Inside the Court of Master Sommeliers Scandal with Dan Pilkey - a podcast by Pete & Vino Mike/Paragon Media
from 2020-02-04T18:06:16
Episode Notes
Episode 11 – Inside the Court of Master Sommeliers Scandal with Dan Pilkey
Whew, this is a long one - and worth it! Pete and VinoMike welcome their first in-studio guest, Dan Pilkey. Dan is the Midwest Regional Manager for Paul Hobbs.
The first hour-plus of the show is spent talking to Dan about the wines he brought to share from the Hobbs portfolio. They talk about regions and what makes these wines special. There’s even some talk about how Paul Hobbs wines fit in the natural category.
Here are the wines they tasted:
2016 Yacoubian-Hobbs “Sarpina” Areni
2017 Crossbarn Cabernet Sauvignon
2016 Crocus “L’Atelier” Malbec de Cahors
2016 Cobos “MarchioriEstate” Malbec
Then the subject pivots to Dan’s experience with the Court of Master Sommeliers. In September 2018, Dan passed the arduous Master Sommelier exam. One month later, the Court took the title away from him and 22 others who passed that day. There was a cheating scandal and everyone’s results were vacated.
Dan is adamant that he did not cheat. He pursued every avenue to clear his name and get the title he earned reinstated. There is evidence uncovered and ignored, a lawsuit, and the intrigue of an entire industry. Dan puts it all out on the line in this episode.
This interview came at the perfect time because there was a great article, which quotes Dan, that came out the same day from SevenFifty Daily. Read the article. Listen to Dan. You’ll understand why this is controversial.
That Wine Pod, its hosts, and producers have an open invitation to the Court of Master Sommeliers in America to come on the show and respond. The side of the Court should be heard. The truth deserves to come to light.
Follow Dan on Instagram at @chi_town_somm. Also, check out Second City Sommeliersand their upcoming bootcamp.
As a reminder, Pete and Mike do not accept advertising dollars from wineries or wine wholesalers. They purchase the bottles they taste on the show. These are not paid endorsements. They could use the money, so this integrity thing sucks.
Thank you for listening to That Wine Pod! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app. And remember… Life’s short. Drink what you like tonight!
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"Protofunk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
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