Press Release Archives
2006 Best Young Sommelier Named at National Competition
Young Sommelier Finals in Sonoma County
Healdsburg, Calif., June 27, 2006 – The 2006 Champagne Mumm Trophy for the "best young sommelier" was awarded Saturday, June 17, to Jake Kosseff of Seattle at the Young Sommelier Finals competition in Sonoma County, capping four months of regional competitions for 12 contestants from around the country. The Young Sommelier competition is organized by the Société Mondiale du Vin, and for the third year in a row, Champagne Mumm awarded the winner with the much coveted Champagne Mumm Trophy.
Kosseff, 31, is the wine and spirits director for Campagne Restaurant and Café Campagne in Seattle and holds a certificate from the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation. He had the highest score of the 12 finalists at the end of the grueling day-long competition, which included a written theory exam, a practical skills section and a blind tasting. The competition was administered by the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the judges were Master Sommeliers. The first runner up was Drew Hendricks, 28, of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Dallas. The second runner up was Brett Zimmerman, 32, who is director of fine wine for Southern Wine & Spirits in Colorado. Last year's winner was Jason Smith, now with Michael Mina-Las Vegas.
The Young Sommelier Competition was held during the national meeting of the Société Mondiale du Vin. The Société Mondiale du Vin is a wine society within the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, a Paris-based food and wine organization. In the U.S., the Société Mondiale du Vin has more than 2,400 members and is focused on the enjoyment, study and appreciation of fine wines. Champagne Mumm® is closely identified with fine wine service and is a major supporter of sommelier activities in the U.S.
Dan Gulbronsen of Société Mondiale du Vin, along with Kelly Roberts of Champagne Mumm, presented Jake Kosseff with the winner's Mumm Trophy, an engraved crystal champagne cooler, at the awards dinner June 17 in Healdsburg. Roberts also presented each of the finalists with a magnum (1.5 liter bottle) of Mumm Cordon Rouge® Champagne, the House's signature red-sashed bottle after the French Legion of Honor.
Located in Reims, France, Champagne G.H. Mumm® is a leading grande marque whose reputation has been built over the past 175 years by providing connoisseurs with champagnes of distinction, character and elegance. Founded in 1827, Champagne G.H. Mumm began identifying and purchasing grand cru vineyards as early as 1840. The first acquisitions were in Verzenay and by the early 20th century, Mumm owned a total of 230 acres with holdings additionally in Cramant, Avize, Aÿ and Bouzy – about half of the current portfolio. G.H. Mumm is part of the Martell Mumm Perrier Jouët Group, which is owned by Pernod Ricard. Additional information on Champagne G.H. Mumm is available at http://www.mumm.com/.
About Pernod Ricard USA
Pernod Ricard USA, based in White Plains, N.Y., is a leading producer, importer and marketer of prized spirits and wine brands in the United States and is one of the fastest growing subsidiaries of the world's # 2 spirits company and #3 wine company, Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard, S.A. The completion of Pernod Ricard's acquisition of Allied Domecq in 2005 vaulted Pernod Ricard USA to the forefront of the U.S. spirits market, doubling the company's sales value and market share. The company is now the third largest in the U.S. spirits industry by sales value and the fourth largest by sales volume in the U.S.
Pernod Ricard USA's leading brands include Kahlúa® Liquor, Chivas Regal® Scotch whisky, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin®, Malibu® flavored Rum, Stolichnaya® Vodkas, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch whisky, Wild Turkey® Bourbon, Beefeater® Gin, Hiram Walker® Liqueurs and Martell™ Cognac, as well as Jacob's Creek® and Brancott Estate® wines, Perrier Jouët® Champagne, Mumm® Champagneand Mumm Napa® wines, and Pernod® and Ricard® Liquors. Enjoy Pernod Ricard's brands responsibly and in moderation.