Sommelier Quotes

“Drinking wine is like using magic: there's always a price to pay.”
― Neel Burton, The Concise Guide to Wine & Blind Tasting

“People should have fun with wine. A bottle should sit on your dinner table like all of the other condiments.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“Some people say, "What difference does it make what color the winemaker is that made the wine? Judge the wines off their own merit." Like, of course. And I do believe that my wine is judged off its own merit. But the fact is that when you walk into places and people can't believe that you're the principal or you're the owner or you made the wine, it's mind-blowing to me some days. It's like, wow. That's why we need to continue talking about it.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“I feel like you can’t judge a book by its cover, that’s always been the story of my life. I can walk into any restaurant and people would be floored to learn that I know what I do about wine, let alone that I ran one of the best wine programs in the world.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“Drinking wine was not historically limited to people who could afford it. Western and European culture turned it into an elite thing. Winemakers were farmers and field workers. Everyday people. And that’s who should enjoy and have access to wine.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“The common myth is that African Americans aren’t well-educated about wine, but in truth, we’re like everyone else. We like what we like – high or low. A $100 bottle of wine can taste as awful as a $2 bottle, and the opposite is true, as well. If you know what you like, buy it. But don’t just buy it because it’s expensive.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“Black vintners in this country make some really great wines. Explore a wine list and you will find at least one of our wines in the best restaurants. Buy a bottle for your table, and let management know you appreciate them including a Black winemaker in their stock.”
― Andre Hueston Mack

“Along with ducks, I’m somewhat of a wine expert. I know there are three kinds of wine: Red, white, and pink, for those connoisseurs like me who mix the two for optimal chugging. I should be a sommelier and rent out my alcoholic grape juice experience to sophisticated buyers.”
― Jarod Kintz, Music is fluid, and my saxophone overflows when my ducks slosh in the sounds I make in elevators.