Oct. 27, 2023 – The performance art of fine dining service at top tier restaurants goes unnoticed by guests, by design, but is always uppermost on the minds of sommeliers and other front of the house staff as they strive to deliver memorable culinary experiences. It’s so important it is one-third of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Jeunes Sommeliers Competition and since 2020, a major emphasis both nationally and internationally. “Everything should feel like it’s moving like clockwork. Everything should be graceful and fluid. You should never notice something that feels out of place or not in sync,” Eric Palmer, Certified Sommelier and the United States 2023 Jeunes Sommeliers Competition champion, said to Chaîne during an Oct. 21 telephone interview.

Eric is on nothing short of a meteoric rise in the sommelier profession. After graduating from college in 2020, he is a little more than three years into a five year experiment to see if being a sommelier could be a viable career path for him. He already has his answer.

National Jeunes Sommeliers Competition

In mid April this year at Chaine’s National Jeunes Sommeliers Competition, held in Napa, he surprised himself when he took home first place honors. “Having prepared hard, but being off the floor for about a year, I was frankly shocked to have done so well at nationals. I thoroughly enjoyed it. George [Staikos] and his team couldn’t have put on a better event,” Eric said.

After a few days visiting wineries and being introduced to Napa Valley, six sommeliers competed over two days in three preliminary rounds – Blind Tasting, Theory and Practical Service Skills – to advance to the national finals. For Eric, the Blind Tasting segment is always the most challenging. They were given a full flight of six wines with 25 minutes to identify grape variety; place of origin even down to a specific appellation; vintage; and quality level. To bring a clean palate to this phase of the competition, most sommeliers are careful what they eat before and even fast, which is what Eric chose to do.

Following the tasting, a 50-question written quiz tested the sommeliers on Theory, a format Eric said is easier than taking a verbal quiz. And then it was time for the six competitors to shine through two service exercises, which were judged in real time. “It’s always a mix of stress and delight for me,” Eric said.

Eric and two other sommeliers advanced to the final round, which Eric described as very similar to the preliminary rounds but in a shorter time frame and in front of an audience of 60 to 70 people. And the final round ended with a sparkling wine pouring during which the sommeliers had to pour seven glasses from a bottle of sparkling wine as evenly as possible.

With no expectation to win but to learn more about wine and the competition, as the 2023 champion, Eric is somewhat disappointed he will not be able to compete next year as he was already looking forward to it. But in addition to his victory, Eric returned home to Atlanta with new friends and new career opportunities.

“The competition itself was truly a delight. It was pretty stressful at times but the chance to get to perform and compete in front of such an acclaimed list of judges that we had there is such an invaluable opportunity for us as young wine professionals. I was honored to stand among the other competitors. We’ve all maintained friendships since, and support each other’s studies and pursuits,” Eric said.

International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition

Eric took one week off to celebrate and cherish his new champion status. Then it was back to work as he prepared to represent the United States at the Chaîne des Rotisseurs International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition held in mid September in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, a central European country that borders Austria to the north and is located on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea.

Eric approached his four-month training period with the mindset of an elite athlete. After his week off to reset and recharge, he took one week to create a study plan and then doggedly followed it. Daily tasks included a study period to prepare for the Theory portion by reviewing the World Atlas of Wine, flipping through flash cards, and accessing online resources to reinforce and expand his knowledge base.

For Blind Tasting preparation, Eric said he was fortunate to live in Atlanta, a city that has a vibrant wine community with active tasting groups. Two to three times per week, Eric attended tastings and with supportive colleagues, they would set aside time just for Eric to blind taste a full flight of six wines. Surprising to some, sommeliers also become experts in all drinks, including spirits, beer and even coffee and water.

About one month before the competition, in addition to his Blind Wine Tastings, he practiced Blind Spirit Tastings. “I tried to make sure I blinded everything at least once, and did many comparatives such as whiskeys or berry liqueur flights. People often think of tasting as a glamorous part of our jobs, but it’s work. Spitting is essential, but your tongue feels pretty abused when you’re doing this first thing in the morning,” Eric said with a chuckle.

With the new emphasis on Practical Service Skills as a key element of the competitions, Eric worked with a trainer experienced in the Alexander technique, a method used by performance artists and actors on how to efficiently and effectively use their bodies to excel at their craft.

