Interview with Gerard Basset Worlds best Sommelier

Gerard Basset, MS MW: An Interview with 2010's Best Sommelier in the World

Your list of credentials and accomplishments reads like a litany of the most coveted titles in the world of wine.  Tell us about how you got your start in the wine world. 
Although born and raised in France I knew very little about wine until I was in my early twenties.  In my family, at home, we drank every day, some simple, inexpensive wines as part of our daily life, but no more than that.  In my early twenties I came to work in England and it is where I really discovered that wine could be such a wonderful beverage.  I literally fell in love with it and decided that I would go as far as I could in the Wine and Hospitality Trade.
As one of only a handful of individuals in the world who have achieved both the MS and the MW designations, can you briefly describe how they differ, and what separate skill sets are required for each?
They are both very worth while qualifications and I learnt a lot in my journey to achieve both. 
The Master Sommelier is geared primarily for the restaurant trade, although some wine shop managers and winery ambassadors have also qualified.  As well as wine tasting, deep wine knowledge of wine and other beverages, food and wine matching, the wine service element plays an important part in the MS.
The Master of Wine has a strong wine tasting aspect too but in addition, the theory section is much more academic.
Another difference is in the wine tasting.  Whilst both exams demands that some sets of wines are identified as closely as possible, they differ in the approach.  On the road to wine identification, for the Master Sommelier candidates, they are required to describe as well as possible the wines; coming one at a time in front of a jury and they do the tasting orally.  For the Master of Wine, the candidates will need to give a reasoning to prove their point in the identification process and for that they do it by writing.   Both are valid approaches but requiring slightly different skills.
What, in your opinion, could the Master Sommelier learn from a Master of Wine, and vice versa?
Perhaps, a Master Sommelier could learn some useful organizing tips from a Master of Wine.  Indeed, the theory part of the MW requires writing well structured essays and that is a discipline that I have personally found very useful in many segments of my life.
On the other hand, the Master of Wine examination tends to focus on the main wine producing areas of the world but neglect a bit the lesser known ones.  So a Master of Wine might learn and discover from a Master Sommelier some unusual and more esoteric styles of wine that he or she might have never heard of.
However, overall it is a question of individuals and I have been privileged to meet some amazing talents in both camps.
You also hold a Wine MBA diploma.  Perhaps you could elaborate on your work and study ethic?  We have a number of younger sommeliers in the Guild who are seeking advice on best study practices.
The Wine MBA focuses quite naturally on the business aspect of the wine trade such as the marketing and financial techniques to set and develop a wine business (winery or others).  It was for me a wonderful experience and once again I learnt a lot.
I am a great believer that you must never stop learning.  In fact, it is not to American people I should say that as they know more than me.  I love reading motivational or inspiring business books and many of them are written by some American authors.
One must never be embarrassed to ask for help and many successful people will be ready to mentor an aspiring professional if they feel that person is genuine and serious in work/study principles.
Finally, it is important to get the support of your family, colleagues and fellow professionals.  I have been fortunate to have a very supportive and loving wife, a gorgeous son and some fabulous parents in law, who have given me so much love and support throughout my career. I have been very fortunate too that so many professional people have helped me along the way.
 With your mentorship, several of your assistants have achieved the MS diploma.  Do you have any specific suggestions for advanced sommeliers who may be struggling to take the next step?
Make sure you understand what is required and what is the level of difficulty to achieve your goal.  Assess in a very unemotional way, with some-one qualified and who you trust, what are your strengths and weaknesses.  Ensure that this person does not demoralize you but gives you some constructive feedback.  Work to consolidate your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.  Don’t be in a rush, it might take some time but that does not matter.  Plan properly to achieve your strategy.  Be prepared to commit a lot of time and effort.  As mentioned above, do not be afraid to ask for help, but choose the right people and then show that you are serious and also extremely grateful for it.  I could say a lot more about it but I will finish on that topic by saying that you must enjoy the journey, if not what is the point.
