Four candidates earn Master Sommelier title

The last sip is in.

The final scoring calculated Friday reveals four people passed the Master Sommelier Diploma Exam, the highest of four levels of expertise.

The heady three-day exam, which took place at the Hotel Healdsburg, began Feb. 17.

Why Healdsburg?

Kathleen Lewis of the American Chapter said Healdsburg "gets candidates and even masters away from the big city. They like to come in a couple days before the testing and leave their work behind. They have to mentally prepare for the testing." Lewis also gave the Hotel Healdsburg high marks, calling it "a fabulous property."

This was the second year the testing was held in Healdsburg. Lewis said it had been traditionally held in San Francisco. Historically it has been held once a year in the U.S., but there will be a second U.S. seating in Cincinnati later in the year.

Thirty-seven people took the three-part exam, with one portion a nerve-racking blind tasting. In a mere 25 minutes, candidates were required to taste six wines and to discern the grape varietal, the country and district of origin and the vintage of the wine.

Four of the 37 passed, earning the coveted Master Sommelier title: Fernando Beteta of Chicago; Laura Maniec of New York City; Jonathan Pullis of Aspen, Colo.; and James Tidwell of Dallas, Texas.

The American Chapter's exam draws candidates from around the country and even the world.

Lewis said that most successful candidates study for five to seven years. The Diploma Exam, the final of four, has a 3 percent to 5 percent pass rate.

The Court of the Master Sommeliers was established in 1977 in England, with the American Chapter founded in 1989 and based in Napa.