Advanced Sommelier, Wendy Shoemaker is the Wine Director at Marina Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis in San Diego. A recipient of the Guild of Sommeliers “Napa Valley Enrichment Scholarship”, Wendy is also on the Board of Advisors for SommCon.
Your background is in chemistry, how did you make the switch to wine?
I became intrigued by wine when I was finishing my undergrad in Chemistry at CSULB. I loved the chemistry and science involved in winemaking. Never planning on making it a career wine became my hobby – I was the one who would order the strange varietal on a wine list, and made it a point to check out wine regions when I traveled. At the time I was working at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and the Master Sommelier Michael Jordan taught a course preparing for the Court of Masters Sommelier Introductory and Certified Exams. My father was ill with cancer and I did not want to leave for an away Graduate school. But I wanted to learn. I took his course and sat both exams day after each other in 2009, passing both!) Then started studying for the Level 3, advanced exam. At this time I was working at the Blue Bayou (an alcohol-free restaurant). I sat the advanced exam in 2010 only 5 months after becoming certified but did not make it through.
Here is where I veered off course; feeling wine was subjective I decided to pursue a Masters in Engineering at LMU, focusing on solar energy storage. Yet I never left wine completely – both of my advisors Todd Otanicar and Emily Jarvis enjoyed vino and Emily taught wine chemistry, so we dabbled in a few experiments with color in aging wine. I continued attending GuildSomm courses where I met Geoff Kruth who wanted to utilize my chemistry knowledge. We had a conversation regarding my return to the wine industry, I was hesitant because I still felt tasting was subjective. But he was right, tasting is a deductive process of understanding where a wine is from, how it is made and all the other factors involved. I dove back in while finishing my Masters thesis and recently passed my advanced exam in July 2015. I moved to San Diego in April last year to become the Wine Director at the Marina Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis.
What are your thoughts on the importance of merchandising and the right glass in food service?
This is extremely important. Food service is where a guest will get their best wine experiences with the help of sommeliers and food pairings by chefs. Yet, typical high-end glassware is incredibly fragile. We deal with stems breaking during polishing, etc. Having a shape that properly enhances the aromas of a wine, along with the brilliance of color, strong enough for a commercial dishwasher is the dream.
What can you tell us about your new role with the Chef & Sommelier brand?
I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity. I feel like it’s the perfect combination of my science background and my passion for wine. I love bringing the science into why a certain shape of glass and material can affect the aromas of a wine. I also love the opportunity to travel and meet people. It seems like a match made in Heaven!
You will be launching the new collection with Chef & Sommelier at NRA 2016. Why are you excited about it and why will the industry love it?
I’m very excited about this new collection. I like how it is a quality glass not just suited for VIP wine service, but made for high-volume usage at a great price point. It allows us in the industry to treat all our customers with the same tasting experience, from a high-end dinner to a casual lunch. The new design is a great fit for restaurants and hotels, but my lips are sealed until the NRA show! (Can’t spoil a surprise).
Learn more about WINE DIRECTOR WENDY SHOEMAKER at her Somm’s List Profile.
