The Professional Culinary Institute of California
the fastest way to a world-class training in Wine.
|
The Extraordinary Staff OF PCI's Certified Sommelier School 
The two most important elements of a world-class education are a focused curriculum and great instructors, and with PCI's Certified Sommelier training you'll get both. The Certified Sommelier Program at PCI is the brainchild of Master Sommelier David Glancy, MS, CWE. David Glancy is one of only 102 Americans (and only 176 people worldwide) to have earned the elite title of Master Sommelier (MS) from the London based Court of Master Sommeliers. He is a member of the Washington, DC based Society of Wine Educators, winning the 2003 Wine Appreciation Guild Award. David Glancy is joined by an unprecedented collection of World-Class wine and beverage experts including several Master Sommeliers who will share their knowledge and experience with you, to give you a leg up on the competition. All of our instructors are experts in their respective fields, so not only do they know exactly what you need, their grand mission is to make absolutely sure that you get it.  
The Certified Sommelier Program at PCI is the brainchild of Master Sommelier David Glancy, MS, CWE. David Glancy is one of only 100 Americans (and only 171 people worldwide) to have earned the elite title of Master Sommelier (MS) from the London based Court of Master Sommeliers. He is a member of the Washington, DC based Society of Wine Educators, winning the 2003 Wine Appreciation Guild Award. During his more than 20 years in the industry, he has worked for some of the largest hotels and food companies in the world, from the Marriott and Hyatt hotels, to Spectrum Food and the Kimpton Group. He has been involved in both front and back of house operations, and has managed restaurants and played a key role in several restaurant openings. David's wine expertise has been solicited by nearly every institution and media outlet imaginable. His work with restaurants has been recognized through Wine Spectator and Restaurant Hospitality Magazine awards, as well as in glowing critical reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and numerous other publications. Prior to joining PCI, David was a wine and business instructor at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Master Sommelier Alan Murray had his first glass of “quality wine” in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, Australia, where he was brought up. After that glass, he spent nearly all of his vacations in Australia’s diverse wine regions, tasting, and learning as much as possible. “I haven’t stopped asking questions since,” states Murray. Bartholomew Broadbent's company, Broadbent Selections, Inc., founded in 1996, is the exclusive US national importer for 18 of the world's most sought after family wineries, including Spy Valley, Chateau Musar, Louis Guntrum, Warwick Estate, Vilafonte, Quinta do Crasto, Ferreira, Aresti, Delbeck, Montsarra, Tahbilk, Riefle, Weinert, Chateau Roubaud, and Machherndl. He also produces his own Broadbent Port and Madeira in Portugal. Bill Cooper is Winemaker, Production Manager, and Sales Director for Cooper-Garrod Vineyards. His father, George, established the property after returning from service in WWII. Bill apprenticed to his Dad, took courses at Davis, asked everybody questions, and was promoted from apprentice to assistant to winemaker. Bill does everything from punching down the cap during crush to fine-tuning computer systems. The fifth woman in the world to become a Master Sommelier, grape goddess Catherine Fallis is still very much down-to-earth. Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC, a company committed to bringing a passion for wine, food, and good living into the lives of everyday people, Catherine is creator of the grape goddess guides to good living series of books, seminars, and e-learning programs on wine, food, and travel. She is a frequent speaker, event host, and educator for corporations, consumers, and the trade, a columnist for Touring & Tasting and Wine Adventure, international wine judge, and a professional Champagne sabreur. Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, has earned a reputation as one of America's leading brewing engineers. Gordon is the first American in more than 50 years to graduate from the prestigious five-year brewing engineering program at the world-renowned Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan, West Germany. Before earning his brewing engineer's degree there in 1987, he interned at Spaten Brewery in Munich and served as a technical translator at Lowenbrau Consulting. David Furer is a Contributing Editor for Santé and a regular contributor to Sommelier Journal. His writing also appears in Virtual Gourmet Newsletter (US), Decanter, Harper's Weekly, Eat Sussex, matchingfoodandwine.com, winetravelguides.com (UK), Vinum (Germany), wein.pur (Austria), Vinforum (Norway), and many others. David guest lectures at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, speaks on behalf of behalf of generic wine organizations, and has appeared on BBC Radio. Eric Baugher is Director of Winemaking at Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Winery. Eric heads the winemaking team at Ridge with Paul Draper and is involved in all winemaking decisions. Eric grew up on a small ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where he raised animals, planted gardens and orchards, and rode horses. He attended UC Santa Cruz, receiving undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 1994 he joined Ridge, and in his first year he organized the laboratory and developed new sophisticated analytical tests to support Ridge's traditional winemaking practices. In 1995, he took on production management and now oversees all day-to-day winemaking activities. His passion for wine and the stimulating juxtaposition of low-tech winemaking and high-tech analytic techniques keeps him totally involved and constantly inspired. Fred Dame is one of just 76 Americans to have passed the Master Sommelier Examination. Dame was the first to successfully pass all three parts in a single year. This feat and his high score won him the coveted Krug Cup of the British Guild of Sommeliers in 1984. Dame founded the American Branch of The Court of Master Sommeliers in 1986, and has played an active role in the expansion of the Master Sommelier program throughout America since that time. He is the first American to have served as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide, and assists restaurateurs and hoteliers in developing their wine programs in his role as Director of Prestige Accounts for Beam Wine Estates. He is currently the President of