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An Education

"You can't impose education on anybody," says Meadowood's Master Sommelier, Gilles de Chambure, MS. "You want to make them excited about learning and try to tap into their interests." The Meadowood estate is the only one in the world with a Master Sommelier dedicated to wine education.

"We're owned by Napa Valley vintners," de Chambure explains, "and we've always wanted to create an environment conducive to learning about wine and winemaking." Meadowood's owners produce some of the most coveted wines in the world, and guests often find themselves mingling with the elite of Napa Valley's wine community.

"When I host the complimentary evening wine tasting," de Chambure says, "I might be introducing guests to vintners like Tim Mondavi or Cyril Chappellet." For de Chambure, who grew up in a family with vineyards in Burgundy, it's all part of creating a "unique setting, where you can be comfortable and really talk about wine."

"The thing about tasting at a winery," he adds, "is that they're talking to you about the wine they make. It's a different interaction than it is here at Meadowood. We're in a neutral environment, where it's easy to experiment, to contrast, to compare."

Asked about his philosophy, de Chambure replies, "I always say wine is a lot like music. You don't need to know how to play an instrument or how to read music in order to enjoy it. You don't need to know why Beethoven wrote his Fifth Symphony, what was happening politically at the time in Austria, what his relationship was with his father. But if you do know all these things, you listen to the music very differently. It's the same with wine. To enjoy wine, you don't need to know about rootstocks, grafting, malolactic fermentation, filtration or bottle shape. But if you understand these elements, you appreciate it differently."

For guests who seek to deepen their appreciation, de Chambure offers private education sessions, exploring topics including winery architecture and history, or a more focused look at Napa Valley's famed Cabernets.

"We always start off in the vineyard," de Chambure says, "and it's a very personalized experience. I tailor a session to the guests' specific area of interest. I touch upon a broad range of topics—from grape growing, to winemaking, to the history of wine, to the sensory evaluation of wine— and guests learn more in an hour than they would during many winery visits!"

"When we start a wine tasting," he continues, "people think they're going to sit and listen to me, but I actually ask them questions, starting with a simple one: 'What kinds of wines do you like?' And people talk very differently about wine. They may say, 'I like this grape variety' or 'I like this style of wine' or 'I like this brand.' Then right away, that opens the door to the fact that there are different ways of talking about wines."

"In the end, I want to give guests this launching pad of knowledge and enthusiasm, this intellectual stimulation to learn and explore and experiment with new wineries and embrace the diversity of wine," the Master Sommelier concludes. "I want them to enjoy their visit to the Napa Valley in more depth, and to take their newfound knowledge with them around the world in all their travels."

Gilles de Chambure, MS
Director of Wine Education

Gilles de Chambure, MS brings a passion for Napa Valley wine and a diverse wine background to Meadowood. Through the wine education program, he shares his natural enthusiasm for and knowledge of wine and the essential role it plays in society. Relying on his multi-faceted, international wine background and engaging speaking style Gilles crafts innovative wine events, tastings and Napa Valley excursions with a lively, informative approach that will inspire wine lovers of all levels.

Meadowood · Napa Valley 900 Meadowood Lane · St. Helena, CA 94574 · Telephone (800) 458-8080

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