Six months is plenty of time to prepare for the Master Sommelier Diploma exam. In a reality, I’ve been getting ready for it for years. Next month means blind tasting practice resumes. In addition, flash cards will get turned, new flash cards will be written, old word games will be re-memorized, and new mnemonic games will be created. The last piece in my repertoire, finding a new restaurant job, has proven to be like finding a needle in a haystack. I think my struggle may be coming to an end. For now, I focus my attention on my blind tasting curriculum.
How I structure my tasting practice will be pretty much the same as I did last year. Once a week I’ll taste six wines in the exact same format as the test, which is 3 whites and 3 reds, examined in 25 minutes. The tasting will be conducted by my coach and close friend, Greg Randle, CWE. Two days out of each week, I’ll taste with my wife Anne. One day I will taste two wines: one red and one white, examined in 8 minutes. On the other day, she’ll present me with a lineup of four, examined in 16 minutes: two whites and two reds.
The days practicing six wines with Greg are especially beneficial, as this is the exact rendition of the Master Sommelier Diploma exam. Two practice days with Anne are beneficial in other ways. Examining four wines is like a mini version of the test without the large scale orchestration and post-tasting analytics. It takes less time, helps hone in on pacing the routine and is far easier on the budget.
Tasting just two wines presents a unique challenge, because the taster (that’s me) is not able to calibrate the wines off of the other wines in the lineup. With the four or six lineup, the taster noses each one first, with the timer starting at that point, allowing the taster to surmise a few things about each wine before he picks up the first glass to examine.
Sometimes, it’s beautiful serendipity in the few seconds of nosing the lineup of three whites and three reds, assessing confidently, that’s Riesling, that’s minerally Chardonnay (probably Burgundy), I don’t know what white #3 is but it’s probably from the New World, that’s Sangiovese, that’s Napa Cab, and the last one’s really herbal maybe it’s Chinon. Most of the time, it’s much more difficult. You think you may know one or two, but you’ll certainly have to work through the tasting grid in the allotted time to conclude properly on the others. This comparative analysis, which is permissible, even encouraged, is vital to passing this portion of the exam. When there are just two wines, one red, one white you don’t have the benefit of calibration. A one white / one red lineup keeps you honest. You have to work through the two wines in 8 minutes and nail it.
Greg Randle, I am happy to say, will handle all of the wine selecting. Hooray! The previous years I bought the wine en masse ahead of time, but that has so many drawbacks. In addition, I’ll expand the boundaries of what I need to know under blind conditions. Wines such as Torrontés, Amarone, and Australian Grenache, it’s rumored, may end up in front of you during this final exam. I have barely any experience working with these wines, so these make it on the shopping list.
I am really looking forward to going back to tasting wines under blind conditions. Although I will miss making cocktails and utilizing my bar at home, I take comfort in knowing I can always go out for one when I need a break from wine. The real challenge in my pre-preparations hasn’t been catching up on months of Decanter magazine or deciphering my handwriting from last year’s journal I kept from the Advanced Sommelier exam to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. The true trial has been finding a restaurant home. In the last month, I have earnestly sought out and applied for many jobs. Here’s my cover letter which accompanies my press kit:
My name is Anthony Garcia, and I am seeking a position in Austin’s hospitality industry. Please take the time to look through this packet, outlining my credentials, unique skill-set and level of experience. My understanding of service, wine, cocktails, marketing, and profitability make me an ideal candidate for any dining concept in search of distinguishing itself in this competitive market.
Who wouldn’t want to hire that guy? This process is an exercise in patience and diligence. Call me a sucker for irony. It seems I have an easier time figuring out which wines are presented to me blind than finding a suitable restaurant home, which would benefit from hiring me. As they say in Bordeaux, “from the struggle comes the beauty!”
