Professional Wine Consultants - Milwaukee Wine - Sommeliers

In 2007 I passed the advanced level with the Court of Master Sommeliers. This is an organization that now has only 105 members in the United States and just 17 of those are women. Passing the advanced level makes me eligible to sit THAT exam and I will be doing just that in February of 2011.

I started this journey in 2004. I knew of only one person that had taken the first test here and I was the second.  Since then many of my friends here have taken that test successfully and then moved on to take the certified level. Here in Milwaukee there are a good dozen wine professionals that are certified sommeliers. Although I am the only person here to have passed the advanced sommelier exam, I know there are many to come.

Milwaukee has a very sophisticated wine community but the rest of the country hasn’t connected the dots in their (wine culture) view of us. With my passing the Master Sommelier and with each passing first level, certified sommelier and advanced sommelier, the dots will be connected.

A group of wine professionals, and I am proud to say my friends, get together every Monday to taste. Right now we are tasting by varietal and in the mix there will be blind tasting. There are so many possible combinations in regards to tasting that it is almost hard to fathom.

But we continue to taste and sometimes we study. We are taking a test that is coming up so eventually we will hit the books to get that one checked off.

So this is is the beginning of the last leg of my testing journey. I have three years to pass all three parts.

Blind tasting six difficult wines - the advanced level was easy compared to this. There we had Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and possibly Malbec. Compared to what I will be up against those really are easy.

Theory….you can”t even imagine, right now I am committing to memory all of the sub regions of Greece and the grapes soils and producers of each of those then off to Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia. Yipee!!!

And then service which is 45 minutes under a microscope being judged by the clique you want to join!

This is the most ambitious challenge I have ever undertaken and I am determined to succeed!

Napa here I come, in February that is!

In the winter of 2007 I decided working for the employer I was working for, wasn’t working.  So I set out to figure out what I should be doing to better make use of my time and , ahem, talents.

Well after 2.5 years working as a wine sales person and a food and beverage director for two different companies, I found my self with no time for my family, no time for studying and most importantly no time for my self.

So back to waiting tables I go, back to seeing my boys and husband and back to studying for the most challenging thing I have ever tried to do, pass the Master Sommelier exam.

Milwaukee Wisconsin has a very sophisticated wine community and maybe this will help put us on the map!

Title: Indulge NYGI Tuesday Tastings. Now you get it: Fortified Wines
Location: Indulge Wine Room 708 N. Milwaukee Street Milwaukee WI 53202
Link out: Click here
Description: Port, Sherry, Banuyls, Muscat Beaumes de Venise, Pineau des Charentes, Madeira and Marsala. What are these and how did they come to be? Explore fortified wines from Portugal to Sicily with Master Sommelier candidate Toni Johnson.

Cost: $20.00 per person

Call ahead for reservations:
414-390-9463
Start Time: 5:30
Date: November 3rd, 2009

Title: Indulge NYGI Tuesday Tastings. Now you get it: Delicious Fall Wines
Location: Indulge Wine Room 708 N. Milwaukee Street Milwaukee WI 53202
Link out: Click here
Description: The wines of Fall are some of my favorites from Marsanne and Roussanne from France to Gruner Veltliners from Austria. They are fabulous food wine also. Explore Fall wines from around the world with Master Sommelier candidate Toni Johnson

Cost: $20.00

Call ahead for reservations:
414-390-9463
Start Time: 5:30
Date: October 6th, 2009

Title: Indulge NYGI Tuesday Tastings. Now you get it: Riesling

Riesling is one of the most versatile food wines on the planet, but can be totally overlooked. Explore the various wine styles of Riesling from around the world and see them in a whole new light with Master Sommelier candidate Toni Johnson

Cost: $20.00 per person

Call ahead for reservations:
414-390-9463

Location: Indulge Wine Room 708 N. Milwaukee Street Milwaukee WI 53202
Link out: Click here
Date: August 4th, 2009

Title: Indulge NYGI Tuesday Tastings. Now you get it: Pinot Noir
Location: Indulge Wine Room 708 N. Milwaukee Street Milwaukee WI 53202
Link out: Click here
Description: Pinot Noir range in price dramatically. From Oregon, France and California they can be astronomical. They can also cost $15.00, why is that? Explore the various wine making styles of Pinot Noir with Master Sommelier candidate Toni Johnson

$20.00 per person
Start Time: 5:30
Date: 2009-06-23

Tonight I get on a plane and travel to Verona to attend Vin Italy! I have never been and was told by a respected colleauge that I had better wear comfortable shoes and get ready to run. I can’t wait!

I arrive on Friday and will be driven to Verona and then attend the event on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday i am not scheduled for anything so I am going to take a train to Venice, just to take pictures and see it!

Then we travel to Tuscany to visit the wineries that the company represents and will be there for three days. I hope to get to Montalcino!

I am taking my laptop so hopefully I can update every day, plus post pictures as I go.

Ciao!!