In our new tasting episode, host Christopher Tanghe speaks with fellow Master Sommeliers Mark Guillaudeu and Chris Gaither. They discuss their tasting journeys; how they recognize texture and, in particular, phenolic bitterness in wine; and the ways they apply blind tasting skills in their current roles.

Mark Guillaudeu is a sommelier at the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix. Previously, he worked at the two Michelin-starred Commis in Oakland. He won the Best Sommelier USA title in June 2022. In addition to achieving the Master Sommelier certification, Mark holds the WSET Diploma and is currently working through the MW program. Chris Gaither and his wife, Rebecca Fineman, also a Master Sommelier, own Ungrafted and GluGlu in San Francisco. Chris worked at Spruce, Restaurant Gary Danko, Michael Mina, and Octavia prior to opening his own restaurants. He is an adjunct instructor at the San Francisco Wine School.

After their tasting conversations, Mark and Chris taste the same white wine. Listen closely and guess along with them! We reveal the wine at the end of the episode.

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In the latest GuildSomm podcast, host MS Christopher Tanghe interviews Annie Shi of King and Jupiter restaurants in New York City about her wine program philosophy. Annie discusses key considerations for bottle lists and by-the-glass offerings, how she thinks about pricing, creativity in spirits selection, and the importance of distributor relationships.

Annie Shi opened King in 2016 and Jupiter in 2022 with her partners, Claire de Boer and Jess Shadbolt. She is the beverage director at both restaurants. Prior to opening King, Annie was an associate with J.P. Morgan in New York and London. She is an alum of the James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program and was listed in the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

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We're back with a new tasting episode! This week, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe discusses blind tasting practices with MS Steven McDonald and Rachael Liggett-Draper. They explore their tasting challenges, how they have calibrated acid and tannin calls, and the ways they apply blind tasting skills in their everyday work.

Steven McDonald is the executive wine director for the Pappas Bros Steakhouses in Houston and Dallas. He moved to Houston from New York City in 2011 to join the Pappas Bros team. Steven passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2018. Rachael Liggett-Draper has worked as a sommelier at The Little Nell in Aspen since 2021; previously, she worked at several restaurants and wine bars in Vail. Rachael is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas.

After their tasting conversations, Steven and Rachael taste the same red wine. Listen closely and guess along with them! We reveal the wine at the end of the episode.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review to support the show. Cheers!

In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe explores the importance of coffee in restaurant beverage programs by tracking it from farm to cup with special guests from the Washington coffee community. Scott Richardson, the co-owner of Herkimer Coffee, explains sourcing and quality, followed by a live roasting session with Herkimer's head roaster, Brian James, and a discussion of coffee grading and service with Ryan Vigil, the co-owner of Carte Coffee.

Herkimer Coffee is an iconic roaster of specialty coffees that has been operating in Seattle for 20 years. Carte Coffee in Walla Walla was first established as a food truck in 2017 and now has a brick-and-morter shop.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this is a cost-free way to support the show. Cheers!

In our latest podcast, Seattle wine professionals Erin Lyman and James Lechner discuss blind tasting with host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe. They explore the value of blind tasting, their personal tasting challenges, and how they use blind tasting in their current positions.

Erin Lyman is the owner of the long-standing Seattle wine shop Champion Wine Cellars. She took over the business from its founder in 2017. Erin has completed WSET Level 3 and the French Wine Scholar program. James Lechner is the general manager of Domaine & Estates, a division of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. He is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, and a board member for SommFoundation.

Listen along as Erin and James blind taste a red wine, and see if you can guess along with them. We’ll reveal the wine they’re tasting at the end of the episode.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe interviews Steven Thompson, the cofounder of Analemma Wines. Chris and Steven discuss the history and approach of Analemma Wines and its home, the Columbia Gorge AVA, then dive into a conversation about the requirements, ideals, and challenges of Demeter Biodynamic Certification.

Steven Thompson and Kris Fade founded Analemma Wines in the Columbia Gorge in 2010. They received biodynamic certification from Demeter in 2017 and released their first certified biodynamic wines in 2020. Analemma’s 52-acre property, Mosier Hills Estate, is planted to a range of grapes, with a focus on varieties from Galicia, Spain.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our latest podcast, Advanced Sommeliers Matthew Crawford and Cara De Lavallade discuss blind tasting with host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe. They discuss whether blind tasting is useful outside of the exam setting, how they use this skill in their jobs, and the greatest challenges in their tasting journeys.