A very belated congratulations on winning the title of “Best Sommelier in the World” in 2010.  From this perch and perspective, what do you think are the major differences in the cultures of sommeliers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France?
With the internet and so many people traveling the differences are less now.  Nevertheless, cultural differences are still reflected in it to an extent.  I cannot be sure for certain as I have never worked in the US but it seems to me that in the US the attitude towards customers is probably the sharpest of the three countries.  In the UK we tend to be a bit more reserved and in France wine can be on occasions given the priority to the detriment of the customers.  However, as a restaurant customer myself, I have experienced both poor and wonderful service in each of these three countries.
You not only won in 2010, but you also finished second in a number of earlier World Sommelier Championships.  Can you describe one of the final rounds in which you competed?  How did you prepare for these competitions?
The ¼ final requires for the candidates to answer a set of tough questions, blind taste some wines and spirits in a written format and do a short service (the same for each candidate).  From that a selection is made and last year we were 51 candidates and went down to 12 candidates.  For the ½ final the twelve candidates had to answer another set of tough written questions and then we went one by one in front of a jury to blind taste some wines and spirits.  The last part of the semi-final was to go through a food and wine matching and serve a table of seven judges, again one by one.
The last day of the competition is the final and there the three finalists come in front of an audience and a large jury to perform a set of exercises.   We had to serve some champagne and make some cocktails.  We had to decant and serve a magnum of red wine.  We had to match some food to a list of wines and beverages, we had to describe and blind taste four wines and eight spirits and finally we had to recognize some large photographs on a screen of famous wineries (for instance ‘Opus One’ was one of them) and famous wine sceneries, (the vineyards of Lanzarote are another example)
As a chef by trade, born and raised in France, what is your approach to food and wine pairing? 
Use common sense but don’t be military in your approach.  Wine and food should be fun and whilst there are some principles worthwhile to follow, nobody has the exact answer and we all have different palates and cultural upbringing; so do not be dogmatic.
Tell us about Hotel TerraVina.
It is a small hotel in the beautiful natural park of the New Forest, in the South of England.  The food takes its inspiration from many Napa Valley restaurants that Nina (my wife) and I love very much.  The service is professional but relaxed and certainly not stuffy. The wine list is of middle size (around 500 bins) with wines from all over the world.  We try to offer some choice for many types of customers.  However, we do not have a lot of hugely expensive wines; that is not our market.
As a Chevalier Sabrage, can you give sabre-ing beginners any advice? 
Sabrage is really just a bit of fun, but one must be extremely careful when performing it as it could potentially be dangerous.  There is little skill in it and it is easy to master.
In the US, we hear a lot about the potential of the UK to produce quality sparkling wine, but we rarely see any of them.  What producers or particular bottles do you recommend?
Yes there are some really delicious sparkling wines here but it is a small area.  The leading sparkling wineries in the UK are Ridgeview Estate in East Sussex, Nyetimber in West Sussex, Chapel  Down in Kent, Hush Heath in Kent and Camel Valley in Cornwall, but they are some new up and coming ones.  The famous wine writer, Steven Spurrier is currently working on a great sparking wine project in the South of England and so is Christian Seely, the CEO of AXA Millesimes (Pichon Longueville Baron and other famous wineries). 
What are you drinking at home right now?
Last night I had a delicious simple white wine from the South West of France produced with the Gros Manseng grape (Côtes de Gascogne, Gros Manseng, Domaine des Cassagnoles 2009) but the night before I had a fabulous Pinot Noir from Hartford Court in Sonoma Valley (Hartford Court Pinot Noir Land’s Edge 2005) and it was divine.  I like many styles and regions of the world and being in England it is wonderful we have so many opportunities to taste and enjoy wines from all around the world.  Santé!

