News

Napa native named new Master Sommelier

10 September 2024 By Louis Thomas

The Americas branch of the Court of Master Sommeliers has announced that, after attempting the Diploma Examination last week, Napa Valley’s Myles Trapp has earned the coveted MS title.

Trapp, who also previously received a sommelier diploma from the Université du Vin at Suze-la-Rousse in 2017, passed all three sections of the Court of Master Sommeliers’ exam last week: verbal theory, a deductive blind tasting assessment of six ‘classic’ wines, and a practical component that examines hospitality, beverage service, and salesmanship.

Overall, 25 candidates sat the Diploma Examination, and only Trapp made the cut.

Trapp, who quit his job as assistant wine director at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford last month, has a wealth of experience as a sommelier, and has also worked as a cellar worker with Cliff Lede Vineyards, and as a wine consultant. He is currently a curation analyst for Preferabli, which promises “AI wine, beer & spirits recommendation solutions”.

Michael Meagher, Chair of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, praised Trapp’s “dedication, passion, and perseverance”, and noted that his “hard work has truly paid off” now that he has gained the title of Master Sommelier.

Julie Cohen Theobald, executive director of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, added: “In addition to the success of our new Master Sommelier, we were excited to observe a notably high pass rate at our Advanced level, including 38 new Advanced Sommeliers and 100% pass rate among 12 women, a promising indicator for the future. The success shown at this level reflects the strides our organization has taken in enhancing student preparation through comprehensive education, robust publishing of resources, expanded access to mentorship, and increased transparency. These initiatives have clearly made a transformative impact, shown by the outstanding performance of our candidates.”