Matthew Crawford is the director of operations for Rocket Farm Restaurants, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Matthew lives in Houston, Texas, where Rocket Farm operates another restaurant, called State of Grace. Cara De Lavallade is the sommelier at Posana Restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina. She previously held wine director positions at Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona, and Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington.

Listen in as Matthew and Cara blind taste the same red wine, and see if you can guess along with them. We’ll reveal the wine they’re tasting at the end of the episode.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our latest podcast episode, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Fred Merwarth of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Fred is the co-owner, head winemaker, and vineyard manager for the estate. Chris and Fred discuss the history of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, the grapegrowing opportunities and challenges in the Finger Lakes, and all things Riesling. 

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our latest blind tasting episode, host MS Christopher Tanghe speaks with New York City sommeliers Andrea Morris and Jonathan Eichholz. Andrea and Jonathan share their blind tasting challenges and strategies before tasting the same red wine.

Andrea Morris is the beverage director at Essential by Christophe. Before this role, she managed the beverage programs at Union Square Cafe, Intersect, and Nix. Jonathan Eichholz is currently an educator at GuildSomm, where he oversees the Wine Law Compendium, contributes to content, and teaches classes. Previously, he was a sommelier at The Modern.

Listen in as Andrea and Jonathan blind taste, and see if you can guess along with them. We'll reveal the wine they're tasting at the end of the episode.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our latest podcast, MS Christopher Tanghe interviews Ruinart Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaïotis. They unpack the effects of climate change in Champagne and discuss the ways that Ruinart and other Champagne houses are adapting and pursuing sustainability in light of these changes.

Applications for the Los Angeles and San Francisco Ruinart Challenge events will be open through Wednesday. All GuildSomm members are eligible to apply. Find more details on the GuildSomm website.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In this episode, MS Christopher Tanghe speaks with New Zealand expert MS Cameron Douglas. They cover all things New Zealand, including the country’s winemaking regions, the still-important role of Sauvignon Blanc, and the wide range of styles being produced today.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

Our blind tasting bonus episode is back! In this month's installment, GuildSomm Education Director MS Christopher Tanghe speaks with sommeliers Chuck Nix and Lindsay Thomas about how they approach blind tasting. Chuck is the sommelier and service manager at BRAVO! Italian Restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. Lindsay is the director of wine and beverage at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas.

Listen in as Chuck and Lindsay blind taste the same wine, and see if you can guess along with them. We'll reveal the wine they're tasting at the end of the episode.

In this episode, MS Christopher Tanghe speaks with Nick Gislason, director of winemaking and viticulture at Screaming Eagle and co-owner and brewer at Hanabi Lager Company, about tannin management in wine. Chris and Nick discuss how tannins in wine are derived from both grapes and wood, and they explain how a range of viticultural and winemaking decisions impact their presence in a finished wine.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In this episode, MS Christopher Tanghe discusses the wines of Chile with Elizabeth Butler, the director of wine at importing company Vine Connections. Lizzy oversees education for Vine Connections' wine portfolio, which focuses on Chile and Argentina. Prior to joining Vine Connections in 2013, Lizzy worked for the Catena family in Argentina and Viña Mayu in the Elqui Valley of Chile. Chris and Lizzy dive deep into all things Chile in this wide-ranging conversation.

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In this episode, MS Chris Tanghe speaks with Thomas Savre, the director of winemaking and viticulture at Lingua Franca Winery in the Willamette Valley. They discuss reduction, particularly in Chardonnay, unpacking a complex topic that is often oversimplified in wine circles. Chris and Thomas talk about the processes that create aromas such as matchstick, smoke, and flint and outline the distinction between reduction and reductive.

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In our new tasting episode, GuildSomm Education Director MS Christopher Tanghe talks to Advanced Sommeliers Matthew Dulle and Alexandra Stang about their perspectives on blind tasting. Matt is based in Healdsburg, CA, where he is the director of sales for Rhys Vineyards and Aeris. Alexandra is the beverage director at Seattle’s iconic Cafe Juanita.

Listen in as Matt and Alexandra blind taste the same wine. See if you can guess along with them! We’ll reveal the wine they’re tasting at the end of the episode.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!

In our new podcast episode, Christopher Tanghe takes a look back at 2022 with guests Audrey Frick, Jonathan Eichholz, and Samantha Cole-Johnson. They discuss trends in wine and spirits, the state of the hospitality industry, wine law updates, and industry challenges and speculate about what might be ahead in 2023.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as this helps us connect with and grow our community. Cheers!