Master Sommeliers Julie Cohen Theobald and Emily Wines in Phoenix, Arizona in 2021. 

other

The Court of Master Sommeliers aims to restore its reputation after being plagued by scandals - The Washington Post

Two years ago, the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas suffered a triple whammy. During the Black Lives Matter protests, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-wine-industry-is-overwhelmingly-white-now-the-push-for-inclusivity-is-gaining-momentum/2020/06/26/ccd898b0-b6f0-11ea-a8da-693df3d7674a_story.html">wine industry</a> as a whole — and the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-court-of-master-sommeliers-has-been-called-out-for-racism-now-it-is-pledging-change/2020/07/02/8666674c-bc57-11ea-bdaf-a129f921026f_story.html">sommelier fraternity itself</a> — came under scrutiny for its lack of racial diversity. An explosive <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/dining/drinks/court-of-master-sommeliers-sexual-harassment-wine.html" target="_blank">New York Times investigation</a> a few months later shocked the court with #MeToo allegations of sexual harassment by some of its most celebrated members, as more than a dozen women in the court’s exam program came forward with accusations of master sommeliers pressuring them for sex. All this occurred during the coronavirus pandemic, which shuttered restaurants across the nation and drove many sommeliers into different professions.

Programs aim to break up the wine world’s ‘stuffy, white boys’ club’

It was a spectacular implosion for an organization that skyrocketed to fame over the previous decade on the coattails of a booming restaurant trade and consumer fascination with wine. The “Somm” series of movies portrayed the dedication and professionalism required to pursue the coveted red lapel pin of the master sommelier, the profession’s highest rank. The films also showed the sacrifices and, to some extent, the recklessness inherent in a professional pursuit centered on the consumption of alcohol.

A <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/two-of-the-years-wine-scandals-could-have-far-reaching-consequences/2018/12/20/3c3fa676-04a0-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html">cheating scandal </a>in 2018 tarnished the court’s image, and the triple blows of 2020 brought it to the precipice of irrelevance. A lot of money was at stake. Master somms are rare. There are only 172 in the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, out of 269 worldwide. Once they attain their lapel pins, few continue to work the restaurant floor. They typically move on to corporate positions, managing a restaurant group’s beverage program, working with importers or distributors, even wineries. That’s not to say they leave the profession — they often do wine education and training for restaurant staff, and they teach the court’s certification courses and proctor its exams. (Which loops back to the sexual harassment scandal.) If the court were to lose its stature and prestige, the pin would lose its Midas touch.

So in late 2020, the Americas chapter board of directors resigned en masse and members elected a new board, led by two women. (Of the 172 master somms in the chapter, 28 are women.) The new board hired a professional ethicist to revamp its code of ethics, contracted with a firm specializing in workplace harassment issues to transform its organizational culture, and hired a third-party investigator to look into the harassment claims. That <a href="https://www.mastersommeliers.org/sites/default/files/CMS%20Announcement%20to%20our%20Community.pdf" target=_blank>investigation culminated in November</a> when the court expelled six members, including Fred Dame, who cofounded the Americas chapter and helped build the organization in the United States.

“We faced a lot of criticism, but when the previous board entirely stepped down, that allowed us to say everything was on the table,” said Emily Wines, the appropriately named chair of the new board of directors. Wines earned her pin in 2008 and is vice president of the beverage program for the Cooper’s Hawk Winery restaurant chain.

The Court of Master Sommeliers has been called out for racism. Now, it is pledging change.

To make the organization more professional, the board hired an executive director to handle day-to-day operations. They chose Julie Cohen Theobald, who brought more than two decades of experience as a brand manager for Procter &amp; Gamble, as well as work in the nonprofit sector.

Theobald had no experience in the wine or service industry, but she liked the challenge of addressing the court’s scandals.

“There are few opportunities in life to make an impact on gender and diversity issues,” Theobald said in a recent interview. “We may be a small organization, but we have a degree of influence on the industry and maybe even society.”