the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation. Former wine director of Jardinere in San Francisco, Rebecca Chapa is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. She began her career working with Kevin Zraly at Windows on the World in New York City, and is now Estate Ambassador for Rubicon Estate Winery. Kathryn Kennedy's youngest son, Marty Mathis, took the position as winemaker in 1981. Marty and his wife, Dr. Deborah Mathis, currently reside at the vineyard and winery in Saratoga. Having been born here and farmed the same ground for over 30 years, he has developed a deep love of this small piece of land. Over the last ten years, he has begun to transition their practices towards organic viticulture. Tim Gaiser is the Education Chair for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers, as well as a contributing editor for Fine Cooking Magazine. Tim has experience in all phases of the wine industry - online, wholesale, retail, winery, and restaurant - including stints at Heitz Wine Cellars in the Napa Valley and Bix restaurant in San Francisco. He has developed wine education programs for several restaurants, winery schools, and wine distributors, and has taught classes at every level of wine education. Tim spent five years as one of the senior wine merchants at Virtual Vineyards and the original wine.com, and was instrumental in building this multi-million dollar company. Tim has also served as a wine panelist for Bon Appetit magazine, and received the Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence for his wine lists at the Cypress Club in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Robert Bath has spent more than 25 years in the industry, managing high-profile, wine-oriented restaurants such as the Sardine Factory in Monterey, CA; Starkers in Kansas City, MO; and Shafer Vineyards in Napa, California. He also founded The RLB Wine Group, a sales, marketing, and education consultant business. Reggie Narito is one of only 76 people in the United States and one of only three Filipino Americans to hold the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. A native of Alameda, California, Reggie began his career in the restaurant industry at the age of 17. He has worked in Bay Area restaurants such as Star's in San Francisco, Le Papillion in San Jose, and the Plumed Horse in Saratoga. He has helped in the design of well known beverage programs in the South Bay, such as the Forbes Mill in Los Gatos, Mandarin Gourmet in Cupertino, and Junnoon Restaurant in Palo Alto. He is currently employed with Southern Wine & Spirits, working as the regional manager for Santa Clara County. He resides in San Jose with his wife Kim and their three children. Master Sommelier Randal Bertao's grandparents emigrated from the island of Terceria in the Azores. His introduction to wine came from his grandmother, who made her own wine throughout her life. Her final vintage was 1983, bottles of which Bertao still has to this day. But it was his encounter with a 1961 Chateau Lafite that ignited his passion to understand what makes certain wines so special. Bertao grew up on a dairy ranch in Calfornia's Central Valley operated with pride by his father. He began his career in the restaurant industry in Los Gatos in 1974 and took his talents to London in 1984 where he helped launch the restaurant, 24 Surrey Street. Currently Bertao is the general manager and resident Master Sommelier of Parcel 104 restaurant in Santa Clara. Master Sommelier Brian Cronin began his wine career in Raleigh, North Carolina. After studying biology in college, Brian realized that he wanted to make wine. However, it was his exposure in restaurants to wines from all over the world and his growing passion for wine that made him want to learn everything that he possibly could. Brian then went to work in some of the top restaurants in the country as the sommelier, spending time in Chicago, Hawaii and, finally, landing in San Francisco. Realizing that a sommelier’s assistance should not just be available to people in restaurants, Brian’s philosophy has moved into the belief that wine should be a grocery item, not just a special occasion item. He promotes that wine should be enjoyed to its fullest and is committed to sharing his knowledge about wine to others so they can enjoy it as much as he does. Master Sommelier Geoff Kruth brings vitality, passion and extensive knowledge to his role as Wine Director of The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in the Russian River Valley. He has helped lead the Farmhouse to critical acclaim; with a Michelin star, a 27 score in Zagat, and the recent naming by Gourmet Magazine as one of the world's top 36 food destinations. Having worked at some of America's finest dining establishments, Kruth is on a short list of the top young American wine professionals. In 2008 he became one of less than 180 people worldwide to have ever earned the designation of Master Sommelier. Prior to joining The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant, Kruth was Sommelier at Balthazar Restaurant and Assistant Wine Director for the Balthazar group in Manhattan; where he helped oversee more than $10 million in yearly wine sales and was responsible for wine list development, floor service, and staff training. Mr. Kruth holds a diploma in Classic Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute and a certificate in Restaurant Management from the Cornell School of Hotel Management. Over the years, Kruth has been a frequent guest lecturer on wine at the French Culinary Institute, instructor for the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a consultant to restaurants and private events. In 2009, Kruth will mark his fifth year as the Wine Consultant for the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival in Hawaii; one the country's largest and most prestigious wine festivals. In 2006 Mr. Kruth was awarded 'Rising Star of the Year' by the committee of the Star Wine International Wine Competition in New York. David Glancy, MS, CWE
WINE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT CHAIR Alan Murray, MS
INSTRUCTOR / WINE BUYER Bartholomew Broadbent
BROADBENT IMPORTS Bill Cooper
COOPER-GARROD WINERY Catherine Fallis, MS
PLANETGRAPE.COM Dan Gordon
GORDON BIERSCH David Furer, CWE
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR FOR SANTÉ CONTRIBUTING EDITOR FOR SOMMELIER JOURNAL Eric Baugher
RIDGE VINEYARDS Fred Dame, MS
BEAM IMPORTS Rebecca Chapa, CWE
RUBICON ESTATE Marty Mathis
KATHRYN KENNEDY WINERY Tim Gaiser, MS
COURT OF MASTER SOMMELIERS Robert Bath, MS
Reggie Narito, MS
SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS Randall Bertao, MS
PARCEL 104 RESTAURANT Brian Cronin, MS
Geoff Kruth, MS
|
