Over Time, Wine Studies Master Sees Major Trends
Few have the experience and expertise of BU MET instructor Sandy Block. There are less than 400 certified Masters of Wine in the world, and Sandy is one of two teaching at Boston University, having developed the four-level Certificate Program in Wine Studies that provides unparalleled instruction on everything from the field’s core fundamentals to perspectives on the trade in local, national, and international arenas.
Like many BU MET faculty, Block is a practitioner as well as a teacher, and as vice president of beverage operations at Legal Sea Foods, he has been responsible for making sure diners at the restaurant group’s many locations have the perfect pairing for their meal for over 15 years.
In that time, he has seen things change. In a recent interview with Wine Spectator magazine, Block shared insights into the evolutions he has observed, from the downswing in popularity of once-stalwart Australian wines, to an increase in diners willingness to enjoy a red with their sea food. “White wine is a much slimmer majority than it was 15 years ago,” he explained of Legal patrons. “One of the other major trends is more wine by the glass and less by the bottle.”
Whether they are establishing or advancing a career in wine, or simply quenching the thirst of their passions, the wine-studying students of Mr. Block benefit from his deep applied knowledge of the subject. Learn about how he has seen the wine world change, and how he fell in love with the trade, in Mr. Block’s interview in Wine Spectator.