The Stout Report : Two New Master Sommeliers Join the Ranks

Well, the results are in. The two new Masters, both from the Louisville area, are Brett Davis and Scott Harper. None of the Texas candidates passed the exam. Different parts were passed by different candidates. An official press release will be put out by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Hearty congratulations to two new Masters, Brett Davis and Scott Harper!

It’s cool in Cincinnati after being in the Texas heat. Temps in the 60′s, getting up to 80. After the past month, this is a break. I am here at Master Sommelier final exam. There are several candidates from Texas I am rooting for, having spent time tutoring them.  As an examiner in the February exam earlier this year, I am now here to assist.  During the week of exams, there is a moratorium on communicating with candidates. Knowing that the Texas candidates are in town, I have to maintain silence until after the exams are over on Wednesday.

This is the first time in the history of the Court of Master Sommelier that they have offered a second exam in the same year! There has always been a spring exam in the USA, usually in San Francisco or in the wine country of Napa or Sonoma, followed by a fall exam in London.

This second exam is in response to the back log of eligible candidates and limited number of seats available each year. Many qualified candidates have had to wait two or three years for an invitation to “The Show”.

The chance of passing the exam on the first attempt is slim. For those extremely lucky individuals that have passed on the first attempt, there is an award named after one of the corporate sponsor of the Court of Master Sommelier, called the Krug Cup. Notable recipients of the Krug Cup are Texas’ own Paul Roberts, Keith Goldston and the infamous Fred Dame, the first American to pass the exam.

The vast majority of candidates, which, in the past, included me, have to sit the exam two or three times. There are three parts to the examination. The 3 parts consist of a blind tasting, a service exam and a theory examination. All parts of the exam are verbal. You are allowed to pass one portion at a time.

If you fail to pass the entire exam after three tries, you forfeit the portions you have passed and must restart.

This year the exam started with a blind tasting of six wines. There are three whites and three reds from classic wine growing regions around the world. You are asked to identify the country, grape(s), region, sub region and common flavor, aroma and color components, as well as the vintage. You must show your knowledge of the wines, and you have 25 minutes to finish.  You must give reasons to support your conclusions. The grid or deductive process is available on the Court of Master Sommelier’s website.

The service exam has multiple stations and candidates go from station to station performing the required task, in a limited amount of time given.

There is always a decanting station, considered by many to be the Masters station, a champagne opening and service station, and finally a cocktails and spirit’s station with a food and wine pairing component. There were five stations when I sat the exam a few years ago.

You can cut the tension with a knife in the room during the service exam. The candidates are taken to their first assigned station and asked to begin. There is limited amount of time given for each station. When time expires, they are rotated thru the different stations.

I had a knot in my stomach watching this year’s candidates run thru the paces. I am so happy to have gotten thru and to not be sitting the exam.

The final portion is the theory portion. You sit before a panel of three Masters, usually backed upped by an observer. The Masters alternate questions to the candidate. Once a question is answered, you are not allowed to return to that question.

There is genuine support for the candidates by the examiners.

Hearty congratulations to two new Masters, Brett Davis and Scott Harper!

Guy Stout became a Master Sommelier in 2005, one of four in Texas. Guy is Glazer’s Corporate Director of Beverage Education and a Certified Wine Educator along with being the p roud papa of a 3 acre Syrah Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country.

Related posts:

1. The Stout Report: Advanced Sommelier MS – Chicago
2. Four Rode In: America’s Newest Master Sommeliers
3. The Stout Report – Texas Sommelier Conference – August 15-16
4. James Tidwell: Texas 4th Master Sommelier
5. The Stout Report : The New York Wine Experience

Tags: Brett Davis, Cincinnati, Court of Master Sommelier, Fred Dame, Guy Stout, Keith Goldston, Krug Cup, Louisville, Paul Roberts, Scott Harper, The Stout Report