Reflections of a New Master (The Journey is the Reward? By Matt Stamp MS

Every now and then we all need some inspiration in what we do for a living Matt Stamp MS posted this blog shortly after passing the Master Sommelier Diploma with The Court Of Master Sommeliers, inspirational stuff indeed.

 

   

I recall approaching the examination room for the first time several winters ago in Toronto, as an introductory candidate from the Midwest.  I had the opportunity for the first time in person to meet and to learn from a Master Sommelier.  I felt awe and reverence at that moment for these gentlemen with red pins on a scale normally reserved for gods and natural disasters; I recall praying throughout that first terrifying, eye-opening day of class that in their capriciousness they would call on me for something tangible: the visual assessment of a wine, perhaps, but nothing so nebulous as a conclusion!  I escaped mostly unscathed.  I earned a small pin and a measure of respect from my colleagues back home; yet my pride in this accomplishment was moderated by certainty in my own abilities:  I would never become a Master Sommelier.  The gulf was simply too wide.

That first frigid morning of class, an affable young gentleman from California mapped his trajectory from this introductory pin to his Master Sommelier Exam with precision: he beamed with broad confidence and proclaimed to all around that he would sit that most difficult of exams by the age of 30.  I remember, with the measure of distrust introverts reserve for those with a gift of gab, simultaneously envying his charm and imaging his conceit.  I took my seat near the back while he raced for the front of class, and didn’t bother to speak to him again.   Today, I have had the pleasure of knowing Ian Cauble for nearly two years, and I value his friendship and talent greatly.  As we shared a ride through Dallas this past Friday afternoon, awaiting the results of our second MS exam together, he offhandedly remarked about his intro class in Canada, and I suddenly remembered that long-haired kid from California.  What I mistook at that moment for conceit was a sense of ambition and scope and drive that I could not understand.  
For me, the path to an MS pin was a series of small struggles, small victories, small advances.  Unlike Ian, I could have not made it to this exam if I had envisioned it as a goal from the start.  I needed tiny achievements to mask a lack of confidence in myself.  I looked forward to the certified exam, but no further.  As successes multiply, however, your confidence slowly builds.  In every pin that you achieve, every exam that you do not pass, every personal goal that you realize, whether you can take the long view or whether you are simply putting one foot in front of the other: you are building and enriching yourself.  As I sat at dinner for the first time as a Master Sommelier, I looked at my new tie with incomprehension and felt as though I was sitting with giants.  But as I reflect, I realize that I, along with my fellow new Masters, earned this.  A wide-eyed introductory candidate will, before not too long, look at us as giants as well, not as human beings, incredulously waiting—in the paraphrased words of Master Sommelier Greg Harrington—for some monstrous clerical error to be revealed.
There is no secret chart or road map to success that downplays the struggle and difficulty involved in preparation for this exam.  You will sacrifice and put on hold every aspect of your life in order to achieve this.  You will need immense help: the understanding of your friends and family, the support of your fellow sommeliers, and the coaching of a mentor.  In the summer of 2008, I was working for my family’s restaurant, V. Mertz, in Omaha, NE.  I built the wine list and acted as General Manager, Sommelier, and Occasional Dishwasher/Waiter/Bartender/Jack of all Trades for our little establishment of 20-some tables, tucked away in the cellar of a 19th century fruit warehouse.  With the Advanced Exam on the horizon, I was directionless in my study.  There was no regular tasting group, no one to provide an example of the dedication required.  No template.  No circulated copies of old exams flooding my inbox.  No green pins for hundreds of miles in any direction.  Three months out from the big week, I received a phone call, out of the blue, from a Master Sommelier and native Nebraskan named Jesse Becker.  He would be visiting Omaha soon, he explained, and wanted to provide a flight of wines and speak about the upcoming exam.  In addition, he offered a short stagiere position at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, CO, where he worked under Bobby Stuckey, MS.  In two dinner services at Frasca I learned more about the art of service than I had in 8 years of working on the floor in Omaha.  For this I am very much indebted to Bobby, Matthew Mathers, and my good friend Sur Lucero, whose support has been rock solid since the day we met.  Under Jesse’s guidance, I improved my theory and tasting dramatically in three short months, and passed the Advanced Exam with a Rudd Scholarship on my first attempt.
