In attaining the title of Advanced Sommelier, Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou became 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 seafood-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 people before her had not: pass.
“It’s a huge investment of time and money and emotional energy and sacrifice,” she says. And Mandalou isn’t done studying yet — passing the Advanced 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.
Read the full article here: https://www.comstocksmag.com/article/elizabeth-rose-mandalou-sacramentos-first-female-advanced-sommelier
