In our first blind tasting episode of 2024, host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe speaks with Clara Klein and Jeremy Schwartz, lead sommeliers with the Frasca Hospitality Group in Colorado. They talk about the role of blind tasting in their work and studies, then tackle the complex topic of minerality in wine.

Clara is the lead sommelier at Denver’s Sunday Vinyl, which she helped open in 2019 after working at Frasca Food and Wine and Tavernetta. Prior to these roles with the Frasca Hospitality Group, Clara worked at The Little Nell in Aspen and Mourad in San Francisco. She has also worked harvest in Italy and California. Jeremy is part of the team at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, where he has worked for 17 years. He transitioned to the wine industry from the medical field and worked most front-of-house positions at Frasca before stepping into the lead sommelier role. Jeremy is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas.

After their tasting conversations, Clara and Jeremy taste the same wine. Listen closely and guess along with them! We reveal the wine at the end of the episode.

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In the latest GuildSomm podcast, host MS Christopher Tanghe interviews Kelli A. White, director of education for the Wine Center at Meadowood in Napa Valley, author of Napa Valley, Then & Now, and accomplished wine writer. Kelli discusses the history of Napa Valley, its regions, trends, and much more.

Prior to her role at Meadowood, Kelli was the senior staff writer here at GuildSomm, where she wrote articles and expert guides on a wide range of topics and received two Roederer Awards for her work. Her writing has also appeared in World of Fine Wine, Robb Report, Sommelier Journal, Le Pan, and Vinous. Before venturing into writing and education, Kelli was a sommelier at New York City’s Veritas and PRESS in St. Helena. Her acclaimed book, Napa Valley, Then & Now, was originally released in 2015; a reprint was recently issued. Head to GuildSomm.com for links to Kelli’s writing and to learn more about Napa Valley, Then & Now.

Listen in for a deep-dive on Napa Valley and great insights into the region. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review to support the show. Cheers!