Displaying items by tag: Sommeliers

Meet Raimonds Tomsons, the Best Sommelier of the World, 2023.

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Uncorked With... rapid-fire questions asked to your favorite leading wine-world personalities!

Join WSG Academic Advisor Andrew Jefford as he talks to Raimonds Tomsons, the Best Sommelier of the World, 2023. This year was Tomson's fourth attempt: he first competed as Latvian candidate in 2010 and then again in 2016 (when he came seventh).  Third place in 2019 proved to be the perfect springboard for the first post-Covid competition, which took place in Februrary 2023 in Paris.  

Raimonds grew up in the days when Latvia was a part of the USSR.  He had little exposure to wine or restaurants as a child – but once he found his vocation, this tall, calm Baltic wine enthusiast has never looked back.  He’ll describe the highs and lows of the competition – from rising at 5 am to train through to the final triumph under the floodlights, with a live audience of 4,000 listening to every breath, every gulp, every pronunciation. He’ll also be talking about his views of sommellerie as a profession, and outlining the key skills he thinks a great sommelier should have. 

Summary:

A Day in the Life of a Wine Educator, Writer, and Blogger. Without these esteemed positions, we would not have the educational framework available today to train our new and existing wine & spirits hospitality professionals. We will look at the journey, passion, dedication, and hard work that guided educators, writers, and bloggers to their dream jobs.

1. Wine educator, writer, and blogger – is it in my future?

• Roles are intricately linked and often combined
• A thirst for a broad body of knowledge
• Choosing a specialized area in the world of wine & spirits

2. Building a road map for your journey!

• Key skill sets & tenured experience required.
• Strong focus on presentation skills, public speaking & writing
• Top certifications and ongoing study
   

Presenter: Pam Kindel Connors

Pam is the owner of “Cuvee Consulting LLC” a company designed to serve the needs of the hospitality and wine & spirits industry. Her mission is to help companies invest in their current talent within their organization through coaching and consulting in organizational development, leadership development, customized training, professional wine & spirits education, and certification programs.

Pam has over 30 years of wine & spirits distribution, cruise line, casino, country club, and restaurant operations experience. She has held various positions in sales, management, training & development, and human resources. Before opening her own company, Connors worked with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits as a Regional HR Business Partner Director specializing in learning and development, talent management, organizational development, and mentor coaching. For eight years before her HR role, she held the State Director of Training for the Glazer’s Diageo & Moet Hennessy division, leading all sales training programs and wine & spirits education, including the CSW, CSS, and FWS certification programs.

In addition she has also specialized as a wine & spirits heducator conducting professional certification courses and seminars for trade and consumer groups nationwide. She has earned certifications through professional organizations, including the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Bordeaux Wine School, “Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux,” Wine Academy of Spain, and Court of Master Sommeliers. She has served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Society of Wine Educators since 2017. In addition, she is an active member of the Society of Wine Educators, Wine Scholar Guild, Society for Human Resource Management, Association for Talent Development, and the Center for Executive Coaching.

Summary:

A Day in the Life of a Food & Beverage Director, Sommelier, and Wine Director. At the heart of hospitality lies three essential wine & spirits professionals: the food & beverage director, sommelier, and wine director. Although traditionally separate jobs, today’s economy often combines these roles into one position. We will take a deep dive into what a typical day looks like for each position and hear a few testimonials highlighting the steps individuals have taken to achieve professional success.

1. Each role in today’s hospitality industry

• Today roles are often combined
• Adapting to a new hospitality environment

2. Food & beverage director/sommelier/wine director

• Skill sets required
• Experience & certifications
• A walk through a typical day in one role or combined roles

Presenter: Pam Kindel Connors

Pam is the owner of “Cuvee Consulting LLC” a company designed to serve the needs of the hospitality and wine & spirits industry. Her mission is to help companies invest in their current talent within their organization through coaching and consulting in organizational development, leadership development, customized training, professional wine & spirits education, and certification programs.

Pam has over 30 years of wine & spirits distribution, cruise line, casino, country club, and restaurant operations experience. She has held various positions in sales, management, training & development, and human resources. Before opening her own company, Connors worked with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits as a Regional HR Business Partner Director specializing in learning and development, talent management, organizational development, and mentor coaching. For eight years before her HR role, she held the State Director of Training for the Glazer’s Diageo & Moet Hennessy division, leading all sales training programs and wine & spirits education, including the CSW, CSS, and FWS certification programs.

In addition she has also specialized as a wine & spirits heducator conducting professional certification courses and seminars for trade and consumer groups nationwide. She has earned certifications through professional organizations, including the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Bordeaux Wine School, “Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux,” Wine Academy of Spain, and Court of Master Sommeliers. She has served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Society of Wine Educators since 2017. In addition, she is an active member of the Society of Wine Educators, Wine Scholar Guild, Society for Human Resource Management, Association for Talent Development, and the Center for Executive Coaching.

Summary: 

This webinar discusses the subtle art of selling and upselling. Learn how to recommend a wine, pop that cork and sell the second bottle. Find out how to move a patron on to bigger and better things. Discover how to address the “leader” at the table without stepping on any toes. In sum, just small kernels of practical information…in a nutshell.

Presenter: Lisa M. Airey CWE, FWS

Lisa M. Airey, FWS, CWE, has thirteen years of experience selling wine at the wholesale level and in training both the sales force and wait staff.

She sat on the Board of Directors for the Society of Wine Educators from 1998 to 2004 and co-chaired their Corporate Wine Training Committee which authored and edited the first SWE Certified Specialist of Wine Study Guide.

She currently serves as Director of Education for the Wine Scholar Guild. In this capacity, Lisa is responsible for designing the programs' structure and creating and updating all study materials, teaching materials and exams.

Summary: 

What is the proper way to store and serve sparkling wines, fortified wines or dessert wines? Plus, once you have them in the cellar, what is the best way to recommend and sell these wines? Master Sommelier, Matt Stamp, will lead us through the proper serving techniques for these special wines.

Presenter: Matt Stamp MS

Matt Stamp learned the wine and restaurant trade in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where he managed V. Mertz, a local fine-dining institution owned by his family. Matt built the restaurant's award-winning wine list and earned the staff a semifinalist nod for a James Beard Award in Outstanding Wine Service.

Matt has worked as a sommelier at The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in California's Russian River Valley and at The French Laundry in Yountville, one of a handful of American restaurants to have earned three Michelin stars. While at The French Laundry, Matt finished first in the inaugural TOP SOMM competition in 2010, earning the title Americas Top Sommelier. He also completed the Master Sommelier exam in 2011, joining the premier ranks of fewer than 180 Masters worldwide.

Matt is the Education Director for the Guild of Sommeliers, a non-profit organization that provides networking, educational, and scholarship opportunities for its members. He hopes to have a great impact on the next generation of sommeliers through education and mentorship.

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