Ian Cauble – The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts hold their employees, known as Ladies and Gentlemen, to the highest standards regarding service, education, and class. The perfect example of a Gentleman of The Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts is Ian Cauble, Wine Director and Lead Sommelier for The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. On October 5th, Ian was named Top Young Sommelier of the World by the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, the world’s oldest gastronomic society based in Paris, France. He was also named Top Sommelier of the Western United States by the Guild of Sommeliers in June of 2011, and voted one of the Best New Sommeliers in the United States by Wine and Spirits Magazine.
After attending Sonoma State University for Spanish and International Business, Ian spent three weeks in Chile studying and quickly learning the varietals, wine production, and terroir of that region. This sparked his urge to continue with wine education and exploration in the world of food and beverage. After spending time traveling to Europe, Morocco, and India, and working in Portugal, he set his sights on becoming a world class sommelier.
The Ritz-Carlton as a company has been a huge support in Ian’s career, sponsoring his attempts at the Master Sommelier Examination and providing a perfect location, at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, where Ian is able to perfect his craft. An important learning opportunity Ian values is surrounding himself with knowledgeable wine experts and understanding you learn from people more than you will learn from a book. With the 2012 VIBE Award Nominee, The Ritz-Carlton Luxury Beverage Collection Wine Program, Ian is able to work with world-class wines to taste, study, and serve on a daily basis.
Ian Cauble’s motto is “hard work is the only way forward” and with that, he is intent on enhancing his wine expertise by aspiring to pass the Tasting Portion of the Master Sommelier Exam in 2012.
The goals of becoming a Master Sommelier and possibly engaging in wine-making lay within his sights. Even with some of his dreams still around the corner, Ian already says, “It has been an incredible journey.”
SOMM Documentary Trailer 1 from Forgotten Man Films on Vimeo.
