The SOMM Journal

February / March 2018

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50 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 { q&a } photos by Rebecca Peplinski WHEN I FIRST MET Girl & the Goat Wine Director Cassie Sakai at Southern Glazer's School of Wine, her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn was immediately apparent. I recently had the op - portunity to sit down and chat with Sakai about her rapid ascent in the wine industry and lessons she's learned so far. Serafin Alvarado: What was your first formative job experience that led you to where you are now? Cassie Sakai: I was a server at 7 Lions on Michigan Avenue. When we opened, it was an All- American wine list, but it was really cool because it wasn't the usual suspects from mainly Califor - nia, Washington, and Oregon; instead, it was things like Albariño from Edna Valley or Grüner Veltliner. That definitely piqued my curiosity to learn more about wine. How did you transition from 7 Lions to Girl & the Goat? At that time, I had already taken the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Course and was preparing to take the Certified Sommelier exam. The training at Girl & the Goat was like 80 to 100 hours over the course of two and a half weeks, and at the very end of the training, I had to do a mock service with Chef Stephanie [Izard] the day after my Certified exam. It was a very stressful time of my life, but at the end of the day it all worked out. I got the job and in 24 hours I also had my sommelier certification! Q: Q: Serafin Alvarado, MS, Director of Wine Education at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Interviews CASSIE SAKAI, WINE DIRECTOR AT GIRL & THE GOAT IN CHICAGO Cassie Sakai, Wine Director at Chicago's renowned Girl & the Goat restaurant.

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