20 Jan 11th–Jan 17th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Excellence in Wine Across the Americas, 2 Master Sommeliers were named in 2023. One works in Phoenix. BY CASSIE BRUCCI M ark Guillaudeu, head sommelier at the Wrigley Mansion, didn’t grow up aspiring to work in food and beverage. With an under- graduate degree in religion and philosophy and a master’s degree in Tibetan Buddhism studies, Guillaudeu intended to become a professor but became disillusioned by the realities of academia. Instead of pursuing his doctoral degree, he took a job at a natural grocery market which set him on a years-long journey in pursuit of his Master Sommelier certifica- tion. On Sept. 6, 2023, Guillaudeu became Arizona’s only working Master Sommelier, joining a small and elite group of wine experts around the world. The Master Sommelier exam consists of three parts: oral theory, deductive blind tasting and practical service. One of the wine world’s most challenging certifica- tions, the average pass rate is less than 10%. To date, there are only 273 Master Sommeliers worldwide. During this year’s exam, 34 candidates from 16 states and three countries passed the oral theory examination before attending the practical and tasting portions in Houston on Sept. 4 and 5. Guillaudeu was one of just two people to meet all the Master Sommelier qualifications in 2023. With this new accomplishment, Guillaudeu notes that his day-to-day responsibilities at the Wrigley Mansion won’t change much. With the evergreen objective of “making an exceptional experi- ence for our guests,” Guillaudeu is investing in his staff by teaching weekly theoretical and tasting classes to “guide guests to the best experience possible through taste.” A journey of discovery After deciding to forgo his Ph.D. studies, Guillaudeu took a job at Glen’s Garden Market, a now-closed grocer dedicated to purveying local, sustainable food and drinks in Washington, D.C. Originally hired as a store associate, fate stepped in almost instantly for Guillaudeu when the beverage director walked out 15 minutes before the store closed on its opening day. “I had just left grad school, and was used to reading three to five books per week,” Guillaudeu explains. “I was like, ‘I don’t know anything about wine right now. But I’ve just come out of doing a lot of reading and a lot of research. I’m sure it won’t take me that long to figure it out.’” While Guillaudeu admits that line of thinking was “naive,” the challenge invigo- rated him. Within a few months, he had completed his first WSET 2 class, a beginner- to intermediate-level qualifica- tion exploring wines, and continued to take additional courses. “I started to settle on a goal. I said, ‘I want to be the best,’” Guillaudeu says. He ultimately set his sights on becoming a Master Sommelier and moved to San Francisco in pursuit of mentorship opportunities. Guillaudeu became the beverage director at Commis, a two- Michelin Star restaurant. There, he helmed an award-winning beverage program while competing in multiple wine competitions around the globe and studying for the Master Sommelier exams. By the time Guilladeu came to the Wrigley Mansion in March 2023, he had already passed the theory and service portions of the exam, leaving only the tasting element. Now, six months later, he can bask in the emotions of winning his long-sought-after certification. Of the moment he heard the good news, Guillaudeu says he “was crying out of relief.” “My partner, who’s also a sommelier, was waiting in the other room,” he explains. “For the first time, I didn’t have to tell her that I hadn’t done the thing. I was overjoyed that I had good news to give her.” The philosophical side of wine Although Guillaudeu ultimately entered a different line of work, he hasn’t fully aban- doned his academic history. Guillaudeu partially credits successfully completing his Master Sommelier exams to his rigorous collegiate background. “Basically, a philosophy degree is researching, analyzing, breaking down and reconstructing complex systems. Although it sounds like a highly special- ized skill, it’s one of actually the most general,” Guillaudeu says. “That element definitely helped with wine because there is so much detail and nuance: having to figure out connections and etymologies, and how this one word transforms across languages and places.” Guillaudeu’s decision to pursue a career in the wine world was also heavily influ- enced by his religious studies. Originally thinking of becoming a master cicerone — a designation for beer experts — he decided to change his course after discussing grape altitudes with a former colleague. “He gave me this whole mini-lesson on how every single decision, from the soil to the angle of the vine row, would have concrete, perceivable influences on the wines’ ultimate flavor,” Guillaudeu says. “All these little details and choices would lead to a different taste.” During this conversation, Guillaudeu drew a connection to his own experiences with religion and mindfulness, doting heavily on the virtues of staying present. It became clear that wine was the perfect compliment to his personal beliefs. “As I moved through my Buddhist Studies program, and eventually became Buddhist myself, I (learned about) the idea that an examined life, in the sense of a life paid attention to, is always going to be a richer experience than a life that passes one by,” Guillaudeu says. “And so I thought, ‘I’m gonna have so much more success, getting people to actually stop and pay attention to their lives, if I’m putting something so exceptional in their glass when there’s something so exceptional on their plate.’” While working as a sommelier, Guillaudeu has seen this happen “hundreds of times,” he says. A guest receives a perfect combination of sip, bite, sip, and time temporarily stops. Guillaudeu says he can tell by the taster’s expressions and mannerisms that everything else happening in their life takes a temporary backseat to the current moment. “That’s the particular way by which a sommelier helps make the world a little bit of a better place,” Guillaudeu says. “We have the knowledge and skill to facilitate those perfect moments in a deeply inten- tional way.” ▼ Food & Drink Mark Guillaudeu (center) became a Master Sommelier in 2023. He received his diploma from Master Sommeliers Emily Wines (left) and Michael Meagher (right). (Photo courtesy of Mark Guillaudeu)
