GuildSomm Podcast

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, newly minted Master Sommelier Kaysie Rogers joins GuildSomm's director of education, Chris Tanghe, to blind taste three red wines. They discuss the path to becoming a Master Sommelier and Kaysie's success at this year's exam. Kaysie started in hospitality as a pastry chef, baking all over the world. While working in pastry, she fell in love with wine after tasting Sémillon in the Hunter Valley of Australia. She has worked in Seattle and Palm Beach, and she is now on the team at the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread restaurant and farm in Healdsburg, California.  Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with two guests from Houston, Texas, to discuss the complexities of caviar. Alayna Steinman is the COO and co-owner of Altima Caviar, a company focused on partnering with sustainable producers of high-quality caviar from all over the world that are transparent in their methods. Alayna worked for several Fortune 500 companies prior to joining Altima Caviar.   Austin Waiter is executive chef and partner at The Marigold Club in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston. The restaurant is inspired by the luxurious venues of Mayfair, one of London's most posh quarters, and features caviar in multiple ways on its menu.  Be sure to check out all the latest content on GuildSomm.com, with another release of our new series of maps, this time featuring Spain and Germany, as well as an article on the state of Chardonnay in Austria and Germany.  Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with Maximilian Riedel, the current steward of RIEDEL The Wine Glass Company, to discuss the evolution of the wine glass, misconceptions around glass design, and the importance of decanting.    Maximilian is the 11th generation of the Austrian family that founded the glass company in 1756. He started training with his father, Georg, at the age of 12 to learn the craft of glass blowing, and he later developed the company's successful stemless line, the O Series.   Be sure to check out all the latest content on GuildSomm.com! Join us for our Virtual Symposium on October 21 and 22. We'll have a lineup of educators discussing a range of topics, and it'll be a great opportunity to network with your peers. All are welcome for this entirely virtual event! Tickets are just $39 for GuildSomm members. Learn more and sign up. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with two artisans of alternative aging vessels to explore what makes their preferred vessels special and how the resulting wines differ from those made with wood treatment.    Sebastián Zuccardi makes wines in the Uco Valley of Mendoza, Argentina, and has devoted his entire production to concrete. He has even taken the concept of terroir one step further by including the valley's alluvial soils as aggregate in the production of his concrete vessels.    Andrew Beckham is a classically trained potter. After falling for wine, he discovered the historical significance of clay vessels across multiple cultures, which led to the development of his own version. Dubbed Novum, Latin for "new beginning," his clay vessels are crafted in the Chehalem Mountain region of the Willamette Valley.  Be sure to check out all the latest content on GuildSomm.com! Join us for our Virtual Symposium on October 21 and 22. We'll have a lineup of educators discussing a multitude of topics, and it'll be a great opportunity to network with your peers. All are welcome for this entirely virtual event! Tickets are just $39 for GuildSomm members. Learn more and sign up. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Master Sommelier Jackson Rohrbaugh joins GuildSomm's director of education, Chris Tanghe, to blind taste three neutral white wines. They discuss the evolution of typicity and the regions they are currently excited about and drinking themselves.  Jackson passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2017 while working at the iconic Seattle restaurant Canlis. In 2020, he founded Crunchy Red Fruit, an online wine club that has since expanded to include a brick-and-mortar shop tucked in the Cascade Mountains in Fall City, Washington. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with Master of Wine Bree Stock about what's happening in Oregon, including Method Oregon, a peer-based organization setting the standard for traditional method sparkling wine throughout the state.  Be sure to check out all the latest content on GuildSomm.com! Yasha Lysenko wrote an excellent article on the Japanese wine industry, and Master of Wine Bryce Wiatrak shared an MW essay on how typicity plays a role in evaluating wine quality.  Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe discusses the new norms of the currently challenged wine economy with Thatcher Baker-Briggs of Thatcher's Wine, an import company and bottle shop based in California. Thatcher has worked in multiple facets of the wine industry, including importing, distribution, private collector consulting, and restaurants, where he has served as the wine director for Michelin-starred establishments in Japan and California. Before following the sommelier path, Thatcher worked as a cook in Vancouver, BC, and San Francisco, where he was first exposed to the classic wines of the world. Be sure to check out all the latest content on GuildSomm.com! We've released the first installment of our updated maps, developed in partnership with SommGeo, which break down key wine regions of the world in both outline and topographic styles. These will be especially helpful for visual learners and valuable for anyone studying or working in wine! Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, GuildSomm educator and contributor MS Jonathan Eichholz joins GuildSomm's director of education, Chris Tanghe, to discuss vintages. They talk about their approach to studying vintages, how to navigate the nuances beyond general scores, and some of their less-lauded favorites. Jonathan is based in New York City and passed his Master Sommelier exam in 2023. In addition to his GuildSomm work, he is a host and co-producer for VICE's Munchies: The Wine Show and is planning to open the restaurant After Gold in the near future. Don't miss the Vintages section on GuildSomm for vintage cards and vintage decade graphics for key regions all around the world. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Advanced Sommelier Alisha Blackwell-Calvert joins GuildSomm's director of education, Chris Tanghe, to blind taste three high-acid white wines. They discuss the differences between lees and oak aging as well as the evolution of typicity in classic winemaking regions.   Alisha is based in St. Louis and is currently the wine director for Madrina. She previously worked at Cinder House in the Four Seasons Hotel and was a James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service in 2025. She judges for the Decanter World Wine Awards and serves as a mentor for the Bâtonnage Mentorship Program.   Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Holly Robinson on building a spirits brand. Holly worked in restaurants before cofounding Seattle-based Captive Spirits in 2011 with partner Ben Capdevielle. Together they developed Big Gin, a London Dry style that has won many awards since its inception, then expanded their bottlings to include Bourbon Barreled Big Gin and Peat Barreled Big Gin. In 2016, Hood River Distillers acquired the brand.    Holly next launched Fast Penny Spirits, an American Amaro lineup also produced in Seattle with business partner Jamie Hunt. Dubbed Amaricano, it uses Pacific Northwest ingredients while paying homage to Jamie's Sicilian roots. Today, Holly consults for numerous PNW companies with her latest company, Fathom 35, and owns Sunny Hill restaurant in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.  Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!