Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/913027
60 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 LUXICON TOUR: LAS VEGAS by Jessie Birschbach In a private, nondescript room of The Mirage Hotel and Casino, Ira Harmon, MS and Business Development Manager of Fine Wine for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, adjusted his bowtie and clarified he had a bit of a cold. If anyone expected that to slow Harmon down, he quickly proved them wrong as he provided colorful commentary to Ballance's deduc - tive tasting seminar and, later, hit the Castello di Gabbiano 2013 Riserva Chianti Classico nail on the head dur - ing his blind tasting demonstration. Just like the other cities, all somms who attended the Las Vegas Luxicon event sponsored by Treasury Wine Estates competed for the $1,200 scholarship cash prize. The group methodically tasted their way through a quad of Pinot Noirs: Etude 2014 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills; Giant Steps 2015 Yarra LUXICON TOUR: SAN FRANCISCO by Deborah Parker Wong There's nothing like a thorough review of the Court of Master Sommeliers tasting grid to remind you that first impressions count. Ballance was joined in San Francisco by Master Sommelier Sur Lucero of Wine Access, who swirled his glass horizontally and carefully inspected layers of tears to demonstrate why careful visual inspection of a wine is essential during a fast-paced and insightful recap of the rubric. Before the tasting commenced, Ballance pinpointed the tipping point for calling a char - acteristic a fault while describing flavors. "The moment the wine falls out of balance, it becomes a fault," she explained. When deconstructing a wine in search of clues to its identity, Lucero pays particular attention to the length of the acid attack. Primed with tips from the Masters, you could hear a pin drop as three dozen Bay Area industry pros put their sensory skills to the test in a double-blind evaluation of four red wines. Candidates were given one clue: A common theme linked all four wines. When all was said and done, Ballance beamed as she and Lucero announced the three $1,200 scholarship winners—all of whom happened to be women. "We had a highly- engaged group of tasters who were challenged with a tricky flight of four Pinot Noirs from four different countries or regions," said Ballance, whose easygoing approach to the notoriously-difficult exercise both empowers candidates and puts them at ease. "Most arrived at the variety, and most correctly determined Old World from New World," she added. Winner Lindsey Young, a Sommelier at Park Tavern who is preparing for the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced exam, said she planned to reimburse her savings account with the scholarship. Despite feeling under the weather that morning, Young pushed herself to participate. "It was good practice in the event that I'm not 100 percent on exam day," she added. "Being part of the Court is far more than education; it's a sense of community," said Kim Oshiro, an entrepreneur who has developed a large-format argon dispensing system for restaurants and tasting rooms. "I'd like to thank SommFoundation for supporting and facilitating these opportunities for continuing education. "Young and Oshiro were joined by winner Jienna Basaldu of Echo & Rig Steakhouse at DOCO in Sacramento. Lindsey DeSmidt, Sommelier at Park Tavern; Meridith May, Publisher and Editorial Director of The SOMM Journal; Sur Lucero, MS, of Wine Access; Gillian Ballance, MS; and Jienna Basaldu of Echo & Rig Steakhouse at DOCO in Sacramento. (Not pictured is winner Kim Oshiro of Argon Wine Systems.) PHOTO: RYAN PANG PHOTO: RYAN PANG Treasury created a terrific flight of well thought-out Pinots from some of the leading areas in the world," shared Master Sommelier Sur Lucero of Wine Access. "The Pinots were only matched by the talent who took part in this great event!"