News for the Hospitality Executive |
The Court of Master Sommeliers Awards the Fairmont Olympic
Hotel�s
Joseph Linder the Title of Master Sommelier
There are 97 Master Sommeliers
in the United States
.
SEATTLE, WA - February 26, 2008 - The Court of Master Sommeliers
has awarded The Fairmont Olympic Hotel�s Joseph Linder the internationally
recognized title of Master Sommelier following the Master Sommelier Diploma
Examination, which took place February 10-13 2008. Bringing more than 25
years of experience to the restaurant and wine industry, Linder is one
of only four Master Sommeliers in Washington and the only one currently
working for a restaurant, The Georgian. There are 97 Master Sommeliers
in the United States and a total of 158 Master Sommeliers worldwide.
The Master Sommelier diploma is the highest distinction a professional
can attain in fine wine and beverage service. Testing is focused on the
areas needed for superior beverage department management, which include
Tasting, Theory, Practical and Dining Room Application, and encompasses
spirits, beers, cigars as well as global wine knowledge.
�The value was in the journey rather than the destination and I am looking forward to many years of personal wine growth,� says Linder, who began his career at the Bad Gleichenberg Restaurant and Hotel School in Austria and who also spent nine years in New York working at Le Bernardin and Daniel. �My biggest satisfaction will come from giving back to other candidates - encouraging, teaching, training and helping them.� Having worked for such prestigious establishments as the Ritz-Carlton in London and Chef Joel Robuchon�s restaurant Les Celebritées at the Hotel Nikko in Paris, Linder has a uniquely international savoir-faire. �I feel very privileged to have had this chance to experience years of testing and studying. It takes dedication, passion and commitment to succeed in earning the Diploma,� remarked Linder, who trained with the Seattle Tasting Group. �But now I am wondering what to do without my daily routine of studying and more studying. I keep drifting back to my books.� Linder is interested in the wine regions of Spain and Portugal, but is a big admirer of Washington wines and feels they keep improving, rivaling some of the better-known wines. When relaxing at home, he �loves whatever is in my glass at the moment. It is always changing and it never gets boring.� When not having a glass of wine, he reaches for a cold Pilsner. In The Georgian, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel�s fine dining restaurant featuring French-inspired Pacific Northwest cuisine, Linder oversees an extensive wine list, constantly changing it to reflect what�s best and to complement the different dishes offered in the restaurant. �I love that I get to meet a lot of interesting people in The Georgian and talk to them about my favorite thing � wine!� Washington has three other Master Sommeliers: Angelo Tavernaro, who is an educator and wine consultant in Prosser, WA; Greg Harrington, who is the owner and winemaker of Gramercy Cellars, a boutique winery in Walla Walla, WA; and Shayn Bjornholm, the Washington Wine Commission education director who is based in Seattle, WA. When he�s not overseeing the wine program at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel,
Linder can be found tasting wine with Seattle�s top Sommeliers or teaching
up-and-coming young Sommeliers. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Karla,
and four children, Chase, Jack, Leo, and Hans; as well as his German Shepard
Luna, two cats and a 90-gallon fish tank with African cichlids.
1. How does someone become a Master Sommelier? A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is an extraordinary collection of luxury hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like The Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Monte Carlo and New York's The Plaza. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travellers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont's portfolio includes 55 distinctive hotels, with plans to develop over 20 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Beijing, Abu Dhabi and South Africa. Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with over 85 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also owns Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com. |
Contact:
Meg Paynor
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Also See: | Greg Tresner Becomes Arizona's First-Ever Master Sommelier / April 2000 |
The Court of Master Sommeliers Awards Three Wine Professionals the Master Sommelier Diploma / Mar 2001 |
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