Three months later I let my confidence sink again as I participated in the Rudd Round Table in Napa, CA.  Surrounded by 12 other Master’s Candidates and a dozen Master Sommeliers, I felt insignificant, crippled—a deer in headlights.  I was in the wrong room.  I went two for six in my blind tasting.  I called Gewürztraminer on a Pinot Gris in front of everyone.  I may have well been sitting at the Algonquin Round Table without a quip.  A bright young sommelier named Jason Heller nailed an aged Brunello; his tasting seemed imaginative, and effortless in comparison to mine.  I wanted a similar composure and ability more than anything; at that moment, I knew I had to leave the family business in Omaha, and come to California to learn.
I took a job under Master Sommelier Geoff Kruth at the Farmhouse Inn in Russian River Valley, packed up my belongings, and drove across the country with my girlfriend Kali for the prospect of lesser pay, a higher cost of living, and some vague recollection of the California Dream.  I abandoned my family’s business for uncertainty, leaving my parents devastated.  But I grew as a sommelier along avenues that simply were not available in Omaha.  My debt of gratitude for Geoff’s mentorship is incalculable.  I began studying with Jason Heller, Yoon Ha, Sur Lucero, and Dennis Kelly, my current boss at The French Laundry, whose faith in me has been selfless and intractable.  The support, example and dedication of Jason and Yoon, two of my closest friends, spurred me forward.  Under Geoff’s guidance, the three of us passed tasting on our first attempt, in February of 2010.
Failure to succeed at theory in the 2010 MS exam was a bitter pill for me to swallow at first.  Theory was easy for me; the struggle was always in service and tasting.  There was one theory pass at that exam, and afterward, while awaiting results, I was among the chorus of candidates who condemned the theory exam as “unfair”, and “brutal”.   Over the next couple of weeks, however, I reformed my approach.  If that was the bar, so be it.  It was set, and I spent the entirety of the next year preparing myself for that level of difficulty; whereas some simply hoped for an easier exam.  I competed in TOP SOMM, I spent hours and hours developing documents and guides for the Guild of Sommeliers, and I stopped reading Sotheby’s and started reading INAO.  (Invigorating stuff, right?)  But when I stood up from the theory examination table in 2011 with the absolute conviction that I had killed that test, well, it was one of the most rewarding moments of the entire process.  You have to go deep for theory, you have to be able to understand it from a fundamental level, and understand that things change all the time.  At some point, the subregions of blah blah blah in Portugal become as ingrained, as second nature as the Grand Crus of Chablis.  But you cannot simply sit idly by for nine or ten months out of the year.  Theory is not something that can be gained in a meaningful manner by cramming for two months before the exam.  This is the most basic but important shred of advice I can give.       
The euphoria one experiences in actually passing the exam is tempered by the knowledge that so many equally qualified and immensely talented friends and colleagues did not.  Passing the MS exam in the company of Brian McClintic, Dustin Wilson, Anthony Anselmi, Jennifer Huether, and especially Jason Heller gives me enormous satisfaction, and I want nothing more than to see good friends who have dedicated their lives to this pursuit share in this milestone.  Yoon, who sat with Jason and I for the second time, did not receive the news he wanted in Dallas.  Despite—or due to—the conflagration of emotions he was enduring, Yoon pulled Jason and I aside, and with a conviction that testifies to his character, assured us: “My happiness for the two of you and for your accomplishment far outweighs my own disappointment in myself.”  For Jason and I, the incredible sincerity and meaningfulness of this single, stunningly selfless act is something that we will carry forever; the friendships forged in the pursuit of this goal are as significant and rewarding as the pin itself.      
You hear the cliché time and again: in all things, the journey is the reward.  Embarking on a journey such as this is as much a measure of the faith and love of those closest to you as it is a testament to your own determination.  Without the support of Kali—now my fiancé—and her patience to see this through to the end, I would never have made it this far.  After countless flashcard sessions (Surely the most romantic way to spend a Friday night?) she may be able to recite the most southerly AOC in France quicker than I can.  Without the support of my parents, with whose blessing I was able to leave the family business and strike out for parts unknown, I would have never made it this far.  Without the support of many old friends who understood intuitively why I had to quit coming to band practices, I would have never made it this far.  This pin is the sum of a universe of influences: Master Fred Dame (or perhaps his vengeful and all-seeing specter) grumpily chiding me to get a tailor and a decent pair of shoes, David Eckler teaching me how not to sound like a jackass when pronouncing French, Master Wayne Belding offering a first letter of recommendation and an even more vital first vote of confidence.  Against a horizon of forking paths I achieved this only because so many had such great faith in me along the way.  I can only hope to offer this same support to others, as you embark on your own paths to the Court of Master Sommeliers.