The Usual Suspects: Misogyny, Sexual Harassment & Sommeliers

After reading the New York Times article, ‘The Wine World’s Most Elite Circle has a Sexual Harassment Problem,’ I feel compelled to share the experiences of my decade-long career in restaurants. The story unveiled the nasty truth behind the Court of Master Sommeliers, America (CMS-A); it is ridden with quid pro quo sexual harassment. Hold the phone; an ‘old boys’ club’ is biased based on gender? If you’re surprised, you shouldn’t be. 

Before I share my story and reaction to the article, I’d like to provide some background for context. From its inception in 2009, GuildSomm, the separate educational wing to CMS-A, used my image to decorate their home page. My headshot was displayed alongside a dozen master sommeliers, most of whom were old white men. As a young blonde certified sommelier, I stuck out like a sore thumb. I became known as Miss GuildSomm (thanks for that one, Shayn haha) or Barbie Somm to the haters. One could draw the conclusion that my face was used to lure a younger female demographic to the court.


When the ‘Me Too’ movement gained popularity in 2017, I wondered when and if it would bring about change to the wine industry. On social media, I posted #MeToo but my lips remained sealed because I was afraid. I would like to thank and acknowledge the women who came forward in this story for their courage and for paving the way for real change. 

The Wine World has a Sexual Harassment Problem

When I read Jane Lopes’ encounter with Geoff Kruth, the founder and president of GuildSomm, it brought me back to a night in August 2010, where I had a similar experience with him. After a wine tasting in Chicago, my then fiancé and I shared a cab with Geoff and we were the first stop. My ex-fiancé exited the cab and walked towards the lobby of our apartment building. I gave Geoff a side hug to say good night. Instead, Geoff went in for an uninvited kiss, grabbing me with his free hand. I pulled back and said, ‘wow, you just kissed me.’ He then claimed that I was the one who kissed him. He knew how to manipulate the ‘story’ on the spot. I should’ve known then that I wasn’t the only victim. Now reading other encounters with the alleged predator, I wonder how differently my story could’ve been had my ex-fiancé not been 12 feet away. 


Geoff’s unwelcomed passes did not stop there. In 2011, he offered to pay for my flight from Chicago to stay with him for a week at his Sonoma county home. I would have access to a car and he would arrange exclusive wine tastings that wouldn’t otherwise be available to me. The only caveat: I was to have sex with him while his wife watched. As he put it, he and his wife had an open marriage. If he remained on his best behavior all year, he got one hall pass for his birthday. I was the ‘lucky girl’ he wanted to spend his hall pass on. Judging by the New York Times article, he used his ‘hall pass’ much more liberally. 


I politely declined Geoff’s offer and remained on ‘good terms’ with him. Upon reading his official response to the allegations against him, that ‘many of the women remained on good terms with him,’ I grew angry. Of course we did. Geoff, of all people, knows what the weight of a reference letter from a Master Sommelier holds. Based on conversations with Geoff, he had the capability to ‘black ball’ people from the court, preventing them from passing their exams despite paying their dues. It was common knowledge that you did not want to get on his bad side. 


The placement of my photograph on GuildSomm opened doors to many career opportunities that may not have otherwise presented themselves. Being awarded the Bordeaux enrichment trip from the guild in 2010 remains one of my favorite memories professionally. After 2011, those opportunities became few and far between. I will never know if I was ‘black balled’, as Geoff called it. But with a bitter taste in my mouth, I walked away from the court and never looked back. I refuse to associate myself with such corruption and quid pro quo tactics. 


The price we paid is not the price we have to pay.

During my years in Chicago as a sommelier of Michelin-rated restaurants, there were many times that I was one of the only women at the table. At one such event, I had the displeasure of meeting Fred Dame, the court’s co-founder and honorary ‘chair emeritus.’ I had been warned about his reputation of being a womanizer by several master sommeliers prior to this lunch. But the allure of meeting Charlie Trotter in the flesh and tasting single vineyard vintage Kistler wines surpassed my anxiety of being demoralized in front of my sommelier peers. I remember awkwardly laughing off his countless crude and sexist remarks. I would justify to myself, ‘this is just the price we pay as women in a man’s business, right?’


According to the New York Times article, the ‘court’s representative said it had recently received its first formal complaint of misconduct against Mr. Dame.’ From my and many others' experiences, Mr. Dame’s reputation preceded him. The fact that the court is investigating its first claim against him seems confounding to me. I hope this is the beginning of a movement and it provides the much needed courage for his victims to speak out. 


Since the New York Times story was published, CMS-A published a public statement on October 29 absolving themselves of any association with GuildSomm and Geoff Kruth. The seven accused members of CMS-A were suspended, and another resigned, and will undergo an internal investigation. While this was a good start, it falls short in so many ways. 


The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
— A quote often attributed to Socrates. It is actually from a character named Socrates who was a gas-station attendant in a book published in the 1980’s titled Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives by Dan Millman.

How does a 43-year-old institution change it’s ingrained male chauvinistic ways? Start with the following: 

  • Replace the entire CMS-A board of directors, starting with Devon Broglie.  

  • Show actionable steps towards reformation. 

  • Hold a fair third party investigation of the accused. 

  • Permanently strip the accused of their pins and titles. 

This petition outlines in detail the steps that are being requested from the sommelier community. While you’re taking a peak, please take a moment to sign it!

Help other women thrive in their careers (I could write an essay on this topic alone). There is enough opportunity pie to go around for everyone. If you hold a position of authority, consider participating in the Bâttonage mentorship program. Empowered women empower women. 

Just because there are a few bad apples, doesn’t mean the whole bunch is rotten. There are so many talented and respectful men in the wine business that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. Hopefully this movement drains the swamp of its leeches, allowing for a fresh start.

For my daughter and any woman pursuing a career in wine; I hope we will do better for you. Let’s create a fair playing field that transcends gender, race or religious bias. The price we paid is not the price we have to pay. 

If you are a victim, please share your story to: cmssurvivors@gmail.com

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