The Gift Exchange

At GiftTree, we like to think that we know wine and know it well. With our large selection of wine gifts, we go to great efforts to constantly improve our wine knowledge so that we can always offer excellent wine choices to our customers.

However, I do have to admit that I am more than trumped by the winners of the Master Sommelier Exam conducted this month by the Court of Master Sommeliers. This prestigious test was recently passed by four new wine superheroes to win the title of “Master Sommelier.” What did they have to do to earn their new title, you ask? It’s fascinating, so read on.

First, in case you were wondering, a sommelier is a wine steward who is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional. Typically, sommeliers work in fine restaurants where they oversee wine procurement and storage, as well as provide expert advice to dining customers.

Back to the exam: the test takers had to ace a three day exam that had three parts: restaurant service and salesmanship; “what a sommelier needs to know,” including wines, beers, ciders, spirits, wine laws, and cigars; and a wine tasting. I am sure the written exam was daunting, but what really impresses me is the tasting. The test takers were submitted to a nerve-racking blind tasting in which they had to identify six wines by grape variety, country of origin, district of origin, and vintage. Not only is it an incredible skill of a intensely refined palate to be able to do so, but the tasters had to identify all of these qualities with 100% accuracy within a mere 25 minutes. That’s right – sip, swirl, and spit – and tell me everything there is to know about the wine you just tasted.

Personally, I think that it is absolutely amazing that people have the abilities to master wine with such precision and zeal. I hope you find it to be interesting, too!

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