GuildSomm Podcast

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Holly Robinson on building a spirits brand. Holly worked in restaurants before cofounding Seattle-based Captive Spirits in 2011 with partner Ben Capdevielle. Together they developed Big Gin, a London Dry style that has won many awards since its inception, then expanded their bottlings to include Bourbon Barreled Big Gin and Peat Barreled Big Gin. In 2016, Hood River Distillers acquired the brand. 
 
Holly next launched Fast Penny Spirits, an American Amaro lineup also produced in Seattle with business partner Jamie Hunt. Dubbed Amaricano, it uses Pacific Northwest ingredients while paying homage to Jamie's Sicilian roots.


Today, Holly consults for numerous PNW companies with her latest company, Fathom 35, and owns Sunny Hill restaurant in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. 


Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews winemaker Santiago Deicas of Bodega Familia Deicas to explore the wines of Uruguay, one of South America's most exciting winemaking countries. Santiago lays the foundation for understanding the climate, geography, varieties, and viticultural specifics of this Atlantic-influenced growing area.
Santiago is the third-generation winemaker at Familia Deicas, his family's fine wine label. His family also makes wine under the Establecimiento Juanicó label. Santiago was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Tim Atkin in 2020.
Learn more about Familia Deicas: https://www.familiadeicas.com/en/history/
Read our South America Study Guide: https://www.guildsomm.com/learn/study/w/study-wiki/206/south-america 
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Master Sommelier Douglas Kim about managing beverage programs for multiple outlets, each with its own team. Douglas is the executive director of wine for MGM Resorts International and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Douglas started his career in the kitchen and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he was first exposed to the world of wine. He has worked in iconic restaurants including Restaurant Charlie by Charlie Trotter, Aureole Las Vegas by Charlie Palmer, and Picasso at Bellagio. Through his role at Picasso, he earned the opportunity to work for MGM as the executive director of wine for the entire company. He became a Master Sommelier in 2018.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Master Sommelier Myles Trapp joins host MS Chris Tanghe to blind taste three red wines, identifying quality tiers within the Pinot Noir category. Chris and Myles also discuss how they focused their studies to accelerate their blind tasting skills.



Myles currently works on partnerships and experience development for the Tastefuli app, a mobile platform designed to help travelers discover and book curated wine country experiences. His initial sommelier training was in France, and he built his career in restaurants and education before passing the Master Sommelier exam in 2024. 



Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Master of Wine Melissa Saunders about progressive wine packaging. They discuss the use of bag-in-box (BIB) packaging for fine wine, dispelling the stereotype that these containers are only for cheap beverages.
For Melissa's Master of Wine Research Paper, the final part of the certification process, she studied alternative wine packaging. What she learned while writing it was so compelling that she founded Communal Brands, a bag-in-box import company that partners with high-quality producers to bring great wine to consumers with a drastically reduced carbon footprint.
Melissa lives in upstate New York, runs marathons, and is an attorney specializing in alcohol beverage law.
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!
Read Melissa's 2021 GuildSomm article about her MW Research Paper process and findings: https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/mw-perspectives/b/mw-perspectives/posts/environmental-impacts-of-packaging-retail
Learn more about Communal Brands: https://www.communalbrands.com/