n TASTE
SOMM KIND OF WONDERFUL
Sacramento restaurateur becomes first local woman to earn prestigious Advanced
Sommelier title
BY Daniel Barnes PHOTOS: Joan Cusick
I
Allora co-owner Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou is
one of only three Sacramento wine profession-
als to become an Advanced Sommelier.
48
comstocksmag.com | March 2019
n attaining the title of Advanced Som-
melier, Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou be-
came one of only three Sacramento
wine professionals and the first local
woman to reach the coveted status.
The Sacramento native and co-
owner of Woodlake Tavern, Uptown
Pizza Kitchen, and the wine- and sea-
food-focused Allora aced the grueling
three-day exam on her first attempt in
July 2017, despite the test’s 75 percent fail
rate. After devoting hundreds of hours
and thousands of dollars, Mandalou says
she’s proud to have done what most peo-
ple before her had not: pass.
“It’s a huge investment of time and
money and emotional energy and sac-
rifice,” she says. And Mandalou isn’t
done studying yet — passing the Ad-
vanced Sommelier exam puts her three-
fourths of the way toward becoming
a Master Sommelier, a level that only
138 men and 26 women have reached
in the Americas chapter of the Court of
Master Sommeliers.
Why do successful wine profession-
als devote so much time, energy and
money toward the quest for a largely
ceremonial title? For many people, it’s
a status symbol or a career booster. But
Mandalou is driven by a voracious ap-
petite for knowledge and competitive
accomplishment, as well as desire to el-
evate Sacramento’s wine scene and the
profile of its sommeliers.
“We worship our chefs and bartend-
ers, and rightfully so, but we also have
this booming community of sommeliers
that are putting together really thought-
ful lists,” Mandalou says. “Sacramen-