We invite you to apply for the Rudd Round Table taking place March 19th-20th, 2023, SommFoundation’s most prestigious annual event.

The Rudd Round Table was founded in 2009, through a collaboration with Leslie Rudd, the Rudd Foundation, and SommFoundation. The event is a two-day educational and mentorship program, featuring twelve Master Sommeliers and twelve aspiring Master Sommelier students in an intensive and intimate learning environment.

Each calendar year, the top scorers of the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Exams are named the Rudd Scholars for that year and attend the Rudd Round Table the following March. In addition to the Rudd Scholars, nine students will be selected to participate. We invite all eligible students to apply. All applicants are required to provide letters of recommendation. Our SommFoundation team will select the final participants through a rigorous vetting process. Receiving an invitation to this event is a recognition of both significant accomplishment and remarkable potential.

*As there was only one Advanced Sommelier Exam in 2022, the three Rudd Scholars for our 2023 event will be the three students with the highest combined score from theory, practical, and tasting in 2022. Due to a tied second place score, the Rudd Foundation has graciously offered four Rudd Scholarships for 2023. Eight additional attendees will be selected from the applications through our blind vetting process.

Event Details:
This event begins Sunday afternoon and runs through the late evening on Monday. The event kicks off with a private tour of Rudd Estate, followed by a blind tasting of benchmark wines from around the world (to be revealed later). Sunday reception and dinner will be hosted by Samantha Rudd at PRESS Restaurant in St. Helena, featuring wines from Rudd Estate. Monday is a full-day intensive series of working sessions focused on theory, tasting and service, and the business of wine, including one-on-one Master Sommelier coaching sessions. Monday night, SommFoundation will host a formal dinner and awards ceremony, where the Leslie Rudd Award will be presented to the top Advanced Sommelier Exam scorer among the Rudd Scholars. Old and rare wines from the SommFoundation cellar will be served. Airfare, transport, lodging, and meals are included.

Eligibility:

• Must work and reside in the United States
• Prior completion of the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier Exam (this will be verified with CMS)
• Intention to sit for the Court of Master Sommeliers Master Sommelier Diploma
• Availability and commitment to attend the entire event. Students must arrive in Napa no later than 3pm, March 19th, attend all day on the 20th, returning home on the 21st. The Tuesday morning shuttle will depart around 5am back to San Francisco.
• If you are selected to attend, you will be required to sign this Covid 19 Waiver. Please read prior to submitting your application.
• Students must agree to adhere to all Covid-19 guidelines, rules, and regulations that any of our sponsors, common carriers, service providers, Napa County, and the State of California require.
• All students will also be required to sign the following standard forms: Code of Conduct, Publicity Consent, Waiver of Liability.

***MS who are in good standing with the CMS are eligible to attend Rudd Round Table

The Rudd Round Table is about honoring your commitments to your personal development, your community, and to the industry as a whole. Throughout the event, you will interact with leaders in the industry and fellow Master Sommelier Diploma students – we hope you will connect and develop lifelong friendships, as many others have done in the past. You will dine well and will taste some of the great wines of the world.

The Rudd family and the Rudd Foundation have been steadfast supporters of the sommelier community for decades. They believe in creating educational opportunities for wine professionals to expand knowledge and understanding.

Learn more about the Rudd Round Table here.

Please see SommFoundation’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

“My experience at the Rudd Round Table was pivotal to who I’ve become as a leader, mentor, and as a person. It solidified my ability to attain the title of Master Sommelier and opened many doors from the very first day. I am extremely grateful for every opportunity and friendship that has come from those two days and I am thankful that I was able to be a part of such a meaningful experience.”
-Justin Moore MS, Garagiste Wine Room and Merchant, Las Vegas, NV.

“As one of those Rudd Roundtable Alumni who is fortunate enough to have been on both sides of the table as both a participant as well as an educator, I am forever thankful. The experience and insight gained as a candidate for the MS diploma was invaluable, and getting the opportunity to come back and share some of my ideas for others along the same path is something I will forever be thankful for and can’t wait to do it for another class of our industry’s bright stars.”
-Jeremiah Morehouse MS, Wine Director, Palette Hospitality Group

Deadline to apply, January 11th, 11pm Pacific, 2023

SommFoundation thanks Durand and Sophienwald/Adelion for their contributions to this event.