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Le Nez du Vin Kit

post #1 of 7
12/31/08 at 12:31pm
Thread Starter 
I bought one of these wine aroma kits, which I've been wanting for over ten years now but haven't had the guts to shell out 400 dollars for it. Right now they're on sale for half-price at the Williams Sonoma in downtown San Francisco; and I couldn't pass that up.

Does anyone else have this kit, and how do you personally go about using it?

I'm very excited, because my wife is doing part #2 of the three tests to gain her master sommelier title and I figured that this would be essential for the third part, which involves blind tasting.
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post #2 of 7
12/31/08 at 12:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HORNS View Post
I'm very excited, because my wife is doing part #2 of the three tests to gain her master sommelier title and I figured that this would be essential for the third part, which involves blind tasting.

That's freakin awesome. Tell us more about that!
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post #3 of 7
12/31/08 at 12:42pm
Thread Starter 
The sommelier exams involve not only wine, but booze and table service as well. Of course, the booze takes backseat to the wine, but the table service and wine storage and service is very important as well. She had to cancel the second test because she broke her leg - and the test involves a "practical" portion where you go around and serve a table, which she couldn't do at the time.

The third part is a BITCH. That's why there are so few master sommeliers! This involves blind tasting a wine and discerning from its color, nose, and taste: its variety, year, country/region of growth, district of growth. Seriously. To do this, I personally think you've got to be a prodigy.
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post #4 of 7
12/31/08 at 12:48pm
That's really awesome. The food and beverage director at my school is in the same position as your wife--- on the final of the three tests. Best of luck! I hear Master's can get you a pretty decent pay raise over Advanced, since there are so few (less than 100 I think??) in America.
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post #5 of 7
12/31/08 at 1:38pm
Best of luck to your wife. How do you feel about the kit itself?
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post #6 of 7
12/31/08 at 1:39pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kwilkinson View Post
That's really awesome. The food and beverage director at my school is in the same position as your wife--- on the final of the three tests. Best of luck!
I hear Master's can get you a pretty decent pay raise over Advanced, since there are so few (less than 100 I think??) in America.

The title of Master Sommelier makes you very desirable throughout the world. What's funny is that she's a wine importer and distributer and is really doing this for her own education and enrichment, without any immediate intention to use it in a business sense.

She's definitely a prodigy - with a lot of confidence to go along with it. I'll never cheat on her because I know she'll smell somethng as soon as I walk through the door. Well, that's not the sole reason why I will not cheat on her, but you catch my drift . . .

The tests are held at the CIA in Napa, which is an absolutely stunning building. You need to go see it sometime. If you ever take a trip out to CA to visit some wineries, we'll be happy to refer you to some of her wineries.
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post #7 of 7
12/31/08 at 3:39pm
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Originally Posted by Johnny_5 View Post
Best of luck to your wife. How do you feel about the kit itself?
Thanks for the wishes, guys. The kit is pretty awesome and is very thorough in the knowledge that is presented along with the bottles of the odors/aromas. There is a pretty good book and a stack of 54 cards that go along with the 54 bottles of basic scents that show the wines and the regions that classically are associated with these scents. I really look forward to busting out some bottles and doing a tasting, but keeping it tight - like pinots from around the world and pairing them with the aromas.
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