Sally Mohr, Master Sommelier
Sally Mohr earned the title of Master Sommelier in 1995 and was the second woman in the United States to achieve that distinction. She enjoys passing the wonders of the wine world to aspiring Master Sommeliers through the courses sponsored by The Court of Master Sommeliers.
She began her wine career as an employee at The Boulder Wine Merchant in 1983 and became a co-owner of this prestigious specialty retail wine shop in 1986. In August of 2010, The Boulder Wine Merchant was sold allowing Sally to pursue other avenues in the beverage trade.
In 2009, Sally passed the Advanced Sake Professional course in Japan. She is a board member of the Sake Education Council, whose mission is to spread the word of the joys of sake. Kanpai!
She continues to put her palate to the test by judging in various regional and international wine competitions.
Besides wine, Sally enjoys spending time with her husband and two grown children in the wonderful outdoors of Colorado and the tropical beaches of the Caribbean. Her travels have taken her to many wine regions around the world and her long term goal is to feel the dirt between her toes in all of them.
I recently had the tremendous privilege to gain some insight from Sally about life and of course, Wine!
Q. At what point did you know you would end up working with wine for a living?
A. I realized that a fair amount of money was being spent at our local wine shop. I wanted to try my hand in retail. I found the wine business fascinating and bought The Boulder Wine Merchant after 3 years as an employee.
Q. Why was it important for you to be a Sommelier?
A. I discovered that with knowledge and the title of Master Sommelier I was no longer the blonde that was ignored at trade functions.
Q. What school did you attend and what was your major?
A. I was raised in a blue-collar family where learning a trade was my ticket to adulthood. I began a career in the computer field right out of high school but realized I wasn’t a good corporate employee and began a search for my next job opportunity.
Q. What do you enjoy about pairing wine with food and how do you put your pairings together?
A. Food and wine can be magic together. Think about the strongest flavor in the dish and how the wine should interact with it. Do you want a contrast or a complementary approach to the pairing? Are you matching a flavor in the wine to a similar flavor in the dish-lobster with butter sauce and a big, fat Chardonnay? Or contrasting a creamy goat cheese and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc?
Q. How much value is there in 100 point rating scale?
A. I don’t see a number telling you what a wine tastes like and how it will work with food. But if a customer buys a wine because of a high score and then discovers something new that they like, that’s great.
Q. What are the latest wine trends you are excited about?
A. Being involved with the Sake Education Council I am really excited to learn everything about that unique Japanese beverage.
Q. If you had to fill your glass with only one more pour of wine, what would it be?
A. I love Champagne and would have that as my last glass or my only beverage on a desert island.
Q. What food would you pair with that one last pour of wine?
A. Really great crispy French fries or buttered popcorn.
Q. Please list your top 5 wines on your list today?
A. Right now my favorite wines to have on hand at home are Pinot Noir, Garnacha/Grenache, Cabernet blends, Chardonnay, and, of course, Riesling.