Kerne, Broto-Mur obtain the diplomas of Master Sommelier

Brandon Kerne was unsure whether he was going to take the master sommelier exam three weeks before the test. In the end, he thought he had waited long enough. This week was his sixth attempt at a successful wine service and blind tasting portion and he didn’t want to put it off until later. The Hammond, Louisiana native is one of two sommeliers who passed what is widely considered the toughest exam in the wine service industry this week. Frechman Jeremy Broto-Mur is the other.

A pep talk and training with his father prompted Kerne to commit to testing this week.

“There was a question of whether it was smart, if I should sit down to taste this week,” Kerne recalls. “Until three weeks ago, I was wondering if I should take the test. Then I started to think, “How are you coming this year with a clear mind? “

“I felt more in the zone this year than I have been in my life. I felt more mentally empowered.

Kerne and Broto-Mur were the only two candidates to pass the rigorous master sommelier diploma exam out of the 29 who took the tests this week in Saint-Louis. Kerne was among 24 sommeliers who had passed the master sommelier test in 2018 only to have the results later invalidated when it was revealed that one of the exam proctors shared confidential information about the test with the candidates. .

Kerne’s former colleague and mentor Steven McDonald of Houston, San Marcos, Calif., Based in Josh Orr of Broadbent Selections and Jill Zimorski of Chicago-based LVMH, are among the other master sommeliers who have passed the master exam. sommelier after their results were invalidated in 2018. McDonald died in 2018. Orr and Zimorski died in 2019.

Master Sommelier candidates must first pass the wine theory part of the test. This week, master’s candidates who had passed the theory previously were tested on blind serving and tasting. This week’s review is only the second time that the master sommeliers have participated in a section of the test since the pandemic. The Master Sommelier candidates were theoretically tested in July.

Kerne is the Director of Operations at Art of Cellaring (AOC), a Houston wine storage facility and wine retail store. He is also principal of the Texas Wine School, affiliated with the AOC. He was previously a sommelier at the Pappas Brothers Steakhouse in downtown Houston. He has also been Director of Beverages at Bar Italia Ristorante, Director of Wine at 33 Wine Shop & Bar and Assistant Director of Beverages at Elaia & Olio, all in Saint-Louis.

Broto-Mur, who grew up in the French Alps, is currently a grape harvest intern at the Calistoga, California, Rivers-Marie winery. He has worked at Daniel Boulud restaurants for the past six years, first as a head sommelier at Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida, and more recently as a sommelier at flagship Daniel restaurant in New York City. He was previously a sommelier at Gary Danko in San Francisco. He has also worked in Michelin rated restaurants across Europe, including the 3-star Philippe Rochat restaurant in Crissier, Switzerland, the 2-star Patrick Guilbaud restaurant in Dublin, the 2-star Chèvre d’Or in Eze, France and 1 Hambleton star. Hall Hotel & Restaurant in Oakham Rutland, England. Daniel and Gary Danko received two and one Michelin stars respectively.

Kerne and Broto-Mur both attribute their success to mentors and college wine study groups.

Kerne was recruited away from St. Louis by McDonald’s to lead the wine program at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston. Kerne also counts on Skyler Ring of Mastro’s in Houston, Houston State General Manager of Grace Matt Crawford, Danny Steiner of Mexcor Fine Wines in Houston, Master Sommelier Andrey Ivanov of Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine based in St. Louis. Educator Patricia Wamhoff, Dallas-based Master Sommelier Barbara Werley and James Watkins of Paul Hobbs Wines as a support group who assisted him in his training as a Master Sommelier.

Broto-Mur passed the theoretical part in 2019. This week was the second time he was tested in service and blind tasting, a rapid rise for the 34-year-old.

“I prepared differently this time,” said Broto-Mur. “I had to rethink my way of studying. I prepared myself by tasting every morning. Then from last month I was tasting twice a day. I tried to expose myself to as much wine as possible. I had to calibrate my palate for this exam. As for the service, I read a few books. I have been a Sommelier for 10 years. For the service, I had to focus more on the true meaning of hospitality. It was a lot of work.

“I had no intention of succeeding. This is the type of exam that you give your best but you never know how you are going to do it.

Including Broto-Mur and Kerne, 165 Master Sommelier degrees have been issued by the Court of Master Sommelier Americas since 1973 and the first since 2019. Eddie Osterland, who currently runs an entertainment and wine consulting company in La Jolla, in California, was the first American to receive this honor in 1973.

Broto-Mur and Kerne engage in their current work and envision more success in the future.

“I hope my life doesn’t change a lot because I’m very happy now,” Kerne said. “For me, obtaining the master sommelier diploma is more the work of a lifetime. You have been told it is the hardest test on the planet and now you are told that you have achieved mastery in your field.

Late last year, after a New York Times investigation into a culture of sexual harassment and abuse in the Master Sommelier Court, seven master sommeliers, including co-founder Fred Dame, were suspended. An eighth master sommelier, Geoff Kruth, renounced his membership and resigned as chairman of GuildSomm, an educational organization affiliated with the Court of Master Sommeliers.