Since Theobald joined the court last autumn, the board added four new members from outside the wine industry. They brought expertise in human resources, credentialing, hospitality and diversity. The goal is to move to a “classic nonprofit structure” that will have lasting change to ripple through the wine service sector, she said.

Diversity is key to that change. “It’s a male-dominated industry, so we want to make sure it’s a safe space and give women a way to report problems instead of just silently walking away,” Wines said. To that end, the court established an independent hotline for harassment complaints.

It also took steps to improve racial diversity. “We can’t just say our programs are open; we have to look at who’s coming to the door in the first place,” Wines said. “So we created 100 scholarships for people of color, women and people in need to take our introductory program.” Because of the coronavirus pandemic, that program is now online, which eliminates travel costs for candidates to take the exams in big cities.

The new board is also moving away from the celebrity somm to emphasize professionalism.

“It’s a service industry and a trade, so we don’t want to elevate sommeliers as superstars, but elevate the profession,” Wines said. “Especially after covid, the profession has changed a lot, and we need to change with it. When restaurants hit hard times, sommeliers are often the first to be cut. We want to emphasize not just wine knowledge, but how to run a beverage program and a restaurant.”

We may not see lapel pins for master “sommager,” the slang term for a combination sommelier and manager. But by becoming more versatile, the sommelier may become more essential.

A previous version of this article incorrectly said Fred Dame was the first U.S. sommelier to earn the master title. He was one of the first, but not the first. This version has been corrected.

Dave McIntyre writes about wine weekly. He also blogs at <a href="http://dmwineline.com">dmwineline.com</a>.

Dave McIntyre

The Court of Master Sommeliers aims to restore its reputation after being plagued by scandals

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Food

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Lifestyle

Greatest Value for Wine Column

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A $13 organic red wine with verve and spirit? Pour us a glass — or two. - The Washington Post

What a great lineup this week! We start with a moderately priced red blend from Argentina that is not only organic, but made with no added sulfites. Added sulfites are a third-rail type of issue in wine, as sulfur dioxide helps prevent all kinds of spoilage in bottle. This Domaine Bousquet shows that quality wine can be made in quantity without adding sulfur.

We also have two California wines following a refreshing trend I highlighted recently with Mary Taylor Wines and Obvious Wines — showing their wines’ origin and character at an affordable price without pretense or ego. If you would like to explore California’s expressions of chardonnay and pinot noir without breaking the bank, look to Windemere wines. Be warned, though — you will want to explore more.

We finish with two sauvignon blancs from the Loire Valley in France. These wines reflect recent price inflation but show how we can find value by looking for quality in neighboring regions to the stars.

Domaine Bousquet Virgen Organic Red Blend 2020

(Excellent/Extraordinary)

Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, $13

Domaine Bousquet produced my <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-top-12-wine-bargains-of-2020-include-an-outstanding-boxed-malbec-for-the-equivalent-of-5-a-bottle/2020/12/23/f2de9516-446a-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html" title="www.washingtonpost.com">No. 1 “greatest value” of 2020</a>, with its Natural Origins Malbec in a three-liter box. The winery is back with a line of organic wines with no added sulfites, called Virgen. This red blend is malbec, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It is bright and lively, with verve and spirit. A Virgen Malbec at the same price is just entering this market. Both are splendid values. Organic, vegan. Alcohol by volume: 14.3 percent. BW: 440 grams (Light).

Imported by WISD; distributed in the District and Maryland by Opici, in Virginia by Virginia Imports: Available in the District at Classy Corks Wine & Spirits, Magruder’s, Odd Provisions, Yes Organic Market (various locations). Available in Maryland at A&A Wine & Spirits in Gambrills; Christos Discount Liquors in Ferndale; House of Liquors in Westminster; Lakefront Fine Wine & Spirits in Frederick; New Team Spirits in Cockeysville; Quarry Wine & Spirits in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Friendly City Food Co-Op in Harrisonburg; Sprouts Farmers Market in Herndon; Wegmans (various locations); Whole Foods Market (various locations, coming soon).

