D.C. Theater Showcased What It Takes To Become A Master Sommelier

Washington, D.C.-area residents who went to the Angelika Film Center & Café on June 19 sipped three different types of Napa Valley's Beringer wines, watched 2012's SOMM—a documentary about the journey of four men as they prepare to take the master sommelier exams, considered to be the highest distinction a professional can attain in the fine wine and beverage industry—and listened to a Q&A with one of the Washington, D.C. area's two master sommeliers, Keith Goldston of Bryan Voltaggio's RANGE.

At around 6 p.m., guests could start trying Beringer's Napa Valley Chardonnay, which was being poured on the first level near the check-in desk. Visitors could then make their way up to the Angelika's third-level Lounge—home to a bar—where they could sample Beringer's Meritage, a red wine made with dark and red black fruits, and the vineyard's Cabernet Sauvignon.

SOMM started at 7:30 p.m. and was followed by a Q&A with Goldston. After the Q&A, Goldston told The Daily Meal that becoming a master sommelier (they are only 201 in the world since the test began being administered in 1969) gave him respect with Voltaggio and confidence to create RANGE's wine menu, which is based on music.

But no, you won't find just a list of wines that remind Goldston of his favorite bands. "It's more of a mood, a style, a feeling," he says. "I have one page that's whites with precision, power and intensity, some would say, the greatest ever, either you get it or you don't. Rush. I'm not a huge Rush fan, but the Rush fans are insane. They're crazy, they're passionate, and they will argue to the death that it's the greatest, most-talented band ever, and that whole page is nothing but Rieslings. And Riesling fans are very passionate and crazy like Rush fans."

The other artists that inspired his wine menu include skinny Elvis and fat Elvis and pre- and post-drugs Beatles. To read more about RANGE, please visit voltrange.com.

Click here for more about SOMM.

Teresa Tobat is the Washington, D.C. travel city editor for The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @ttobat88. View her website at teresaktobat.com.