Somm Summit Alumni
“The Sommelier Summit at Peter Michael is a once in a life time opportunity to garner the insider perspective at the benchmark estate. By spending time with the viticulture team, winemaking team, and ownership, I was able to experience the fully encompassing knowledge and effort that goes into creating these world class wines on this truly remarkable property.”
Brahm Callahan, MS, Beverage Director, Himmel Hospitality Group
“It is such a rarity, that an experience is created to showcase the subtleties and nuance of one property. Because of the focused nature of the Sommelier Summit, spending 48-72 hours on the same property, with the whole team of Peter Michael, each facet of what makes these wine World Class is highlighted. And even after attending, I realized there is still more I can learn and share.”
Will Costello, MS, Export Manager, Miller Family Wine Company
“As one of California's premier wineries, it was such a pleasure to be completely immersed in every aspect of the production. Not only were we offered the chance to tour the vineyards, but also the opportunity to take a deep-dive into the entire operation. I feel that one of the key components that differentiates Peter Michael is the overall attention to each attendee, which helped curate a very personal experience. It was a wonderful trip, one that I will not soon forget.”
Kevin Bratt, Concept Beverage & Wine Director, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
“The Sommelier Retreat at Peter Michael Winery was truly one of the best and most in-depth winery experience's I have ever had. From the warm hospitality, generous accommodations, amazing meals, and genuine warmth of the Michael family and the winery team to the amazing views from atop the property and of course all of the amazing wine, it was an experience I will never forget. From an educational perspective, it was incredibly valuable, with in-depth tastings and vineyard tours with Nicolas Morlet. Peter Michael Winery is a real treasure in American wine and one of the truly magical terroirs of Sonoma and California. I am forever grateful for the Sommelier Retreat and the estate, wines, and people will always be close to my heart.”
Maximilian Kast, MS, Estate Director - Bond
“My experience at Sommelier Summit was an eye-opening opportunity. The two days were well-thought-out, from time in the vineyards, the extensive tastings with current and past vintages, to meeting the Michael family and the extended family- the winery staff. The wines of PMW are of Grand Cru status that exhibits fine craftsmanship from vineyard to bottle. Everything at PMW is done at the highest level, no corners are cut and
it shows.”
Jesse Rodriguez, M.ED, Advanced Sommelier, Partner, Kaizen Wine Group
“The Peter Michael Sommelier Summit was incredible on so many levels. The wines are clearly next level, but having the opportunity (rather, multiple opportunities) throughout the couple days of the event to taste through a multitude of vintages side by side of all varietals, was incredible. Additionally we were able to pair wines alongside several exquisite meals, curated specifically by the wineries private chef, while also being able to enjoy such an experience with our spouses. As a wine professional for many years, I have had the great fortune to have been on several wines trips, and I will say none of them have extended the invitation to include a flight and accommodation for my husband; it truly was above and beyond. Lastly, and not at all least importantly, we were able to engage in relaxed Q and
A with the winemaker and Emily herself, over tastings, meals and vineyard tours; they spent so much time with us, which made me feel so much closer to the wines, educated, and thoroughly knowledgeable about the vineyards and varietals. Literally every detail had been thought out and executed perfectly, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.”
Rachael Lowe, Advanced Sommelier, Director of Restaurants, Levy Restaurant Group
“Peter Michael Winery's Sommelier Summit is hands down one of the most enjoyable winery experiences I have ever had. They clearly put a great deal of effort into ensuring that this trip was more of a vacation than work. We have all been through those onerous trips with no rest, constant requirements, forced tastings, high pressure sales and marketing, etc. This trip was the complete opposite! It was pure luxury from start to finish. We had plenty of time to relax, the meals were top notch and the wine seminars and vineyard experiences were truly designed for education and enjoyment. Other trips feel like a constant sale. This trip felt like a reward!”
Erik Segelbaum, Advanced Sommelier, Founder and Chief Vinnovation Officer of SOMLYAY LLC
“My time at the Sommelier Summit was memorable and vitally important to my understanding of Peter Michael wines for several reasons. The tutored tours of the various terroir sites was eye-opening and really solidified my appreciation of how and why the various cuvees are so distinctively different. My opportunity to interact with the family, in particular Sir Peter, Paul and Emily, and to hear from them all how the inspiration for founding the winery and the strategic decisions taken since are all based on a classical model of a traditional wine estate, has served to differentiate in my mind the winery from other luxury wine brands. The tastings and the opportunity to share and discuss the rare wines with colleagues and family, and to benefit from their perspectives, were so much more meaningful than it would have been to simply have tried them separately in a blind context. The enjoyment of the wines with the superb food matches completed the picture, bringing my knowledge and enjoyment of the wines to another level.”
Sandy Block, MW, Vice President of
Former Beverage, Legal Sea Foods; Adjunct Professor, Boston University; Wine Columnist, Massachusetts Beverage Business Magazine
“The Peter Michael Sommelier Summit is an experience that is truly unique. It is intimate and the Peter Michael team truly gives every attention to detail. They welcome you with such warmth, share their philosophies of winemaking and viticulture and most importantly, they provide priceless information and education of their portfolio. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to meet Paul, Emily and the entire Peter Michael Team. The Sommelier Summit was quite memorable and I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to take part in such a magical experience.”
Raquel Jacobs, Lead Sommelier, Mott 32
“I had the pleasure of attending the 2019 Peter Michael Sommelier Summit, the experience was above and beyond my expectations. Aside from the tremendous hospitality and welcome from the team we had the unique opportunity to taste
through the incredible lineup with a selected group of inspiring sommeliers in attendance. This was truly a one of a kind in-depth look at this Estate’s legacy over the years.”
Eduardo Dingler, VP of Wine at Wine Access, Independent Journalist
