Over the past thirty years, I have been associated with almost every aspect of the wine business: importing my own wines, representing national importers, working for local distributors in both sales and education, and directing the wine program of the prestigious Flagstaff House Restaurant in Boulder, Colorado. I passed the Intro exam in 1999 and the Master Sommelier exam in 2006 and currently own a small, eponymously named Denver-based wine distributor.
What made you want to become an MS?
It all kind of snowballed, really. I didn’t want to be a lawyer and I didn’t have enough talent to make a living as a musician so I became a Master Sommelier.
What advice do you give those who are pursuing certification?
Don’t underestimate the time and dedication required to become a MS and be good at your job first. Having two letters after your name won’t help much if you suck at what you do.
Where were you working when you passed?
I was working for Neal Rosenthal when I passed. Neal didn’t really value the credential and that gave me a very realistic outlook as to how I decided to treat the title and role in my life.
