Nine Wine Professionals Awarded Master Sommelier Diploma

NAPA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The Court of Master Sommeliers has awarded nine wine professionals
the internationally recognized title of Master Sommelier following the
Master Sommelier Diploma Examination, which took place 10-13 February
2008 at the Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg, California. The new
Masters include Jesse Becker, Chris Blanchard, Drew Hendricks, Geoff
Kruth, Joseph Linder, Joseph Phillips, Steven Poe, Sean Razee, and
Emily Wines, who was awarded the Remi Krug Cup, for passing all three
sections on her first attempt at the Examination.

"It is with great honor that we welcome these nine dedicated wine
professionals to the Court. Each displayed the exceptional wine
knowledge, precise tasting ability, and exemplary service capability
that this difficult examination requires; they will be a tremendous
asset to wine education and the growth of our organization," said
Joseph Spellman, Chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers, American
Chapter. "This is an extremely rigorous exam and we want to applaud
all of the candidates who attempted this last stage of the Master
Sommelier program."

Emily Wines of Fifth Floor Restaurant, in San Francisco, CA was
awarded the coveted Remi Krug Cup, which is given to the single
highest scoring candidate who passes all three portions of the Masters
Exam in the first attempt. "Spending the last week testing with some
of the most talented sommeliers in the country was such an honor,"
said Wines. "Passing the exam is really the icing on the cake and is
by no means my destination. I look forward to years of further study
and involvement in this wonderful world of wine."

The eight other candidates who passed include: Jesse Becker,
Sommelier at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, CO; Chris
Blanchard, Wine Director and Sommelier at REDD Restaurant in Napa, CA;
Drew Hendricks, Wine Director at Charlie Palmer at the Joule in
Dallas, TX; Geoff Kruth, Wine Director at the Farmhouse Inn and
Restaurant in Forestville, CA; Joseph Linder, Hotel Sommelier at The
Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle in Seattle, WA; Joseph Phillips,
Sommelier at Sensi at Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas, CA; Steven Poe,
Beverage Director at Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, CA; and
Sean Razee, Beverage Director of Spago at The Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor
Gulch, CO.

Attempting this exam were candidates from seventeen different
states of the US, and one each from Canada and Norway, for a total of
fifty-five candidates. The February Examination was administered, as
always, in three sections: Theory, Tasting, and Practical Service.
Passing scores in each of the three sections are required to earn the
Master Sommelier Diploma. There are 96 professionals who hold the
title Master Sommelier in North America. Of those 81 are men and 15
are women. There are 167 professionals worldwide who have earned the
title Master Sommelier since the first Master Sommelier Diploma Exam.

The Court of Master Sommeliers was established in England in 1977
to encourage improved standards of beverage knowledge and service in
hotels and restaurants. The first Master Sommelier Diploma Exam to be
held in the US was in 1987. The title Master Sommelier marks the
highest recognition of wine and spirits knowledge, beverage service
abilities, and professionalism in the hospitality trade. Education was
then, and remains today, the Court's charter. There are four stages
involved in attaining the top qualifications of Master Sommelier: 1.)
Introductory Sommelier Course; 2.) Certified Sommelier Exam; 3.)
Advanced Sommelier Course; and 4.) Master Sommelier Diploma.

To learn more about the Court of Master Sommeliers, please call or
write:

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Court of Master Sommeliers, American Chapter
P.O. Box 6170 Napa, CA 94581
Phone 707.255.5056
Fax: 707.255.2868
klewis@mastersommeliers.org www.mastersommeliers.org
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The Court of Master Sommeliers
Kathleen Lewis, 707-255-5056
klewis@mastersommeliers.org

Copyright Business Wire 2008