(Extraordinary)

Terrific Cali pinot under $20 that speaks not only of the grape but of its place of origin is hard to find. This beauty has the dark cherry and boysenberry flavors with cola spice and wild herbs that says Santa Barbara County to me. If we were to parse Santa Maria Valley versus Santa Rita Hills, we’d probably have to pay a bit more. But we can compare it with the very fine Windemere Sonoma County Pinot Noir ($19), which is lighter and more delicate in body and a bit more tart in flavor. Outstanding values. ABV: 14.5 percent. BW: 515 grams (Average).

Distributed by DMV: Available in the District at Lee Towers Market, Rodman’s. Available in Maryland at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits, Bella’s, Eastport Liquors in Annapolis; the Breadery in Catonsville; Canton Crossing Wine + Spirits in Baltimore; Colonial Liquors in La Plata; Kent Towne Liquors in Chester; Mt. Airy Liquors in Mt. Airy; Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Snider’s Super Foods in Silver Spring; Tiger Wine & Spirits in Towson.

Windemere gives us the opportunity to compare Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties with chardonnay as well as pinot noir. With the chards, Sonoma offers gossamer texture and filigree. At first, it seems there’s not much to it. But each sip reveals a different nuance. You’ll have to pay attention to understand what it’s trying to say to you. The Santa Barbara chard is more straightforward, a bit talkative. You know what it’s all about on the first sip. ABV: 14.5 percent. BW: 590 grams (Average).

The Touraine appellation in France’s Loire Valley is famous for affordable sauvignon blanc for occasions when we don’t want to splurge on the more famous wines of Sancerre. A significant increase of more than 10 percent over the 2019 vintage pushes this wine closer to sancerre in price — or at least, closer to where sancerre was a year ago. The quality is still there, a great expression of the mineral side of sauvignon that could fool you to mistake it as a sancerre if you didn’t see the label. ABV: 12.5 percent. BW: 530 grams (Average).

Imported by Artisans & Vines, distributed in the District and Maryland by Artisans & Vines, in Virginia by LK Wine Tours & Sales: Available in the District at Classy Corks Wine & Spirits, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Rodman’s, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill. Available in Maryland at Bella’s in Annapolis; Bradley Food & Beverage, Georgetown Square Wine and Beer in Bethesda; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer, Finewine.com in Gaithersburg; Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Rodman’s in White Flint. Available in Virginia at Aldie Peddler in Aldie; Balducci’s in Alexandria; Murphy Beverage in Winchester.

This wine is everything you expect sancerre to be — ripe sauvignon blanc flavors of nectarine and quince expressed through the kimmeridgian limestone soils of the region. Think minerals and briny seafood. Given sancerre’s popularity in restaurants, this wine primarily appears on wine lists. ABV: 13.5 percent. BW: 490 grams (Light).

Imported by Kobrand; distributed in the District and Maryland by RNDC, in Virginia by Virginia Imports: Available in the District at Belga Cafe, Bobby Van’s Grill, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, the Graham, the Palm. Available in Virginia at Bazin’s on Church in Vienna, Cafe Montmartre in Reston; Landini Brothers in Alexandria.

Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the Domaine Bousquet Virgen Organic Red Blend 2020 as being Chilean; it is from Argentina. This version has been corrected.

More from <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food" title="www.washingtonpost.com">Food</a>:

Dave McIntyre

The Court of Master Sommeliers aims to restore its reputation after being plagued by scandals

A $13 organic red wine with verve and spirit? Pour us a glass — or two.

Wine prices are rising. Here’s how to still find good values.

Sip this charming $13 elderberry wine with a fruity dessert

The way alcohol is sold is a problem, but don’t look to government for help

Here’s a $15 California cabernet that proves quality can also be budget-friendly

Sparkling diplomacy: How a California wine may have helped thaw Cold War relations

This bold red wine blend is delicious, straightforward and just $15

Young people are buying less wine, but the industry keeps marketing to aging boomers

For about $20 total, these two wines deserve to be your house favorites