In July 2017 , in a nondescript conference room in Phoenix , Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou sat in front of three judges and six glasses of wine . As the judges watched , she picked up a glass , sniffed its contents — notes of currant , perhaps , or forest floor — sipped , swished and spat . She thought of the thousands of wines she had tasted in preparation and called out a grape variety , an origin , a vintage . Then she moved on to the next one . Mandalou , a partner and cofounder of the restaurant group WM Restaurants , which includes Allora , Woodlake Tavern , and WM Catering & Events in Sacramento , doesn ’ t know how many wines she identified correctly . The blind tasting is part of the three-day exam to earn the
“ Put in the work , stay focused and do not allow yourself to be discouraged . Surround yourself with people who respect the massive undertaking following your dreams entails .”
title of Advanced Sommelier , the second-highest certification granted by the international examining body the Court of Master Sommeliers . But she knows she passed , making her the third person and the first woman she knows of in the Sacramento region to do so .
The Court of Master Sommeliers is not known for being welcoming to women . A sexual harassment scandal in 2020 led to the Americas chapter restructuring its board to include three women instead of two — a good first step , but not enough , says Mandalou , who witnessed and reported harassment in the organization . “ If someone , especially a woman , is just getting started , I want to be the person to help them , because I know of the world that exists around women in my industry ,” she says .
Mandalou is helping to develop a more inclusive support system for aspiring sommeliers and restaurateurs in the Capital Region . She hosted a biweekly tasting group at Allora until the shelter-in-place order put it on hold and is always willing to mentor others . Last year , she nominated one of her employees for a scholarship from Les Dames d ’ Escoffier International , an organization for women in the restaurant and hospitality industry , to take the Court of Master Sommeliers ’ introductory exam ; the employee received the scholarship and passed . “ We need more women somms , and my goal is eventually to have my entire staff with their certification to the Court of Master Sommeliers ,” Mandalou says .
As sommelier at Allora , Mandalou also has the opportunity to promote women in other parts of the wine industry . This month , she launched a wine list celebrating women winemakers , such as Elisa Semino of La Colombera in Piedmont , Italy , and Michael Havill of Bella Grace Vineyards in Amador County . Some of the wines on the list are unusual for Sacramento restaurants , but neither Allora nor Mandalou have ever stuck to the standards .
“ I ’ m going to continue to do things the way I want to do them , because I think that as long as we view our city as having a limit to their capacity to learn and to be inspired , then we will forever be that city that we think we are instead of what we can be ,” she says .
Jennifer Fergesen is assistant editor of Comstock ’ s . Online at jcfrgsn . journoportfolio . com and on Twitter @ jenniferferges1 .
March 2021 | comstocksmag . com 45