"Who would've thought that I'd eat in Frank Stitt's restaurant for years, but only get to talk to him face to face here at euphoria. It's pretty amazing."
James | Hanover, GA
An appreciation of wine does not have to be an expensive talent to obtain and cultivate. You can learn this and more by attending Euphoria’s Wine Seminars hosted by some of the premier Master Sommeliers in the country. We’ll also be pouring more than 100 wines at our tasting showcase, just the ticket for refining your palate and widening you knowledge of the grape.
2011 Wine
Wayne Belding - Member of the Court of Master Sommeliers since 1990; Prestigious Krug Cup winner; Author of "Diving into Wine.
Wayne Belding
Wayne Belding grew up in the mid-Hudson Valley of upstate New York, now, ironically, a burgeoning wine-producing area. After earning a degree in geology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1972, he moved to Colorado and ultimately found his way into the oil fields of the U.S. as a geologist. Along the way, he became fascinated with wine, and when the energy boom went bust in 1982, used that opportunity to transform his avocation into his vocation. He began at The Boulder Wine Merchant, a wine specialty shop in Boulder, Colorado. He then became Sommelier at the Heritage Hotel in Denver which, at the time, had a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine cellar. During his tenure at the Heritage, he competed in The 2nd Annual French wine and Spirits Sommelier Competition in America, sponsored by Food and Wines from France, in 1985. He won the Denver Regional Competition and placed seventh in the final competition in New York. The examination experience was stimulating and, when the Court of Master Sommeliers first came to the U.S. in 1987 and the opportunity was presented, he began his pursuit of the Master Sommelier diploma. After passing the basic Certificate course and Advanced Sommelier course, he became the 13th American to pass the demanding Master Sommelier examination at Monterey, California in 1990. In addition to passing the rigorous examination, he also earned the Krug Cup - an award bestowed by Krug Champagne on the person who passes all three parts of the Master Sommelier test at the same examination and attains the highest score of those tested. To the present, only 105 Americans have passed the Master Sommelier examination. He has served as Education Chairman and Chairman for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Throughout his years in the wine business, Mr. Belding has been an educator as well. He has taught wine appreciation classes for over twenty years, instructing well over 1000 students in that time. He has been a wine competition judge at the National Restaurant Association Wine Classic in Chicago, The Jefferson Cup, the Colorado State Fair, the Mid-America Wine Competition and the Michigan Wine Competition . He has also been a featured speaker at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, The Telluride Wine Festival, The Taste of Vail and the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival in Winter Park, Colorado. He has taught professional wine service classes throughout the country and from 1986 - 2009, he was an owner of The Boulder Wine Merchant. His newly released book, Diving Into Wine, is meant to give consumers greater focus and enjoyment in their wine adventures.
J. Scott Carney
Scott Carney was born in Boston and, after graduating from Connecticut College, satisfied his curiosity about wine by taking a sommelier position at the Bay Tower Room in Boston’s financial district. From curious to passionate, Scott moved on to a full-time sommelier position at the venerable Harvest Restaurant in Harvard Square where he also began a career in restaurant management. Recognizing a need to further his business skills, Scott enrolled in the Stern School of Business at New York University and after a stage in France, graduated with an MBA in Finance.
Soon thereafter, his path crossed with Alfred Portale, then the new chef of Gotham Bar & Grill. Scott joined the company as Business Manager and spent ten years overseeing affairs as the restaurant earned three consecutive 3-star reviews from the New York Times. It was during his tenure at Gotham that Scott began his study for the title of Master Sommelier, which he earned in 1991.
Since leaving Gotham Bar & Grill, Scott has worked in Operations, Beverage and Finance with a number of Manhattan’s leading restaurant groups including The Glazier Group, Jean-Georges Management and Les Halles Group. In 1998, he built and operated The Tonic in Chelsea, later selling his shares to his partner. He has also consulted for such notable New York venues as Picholine, Tocqueville and oversaw the re-opening of the famed Russian Tea Room in 2006. He is presently the beverage director for Junoon restaurant, a modern, upscale Indian restaurant in Manhattan.
Member of the Court of Master Sommeliers since 2003; Certified Wine Educator; Co-owner of “Vin Tabla”, Tuscon, AZ
Laura Williamson
Laura Williamson began her formidable career in the service industry at the young age of 18. She grew up in a dry county in Arkansas (her parents still reside there!) and only began to discover the virtues of wine once she moved to Paris, France at the age of 19 for her first two years of college. After exploring wine through service positions at David Paul’s in Lahaina, Maui, Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, John’s Restaurant and Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado and Sweet Basil and Wildflower in Vail, Colorado, she was convinced that her talents with wine could lead to a more exciting and fulfilling career than her opportunities with her Financial Planning and Economics degree.
She was encouraged to pursue the Master Sommelier accreditation by her mentors Wayne Belding and Sally Mohr of the Boulder Wine Merchant and achieved this coveted distinction of which only 78 Americans (including just 13 women) had attained prior to her success in 2005. She is currently an active member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, the grading body for aspiring candidates. She also holds the prestigious title of Certified Wine Educator and achieved this feat in 2002 when only approximately 100 others had previously.
Following her accreditation, she began consulting for Small Vineyards Imports, the fastest growing Italian Wine importer in the US for 2006 and 2007 and the only Italian importer to focus exclusively on small-production and hand-harvested fruit with minimal environmental impact. She assists in selecting the portfolio and educating nationally the supplier and distributor staffs on the superior virtues of small, earth-friendly wine production.
She is also a co-owner of VinTabla Restaurant and Wine Shop in Tucson, AZ and simultaneously runs the beverage program for VinTabla as well as doubling as a sommelier for her restaurant. Her wine list proudly showcases over 100 wines from around the world by a ‘taste’ and ‘glass’ pour to enhance the synergy of food and wine pairings with acclaimed Chef Bruce Yim’s diverse New American cuisine. She never tires of customizing flights personally for VinTabla diners and enjoys creating this rare opportunity and experience for her coveted guests.
She can also be found at her newly opened sister restaurant, Dove Mountain Grill, located just outside of Tucson in Marana, AZ.
She lectures nationally to businesses, restaurants and private clients about the wine regions of the world, the techniques involved with pairing food and wine and the art and skill surrounding wine collecting. She also speaks annually at national wine conferences and festivals and is a staunch advocate for artisan wine producers. She passionately travels the globe in search of unknown, exotic wines from eclectic indigenous grapes just to share these rarities with others.
In her spare time, practicing Anusara Yoga and leading yoga and wine workshops takes priority in her life along with supporting local children’s charities.