Congratulations to Chrissa Chase, FWS for passing the Champagne Master-Level examination with honors!
About Chrissa:
Chrissa is Wine Director/Consultant/Educator for Traveling Somm.
''My love for wine began while I was playing in golf and pool tournaments around Oregon and California. I remember standing on a lookout in Paso Robles thinking this was the “Real California” and promising that someday I would return and make wine there. Several years later I did, and it was the most fun I ever had in my life. Daunted by my lack of knowledge, I returned home and began WSET while pursuing my Certified Sommelier pin. While acquiring each level of knowledge, it occurred to me that most beverage programs can’t afford a full time Somm, especially one schooled in the business of wine. So this zygote of an idea bore Traveling Somm, a consultancy to improve the depth, breadth and profitability of your beverage program, one step at a time. My best days are when I lead a group tasting into the countryside we are exploring, I learn something new each time. I love to make them feel they just visited Champagne for a couple hours, to truly appreciate the love and hardship that went into their glass. I dream of building, collaborating and refining beverage programs in restaurants of distinction that enhance the quality of service and optimize guest experience for years to come.
Currently, I am completing my WSET Level 4 and hope to take the Advanced Sommelier course next year. The FWS program was offered by Peter
Neptune, MS, as part of “Wines of the World”, WSET Unit 3. I was captivated by not only the material but their enhanced program design. The knowledge becomes imbedded and infectious. Champagne has always been my first love and women are drinking more of it, thank my lucky stars. I now find myself intrigued by voyaging deeper into the Loire, Bourgogne, Rhone, Alsace and Italy. While certifications may not mean much to some, for me it’s a badge of courage to take a step you don’t have to and prove you completely understand what’s in the glass.
This may sound like an oversimplification but I actually feel so much smarter now! I suppose it is the difference between thinking you understand it and actually knowing you do. That kind of confidence is priceless. You find yourself reaching for bigger dreams and accomplishing higher goals. Suddenly what seemed lofty is actually right in front of you. Countless hours of wine education is isolated in self study that your personal life suffers through. When you enroll in the FWS you realize there’s someone else in the room beside you, venturing through all those blocks and rows of wine learning.
Thank you so much for creating exciting presentations and continued learning via webinars with stellar wine professionals."