“In a narrow sense, it could be compared to posture coaching,” Eric explained. With his trainer, he practiced refining the technical points of service from opening and pouring a bottle of wine to moving around the table and wine cart with grace. Sommeliers and wait staff always move in a clockwise direction. By doing so, Eric said, “It’s easy to predict where all of your colleagues on the floor will move next. It’s really about maintaining that fluidity and grace across the dining room.”

Similar in format to the national competition, Eric and 13 other sommeliers in the international competition first learned about Slovenia through seminars and then experienced the rich culinary culture of the country.“We had a lot of delicious food in the days leading up to the competition, The organizers from the Slovenian Bailliage prepared an amazing program,” Eric said.

Always keeping the competitors on their toes, Eric said while on stage in front of an audience, they were shown photos of winemakers and wineries and had to identify them. And they were given a wine list to correct in addition to the standard categories of Blind Tastings and Service Skills. Eric finished third, a remarkable feat considering he had just discovered wine as a potential career path three years ago.

Following the competition, Eric traveled throughout France briefly visiting Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux. “The country could not have been more beautiful and the people were so hospitable and warm,” Eric said.

In Burgundy, he happened upon an opportunity of a lifetime. Visiting a winery, the negociant asked if Eric wanted to help with pigeage, the punch down. Of course, he replied. “About an hour later I’m in my running shorts, about thigh deep in grape must and juice, stomping to press these grapes down and release some juice on top. That was an incredibly special experience to take a brief part in production and really get our feet wet both literally and metaphorically in wine making,” Eric said. He could never have imagined such a scene.

Family and College

Just three years before, Eric was in his senior year at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts planning to pursue a doctoral degree in Philosophy after graduation and working three to four nights per week as a bartender to pay for college.

Eric grew up in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb. Through most of his life, his mother worked as a private nanny and his father was a pastry chef. “I grew up in a family who throughout their careers had taken care of people. I had a love and appreciation for service,” Eric said.

At 14, Eric started working and as many teenagers do, found himself at McDonald’s flipping burgers. Most important, he had stepped into the adult world of job experience and responsibility. He took full advantage of it. Throughout high school and college, Eric said he held eight or nine different jobs. He especially loved selling men’s suits at a retail store. “I fell in love selling suits and formal wear. But what I really loved about that was taking care of people and building relationships with them.”

At Hampshire College, a small liberal arts college with about 1,200 students, each student creates their own academic plan and through a consortium of four other colleges, can take classes at each college. Eric built a program focused on Philosophy and Economics, culminating in his thesis on the moral analysis of risk taking and financial speculation.

Securing a job at a local restaurant and bar, Eric worked there throughout college but in the middle of his senior year, he had an epiphany as he looked ahead to graduate school. “I realized as I was coming to the end of my college career that the future that I had seen going to grad school was going to be a pretty solitary and lonely one.” He saw himself sitting in an office six to seven hours a day reading and grading papers.

He loved going to work and sharing the stories behind the bottles he was opening. “I realized that I had just as much opportunity to teach people across the bar. There was an educational aspect there that I really enjoyed and could pursue in a very social and fun environment,” he said.

So he decided to test his mettle for a new career path. He signed up for a short internship at a high end resort in Massachusetts. The care given to the restaurant’s wine collection dating to the 1930s and 1940s made an immediate impact on him. “This opened my eyes to the possibility of working with beverages and wine specifically at a level of excellence and care that I had never before been exposed to,” Eric said.

Graduation and move to Atlanta

After graduation, he moved to Atlanta instead of enrolling in graduate school. During college, he had taken the introductory Sommelier course so had begun his formal education in wine but still kept his options open. Giving himself five years to experiment with a wine career, he said, “If it doesn’t work out, I can show grad school at least I was doing something and not just drinking.”

