ABOUT MAITRE DE CAVE
Our blog, Maître de Cave®, shares personal experiences – our thoughts, feelings and professional reviews on destinations, hotels, food and drink. About maitre de cave and us, we are currently in France, but our destinations include Germany, Italy, Andorra and Spain. Our return to Seattle and California will provide us with new experiences in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A bit of history, with Robert Stepek
As early as 1985, I started collecting information for Maître de Cave as a project for my personal use. I have recorded the places I have visited, the events I have attended, the people I have met and my thousands of tasting notes. However, it was not until 1991, during a 2-week vacation in Europe with my associate and good friend from the University of Michigan, that I started. Thereafter, I formalized my documentations and photographs .
However, it was not a vacation
It was a brash journey that included only the shortest visits to France – Paris, Cognac, Bordeaux and Condom – and England – London, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bosham
The role of Vinexpo
When I left San Francisco, the purpose of the trip was to attend Vinexpo 1991 in Bordeaux. Little did I know that when I returned to San Francisco, I would be the owner of a century-old farm ! This Gascon farm, named Bordeneuve is located in the Gers, in Occitanie. I also didn’t know that this trip to Europe would only be the first in a long series. Cellar master was getting ready…
The Maitredecave’s creed
Our apropos describes a blog made up of tastings, visits to estates or visits to hospitality venues. Join us ! There are now two of us sharing experiences and participating in trips, meals, tastings and reviews. Our comments relate to places, these wines, grape varieties, real places of interest and their hospitality, which require further exploration.
The dossier focuses on local culture, delicious wines and spirits, critical reviews of accommodation, food and drink. It also expands its reach to include other relevant and interesting topics. Thus, it offers the humane alternative to the subjective and arbitrary standards and styles of traditional wine journalism. He seeks to capture the milieu of the industry, its sense of place, the people who inhabit it, its passion and its disappointments.
Always positive and constructive
When we travel, we try to take advantage of the local experience. We look for places and establishments that should provide enjoyable experiences. When we are disappointed, we explain it constructively to management. We describe and discuss our problems, so that they are aware of the problem.
Our modest contribution is to promote, not discourage. Also, we have decided not to include possible negative reviews. Thus, a bad experience with a wine, estate, hotel or restaurant will not receive any coverage here. They just don’t meet our needs or our philosophy as travelers.
About our general rating principles
Industry professionals, customers, friends and many others who don’t know us personally visit the site to consider potential destinations. they also seek to glean cultural and historical highlights as well as travel and hospitality information. Like other industry professionals, we find that traveling to a wine region provides the greatest amount of opportunities and the best quality of places to taste wine. When we taste, except in the context of a Challenge, a Contest or a Competition, we prefer to taste at the estate with the winemaker or a domain manager in order to confirm:
- Wine tastes the way it should
- The winery’s official position on wine quality
- Historical facts, dispel all rumors and deny all lies
- Agricultural and viticultural methods and technique
- Any issues that may have affected the wine positively or negatively
- All the defects we detect
Look for accuracy
During on-site tastings, we may uncover educational and potentially critical information about wines that is not printed on the label. This is because the information printed on the label, within the required accuracy parameters, is the only information we know to be true under labeling laws. Certainly some would disagree, but we met winemakers and owners who relayed inaccurate details about their wines, technical specifications, winemaking methods and vineyard techniques. One can doubt some information but only discover the truth by reading other publications.
About Us
The Sommelier of the USA
ROBERT “LARRY” STEPEK began his career in 1979 in the food and beverage retail industry. In detail, “I started in Birmingham, Michigan, working at Alban’s, Bottle and Basket. By the time I attended Vinexpo in 1991, I had worked my way up to buyer and manager positions in the retail, wholesale and import industries of wine and liquor industry in suburban Detroit, Michigan. I have worked closely with many mentors whom I have kept in touch with for many years. All were patient and skilled wine professionals trying to develop an industry ten years before the city was ready for it. I shared their optimism, their burden and their anguish. »
In 1983 I left my angst behind me and moved to San Jose, Calif., where the wine world was booming. I went back to retail and store management. One hour south of San Francisco and only two hours from Napa Valley, my new home offered the chance to experience world-class cuisine and a sea of fine wine.
San Francisco Bay
In 1989, I changed careers and took a job as Cellar Manager, Sommelier and General Manager at one of SF’s renowned Bay Area restaurants, The Plumed Horse. Over my six years, we have received six Wine Spectator Grand Awards, three AAA Four Diamond Awards, and Mobil Guide’s Three Star Award each year. Then, in the first year of its creation, we received the highly prized DiRoNA. These were formative years for me and for my new career path. I joined the Society of Wine Educators and taught classes for U.C. Berkeley Extension. You should never stop learning.
Sommeliers Guild
So, at this late date in my life and in the later stages of my career, I am working to gain higher levels within the Guild of Sommeliers and within the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Passing any exam level is personally rewarding. Although I do not cherish all the skills required of the Guild and the Trust, I will strive to participate as much as possible. I continue to prepare myself every day to take and pass my next exam. When June 1991 arrived, I was going to Europe for the first time, to France to attend Vinexpo. My life has changed forever. Now it’s decades later, and the changes continue.
The French oenologist
MARIE PULL, French and oenologist, joined me in this Cellar Master adventure. I started the adventure as a trainer in a Beaujolais Family House, in the wonderful Morgon cru. However, teaching the processes in a bookish way to children of winegrowers did not make sense to me, so I decided to get to know the wine industry better. I left Morgon for Beaune to take a wine marketing and marketing course. I am happy to join a very friendly team of biodynamists in the beautiful places of Beaune, Pommard and St Romain.
Burgundy association
Then, I then joined a Burgundy association for the promotion of wines and musical culture for several years. I then moved to the beautiful old town of Dijon. It was the wonderful experience of criss-crossing Burgundy, its wine-growing, historical and gastronomic highlights. Côte d’Or, Chablisien and Yonne, Mâconnais and Val de Saône are just as magnificent to discover. I am joining a Carrefour pilot store, in order to test the new position of wine advisor/regional buyer. The moment for me to share my experience of mass distribution as a reporter at Rayon Boissons.
Southerner at Heart
Southerner at heart, I then went to Provence, as an assistant to the oenologist, near Hyères-Toulon. The castle belonged to a Christian association. Combining the useful with the pleasant, I also contributed to many receptions and receptions of pilgrims and visitors (Haut Var). This beautiful period of communication and tourist activity continues through wine tourism and the projects of the Château dit Cathare de Quéribus and boaters in Languedoc, Odyssea® Program.
Based on the principle that the wine tourism offer is more effective when the wine is successful, I decided to train for the Diploma of oenologist and engineer in viticulture. I had the pleasure of dividing my time between the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Vigne de Montpellier and Bordeaux Sciences Agro. So freshly graduated, I joined Labs as a consultant oenologist (Blayais) then as site manager (Corbières).
Winemaker in Washington State
I then get a work visa for the USA! Vine consultancies then winemaking in California and Washington State.
Back in France, and faced with Covid confinement and health restrictions in France, I decided to go further in webmarketing strategy and Social management.
Do not hesitate to contact us for any question or remark, for any preference as well. Email us at mesquestions@maitredecave.com. Do not hesitate to subscribe to our newsletter or our contact form.