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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/685968
www.cheersonline.com 8 • June 2016 DRINK CULTURE Martin Sheehan-Stross of Michael Mina in San Francisco was crowned Best Young Sommelier in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs' Young Sommeliers Competition presented by Moët & Chandon. He competed against eight other contestants in the national competition's two- day fi nals on April 28 and 29 in Sonoma, CA. Hosted annually by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world's oldest and largest food and wine society, the annual competition tests soms on blind tasting ability, tableside wine service skills, and several areas of wine knowledge. The fi nals included a one-hour written test, a blind-tasting test, and multiple service tests. Judges included former winners Desmond Echavarrie, MS, and Andrey Ivanov, as well as professional judges David Glancy, MS, Robert Bath, MS, Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW, Geoff Labitzke, MW, and Virginia Philip. Sheehan-Stross (shown above with Seth Box and Paige Pedersen of Moet & Chandon) was named the 2016 Best Young Sommelier at the awards ceremony and gala dinner at the Carriage House of the Charles Krug Winery in Napa, CA. In addition to cash, prizes included a scholarship to further his wine studies, Moët & Chandon Champagne, an educational trip to the Bordeaux wine region and a fi ve-year membership in both the U.S. Chaîne and the International Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Sheehan-Stross also receives an invitation to represent the U.S. and compete in the Chaîne's International Young Sommeliers Competition to be held in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, this August. A number of past U.S. national winners and contestants have become Master Sommeliers, including Desmond Echavarrie. MARTIN SHEEHAN-STROSS NAMED BEST YOUNG SOMMELIER US SPARKLING WINE CONSUMPTION THOUSANDS 9-LITER CASES 2005 12,865 2006 13,360 2007 13,705 2008 13,880 2009 14,605 2010 15,155 2011 16,140 2012 17,030 2013 17,480 2014 18,311 2015 p 19,890 In addition to Sheehan-Stross, the 2016 Young Sommeliers contestants who participated in the national competition fi nals included: Northeast Region Morgan Harris, Aureole, New York – Second Place Mid-Atlantic Region Steve Gullo, Paramour at the Wayne Hotel, PA – Third Place South Central Region Femi Oyediran, Charleston Place Hotel, SC Southeast Region Jill Davis, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Orlando, FL Midwest Region Miranda Elliot, Maple & Ash, Chicago Southwest Region Lindsay Thomas, Camerata at Paulie's, Houson, TX Far West Region Jessica Waugh, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Las Vegas Hawaii/Pacifi c Region Jordan Painter, Young's Market, Hawaii SPARKLERS LIGHT UP Consumption of sparkling wine and Champagne has increased 55% in the past decade, and it shows no sign of slowing down. According to the Beverage Information & Insights Group, the research unit of Cheers' parent company, sales of sparkling wine and Champagne reached a projected 19.9 million nine-liter cases in 2015, up 8.6% over 2014. The just-published 2016 Handbook Advance notes that consumption is driven by the surging prosecco category, as the Italian sparkler has caught on in the U.S. And while consumers here used to think of sparkling wine as primarily a special-occasion drink, more are indulging in bubbles on a regular basis. For more information about the Handbook Advance and other beverage alcohol industry data from BIIG, visit www.albevresearch.com and www. bevinfostore.com. Source: Beverage Information Group