In Atlanta, he helped open The Chastain, a farm-to-table restaurant that at the time, offered about 40 wines by the glass and about 350 bottles. Working under Juan Cortez, the beverage director, Eric flourished as he sought to learn as much as he could from Juan but also to help him. “I have a strong belief in giving before you get.” Identifying a need, he offered to help Juan with inventory, a tedious task of counting bottles of wine for eight hours straight. Eric worked multiple extra shifts to complete it. As he grew at the restaurant he began receiving more responsibilities and stepped into the role of Assistant Sommelier where he had a hand in all aspects of the wine program. The Chastain would go on to win Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence” and Atlanta Magazine’s “Best Wine List” in 2021.
As of October 24, 2023, The Chastain has also received a Michelin Green Star and Juan Cortes was awarded the inaugural Michelin Star for Best Sommelier in Atlanta.

Eric credits his time at Hampshire College with his ability to learn from and collaborate with mentors. As a student, it was intimidating reaching out to a well known professor to ask for an independent study but he knew he would learn a lot and did that four times. So it was second nature to him to ask an accomplished sommelier to coffee or lunch to extend his network of contacts and pick his or her brain.

From The Chastain, Eric expanded his resume by working at a local wine shop where he immersed himself in the stories behind the labels. When asked to name one standout, Eric did not hesitate to tell the story of Philip by the Mazzei winery in Tuscany, a winery opened in 1435 that is now in its 25th generation of family operation! Eric remembers serving Philip, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, at The Chastain asking guests to identify the portrait on the label. Most guests answered George Washington or Thomas Jefferson because of the classic 18th century white wig. But Filippo Mazzei (1730-1816) graces the label.

Filippo, a member of the famous family of vintners, worked as a wine merchant in London for 18 years until he moved to Virginia in 1773. He purchased land near Monticello and became good friends with Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and very supportive of the rebel cause for independence. Jefferson and Mazzei discussed political philosophy and influenced each other so much so that Jefferson gave Mazzei a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence in which he had paraphrased some of Mazzei’s writings.

““This wine represents something common in all of my favorite producers, where there is so much reverence not just for the land they are holding on to, and growing grapes on, but to the tradition of winemaking itself,” Eric said.

That compelling tradition is what Eric believes will help convince his peers, the Millennial and Gen Z generations, to embrace wine. How grapes are grown and how wine is produced are important to them. And the settings at which wine is served should be expanded in order to appeal to a larger number of young drinkers. “Make wine a little bit more casual. This is from someone who loves fine dining, white tablecloth service and and all of the elements of formal meals. But wine doesn’t have to be reserved for those occasions alone,” Eric said.

It’s fall and football so a tailgate party is the perfect opportunity to introduce a wine experience to young football fans. “Drink some Champagne out of a Solo cup in the parking lot with some fried chicken and you’ll be in heaven,” he said.

For seasoned wine drinkers, Eric’s advice is, “Never be afraid to pull a cork, I save a fair bit of wine for aging or special occasions, but often the best time to enjoy those special bottles is when there is no occasion at all. A Tuesday night dinner of Costco Rotisserie Chicken and a bottle of 2009 Cain Five a few weeks ago was absolutely magical. And finally – Drink more Riesling!”

Eric is now working as a member of the fine wine team at Republic National Distributing and loving every minute of it as he continues to learn about wine. And he is still studying. Next year he will take the Advanced Sommelier exam to complete another step on the road to the Master Sommelier Certification by the Court of Master Sommeliers. His long term goal is to be a wine educator for an importer or distributor.

Eric’s days of flipping burgers and deciding to take the fork in the road that led to the wine industry instead of academia are not that long in his past. But he can definitely bottle his five-year experiment. As the best young sommelier in America and third best in the world, his career is aging nicely and his life is moving like clockwork! Sure to meet some curve balls along the way, he can draw upon his varied jobs, his education at Hampshire College and his competition experience to get him through and keep the hands of time moving in a clockwise direction. After all, he has done that hundreds of times!

Featured Image: Presenting Eric Palmer with his award at the Chaîne des Rotisseurs International Jeunes Sommeliers Award Ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia are (l-r): Philip Evins, Member of Conseil Magistral, Bailli Délégué of Great Britain; Klaus Tritschler, Member of Conseil d’ Administration, Member of Conseil Magistral, Bailli Délégué of Germany; and Marie Jones, International Vice President, Member of Conseil d’ Administration, Member of Conseil Magistral, Chair of Jeunes Sommeliers Competition Committee.