing video series. In this show we wrap up the interview featuring Sommelier James King from www.KingGroupEvents.com from San Diego California. In this episode we learn about James King’s most memorable wine experiences at home and abroad (Italy) and I share a glance hinting at my own tragic experiences while in Florence.

Since the last few webisodes of Wine Time TV have covered Sommelier James King, I thought it appropriate to share a little information I originally found (by accident) at SFSommelier.com. Good stuff and should give everyone yet another understanding of the role a Sommelier might play on the ‘wine stage’.

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

Welcome back to Wine Time TV.net! And as you can see we’re still milking our great interview with Sommelier James King from King’s Group Events and with much success! Thanks for the tremendous number of hits to the blog and content.

If you had only one case of wine with you while stranded on an island somewhere, what would be in it? Got an answer I can share on the show? Shoot! I know, not an easy question for many. James King managed to share his dream case with us and much more! Tune the heck in!

*Music by Sir Charlie London’s “A Forest Might Be Black” and “Zimpala” edits.

It’s that time again folks! Another webisode of Wine Time TV coming your way. Below, you’ll find PART 2 of the very first WTTV episode and it features Sommelier James King. In this 7 minute webisode James and I arrive at the renown Jazz club and Italian restaurant Spaghettini, in Seal Beach California and I (hopefully you too) learned a bit more about fantastic wine. Tune the heck in!

*Music by Sir Charlie London – Patchwork Remix

Thanks to the many hundreds of viewers who tuned in to Wine Time TV’s first webisode featuring Sommelier James King, Part 1.

It seems only fitting that I release Part 2 of course. While that’s being edited and officially released on Monday, August 24th, please enjoy this picture book with scenes from that upcoming show.

Cheers and thanks for watching!
Kamary

Well it’s that time again!  It’s always a bit scary when launching a new concept|pilot series.  The same old questions go through ones mind such as; Is it original?  Does it entertain?  Is there something to learn?  As the interviewer and producer, I for one learned a lot. However  that doesn’t really count.

This interview series featuring James King will be aired in several clips as it turned out to be much more work than expected.  There’s over 40 minutes of worthy watching which will be chopped in to bits of YouTube friendly 10 minute clips or so.  After this first showing of Wine Time TV.net, the way will be smoother for new episodes once knowing which studio sets, music and delivery styles work best.

So, as I figure out the best Wine Time TV experience and best presentation your patience, understanding and viewership is totally appreciated.  I’m sure I’ll find a pathway to satisfying the majority of Wine Time TV watchers.  Please drop some feedback in comments when the spirit moves you. Needless to say, haters need not bother.

*Music by Sir Charlie London – Amberland Remix

Some of you know me within the WinoSpere from having produced a few webisodes of Murphy-Goode TV recently. You may also know that although no stranger to Content Production, I am a new generation wine drinker and I’m sharing my wine culture experiences with all who choose to journey with me so come on along! Welcome!

It’s been my sincerest intention as of late to hop on over to the Murphy-Goode TV Blog and give some closure to that whole experience. Not that it’s over but certainly on an open-ended hiatus. Good times.

Instead I’ve found myself inspired to expand on what I started as a result of participating in Murphy-Goode’s A REALLY GOOD JOB campaign. This here Wine Time TV business. Well, it’s more of a serious hobby that earns a little like no money. Good English, eh?

This next episode featuring an interesting wine professional named James King is the first of hopefully many cool interviews with real life wine Pros. If you can see yourself appearing on Wine Time TV don’t expect me to read your mind! Let me know! Drop a line at my email addy and tell me how wicked you are. I look forward to it.

I’ll be experimenting with initial shows trying to find my way and right style for the show. How to relate to as many folks as possible is the hardest thing of all. So, give me time to find your wavelength or let me know what it is. Otherwise, don’t hate. Participate.

Cheers!
Kamary

Well, we all know in what demand a top ranked Sommelier can be and this time it seems I got lucky getting one. A rarity indeed in the Wine Industry, African American Sommelier James King happens to be in the area meeting a client and I just happen to have a make shift studio only a couple miles away, so I took the chance of inviting him over for a chat this afternoon and to my surprise, he accepted!

Sommelier James King feat. on WTTV

We’ll shoot an episode of WTTV together and it’ll air early next week. Yay! Now to figure out what to ask this smart guy!  Got any ideas?  Leave a comment NOW!

As it is, I’m a bit worried about introducing any professionals to my terribly humble surroundings but I don’t have much choice at present so I hope he’s not a snobby kind of guy and can ‘roll with it’ as we video geeks say. 

WTTV's Humble Studio