The Cliffs expands team of wine experts
October 29, 2015
Three more staff members pass Level 1 Sommelier Introductory Examination
TRAVELERS REST, SC – The Cliffs is pleased to announce three team members have passed their Level 1 Sommelier Introductory Examination offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Vince Mathis, Abby Powell and Anna Shell join The Cliffs’ existing team of wine and culinary experts after many months of intensive study.
“I am thrilled to see the dedication and interest in learning the world of wine. It’s exciting to have a handful of well educated and wine enthusiasts to make The Cliffs’ culinary experience even better,” commented Eric Cooperman, Certified Sommelier and Beverage Director for The Cliffs.
The Introductory Sommelier Exam consists of an intensive two-day class and blind tasting ending with an exam assessing knowledge of not only wine, wine regions, grapes, vintages, producers but also foreign language, beer, liquor, coffee, tea, cigars, world history, service standards, and beverage management and cost of goods sold.
The three team members bring additional expertise to The Cliffs’ wine and culinary experience, which includes two other Certified Sommeliers. The push for professional development among its staff was spurred by the creation of The Cliffs Wine Consortium, an exclusive program giving The Cliffs’ members access to purchase select and rare wines each week. Now, The Cliffs has introduced a monthly wine club, Uncorked!, offering members monthly varietals and additional perks including reviews of each wine and recipe to pairings created by The Cliffs’ executive chefs.
The team, led by Director of Beverage and Certified Sommelier Eric Cooperman, recently executed the annual IMBIBE Wine & Food Festival in late September. The festival featured 16 spectacular events, more than 150 wines. The festival concluded with a Grand Tasting finale event open to the public to end the ten-day epicurean festival.
About The Cliffs
The Cliffs is a collection of seven premier, private residential lifestyle communities located between two of America’s top cities for foodies – Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC – and ten minutes from Clemson, SC. Members of The Cliffs have access to all seven of The Cliffs’ clubs that, together, offer more than 50 restaurant and private event venues. A team of highly experienced Executive Chefs, trained by Michelin Star and James Beard Award winners, provide members with distinctive dining experiences, including fresh and fascinating dishes made from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, many of which are sourced from Broken Oak Organic Farm at The Cliffs. The culinary scene pairs with a featured beverage program including two Certified Sommeliers. Members of The Cliffs’ enjoy culinary art through cooking demonstrations and classes; a full calendar of wine dinners; regular evenings of socializing and noshing hosted by our executive chefs; and an annual Wine & Food Festival. To learn more about The Cliffs members’ culinary experience, visit www.CliffsLiving.com or watch this brief video. Homes at The Cliffs range in price from $500,000 to $4 million+; homesites, from $150,000. Contact The Cliffs at 866.411.5771 or [email protected] to arrange a Discovery Tour.
.
.
