Jay Fletcher

Affiliation : Southern Wine & Spirits of Colorado / Aspen Wine Sense Wine Consulting
Location : Aspen, CO, USA

Bio

Jay Fletcher, MS
An ‘extreme sommelier,’ Master Jay Fletcher charts a path from pool halls to the board room.

An unlikely sommelier, Jay Fletcher grew up in the pool halls and restaurant kitchens of Madison, Wisconsin, where he was on his own at the age of eighteen.  His hardworking demeanor earned him both a position as a bartender and the distinction of Junior State Pocket Billiards Champion, but his quest for adventure is what ultimately led Jay to find his calling.

Curious what the West had to offer, Jay hitchhiked his way to Aspen in 1978.  After initially earning a living as a laborer and concrete worker, he landed a job at a local French restaurant in 1983 where a glass of Puligny-Montrachet changed everything.  From that day forward, when Jay wasn’t climbing peaks, mountain biking, skiing, or paddling through the desolate wilderness, he was absorbed in books about wine.  And lucky for Jay, his persistent talents at the pool table allowed him to periodically earn minor windfalls, which he used to splurge on bottles of fine wine that fed his growing fascination.  In 1993, after several years working his way up in the local restaurant scene, Jay came across an advertisement for an introductory course offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers.  Along with his good friend and now fellow Master Sommelier Damon Ornowski, Jay threw himself into his studies.  Encouragement from Master Frederick Dame and a naturally gifted palate help him earn the title of Master Sommelier just three years and four months after signing up for the introductory course.   Jay passed his Masters Exam in London, England in the fall of 1996 as the 30th American to join the Court.

Crediting the Court’s program with changing his life, Master Fletcher is committed to giving back to others with similar ambitions.  His Colorado home has welcomed many aspiring Master Sommeliers over the years, where Jay generously shares his tasting and service techniques and offers mentorship to those on the same path.

Jay Fletcher currently serves as the Executive Director of Fine Wine and Master Sommelier for Southern Wine and Spirits of Colorado.  He is also the current Chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers American Chapter’s Board of Directors.  Jay is the Cellar Master for the Guild of Sommeliers’ extensive wine collection, an accredited Bordeaux Educator from the L’Ecole du Vin in Bordeaux, France, and a Commandeur d’Honneur from the Commanderie du Bontemps of the Medoc, Graves, Sauternes, and Barsac.

Jay’s expertise spans all aspects of the wine and restaurant industry including fine wine sales, cellar appraisals, cellar management, educational lectures, restaurant staff training, specialty event planning, and wine list construction. He has lectured and served on hundreds of expert panels at wine events around the country, including Disney’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, Kapalua Wine Festival, and Crystal Cruises Wine Tours.