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ELITE SOMMELIER SERVICES
AND
WINE APPRAISALS


SIGN UP FOR
THE WINE COLLECTING MASTER CLASS

LED BY ENOTRIAS FOUNDER, MELISSA L. SMITH

 
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COURSES
& EVENTS

 
Enotrias offers a one of a kind
MCLE on the Valuation of Wine Collections that has been certified by the Bar Associations of California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah.
For more information contact us here.

Virtual seminars on Wine Collecting, Maintaining a Wine Collection, Establishing and Growing Wine Collections for Personal Enjoyment and Investment purposes, are available for private audiences.
To host an event contact us here. 

Following are a selection of our most popular and successful events,
seminars, fundraisers, and tastings.

Every experience lasts between one and two hours, begins with a sparkling wine or cocktail reception, and includes four to six pours of hand selected wines or spirits with a thorough education on the selected theme.
 
All events are completely customizable and are available in-person or as a live onlineexperience 
 

Exploring Wine of Silicon Valley

From the wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Urban Wineries of San Francisco, the Bay Area is home to historic and ground breaking wineries of incredible quality. 

 

Exploring Pinot Noir

The grape responsible for Champagne and Burgundy, has performed throughout France, New Zealand, and the West Coast. Whether focusing on a specific region or tasting Pinot Noir from around the globe, you will see why this is a prized and popular varietal. 

 

Exploring Champagne

A fundraising favorite, we will experience true Champagne from top growers, exceptional vintages, and varying styles.

 

Exploring Italy

One of the most complex, complicated, and rewarding regions in the wine world provides endless themes for tasting.

 

Exploring Bordeaux

The history and quality of Bordeaux is unparalleled. Through the Cabernet dominant wines of the Left Bank, the Merlot heavy wines of the Right Bank, and the botrytis rich wines of Entre-Deux-Mer, you will come away with a newfound respect for the region. 

 

How to Drink Wine Like a Baller on a Student Budget

A class taught to Stanford Business Students where they were able to learn about and taste four wines affordable on a student's budget, that set them on the path of wine enlightenment. Key tools and resources were used in developing an education that will save hours and thousands of dollars in education, while instilling a level of unparalleled passion.

 

Exploring Wines and Spirits of the Santa Cruz Mountains

A region that is tucked away above Silicon Valley and generally only viewed from a southern approach to SFO, holds some of the best wines in California, and hidden distilleries. 

 

Exploring Wines of Mexico and South America

In addition to the exceptional wines of Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, the Valle de Guadalupe of Baja Mexico is rapidly becoming a new wine destination known for growing Italian varietals. 

 

Mommy's First Wine Tasting and Daddy's First Whisk(e)y Tasting

Baby is here, mom and dad are settling into their new “normal”, and it is time to reconnect over a bottle (or 6) of wine, and a dram (or 6) of whisk(e)y. Congratulate the new parents and their triumphant first months of parenthood with a night off of parental commitments! Hand the kids over to the other and join a group of Dad’s and “Uncle's” or Mom's and "Auntie's" for an afternoon of bonding over a flight of premium spirits and wine. You will be guided through a tasting of hand selected whisk(e)ys and wine from around the world, while catching up, and sharing tales of  life with baby.

 

Mad Men Cocktail Class

One of our most popular classes! Mad Men aside, this is a class that every cocktail enthusiast should begin with. Whether starting your own home bar, a job in the restaurant industry, or you just want to perfect the basics this class should not be missed. We will talk about the history and background of not only 7 of the top and most basic cocktails, but we will taste through each individual, hand selected, spirit. You will learn the basics of the bar, equipment, spirits, ingredients, and technique.

Sake 101

Learn the basics of sake from one of the original Sake Sommeliers in the country. Melissa L. Smith trained under famed Japanese chef Hiro Sone of Terra in St Helena during its peak, and then spent time at The Four Seasons in Chinzanso in Tokyo where she experienced sake as an integral part of izakaya dining experiences at the famed five star property. When Melissa returned to the US, she became the sake buyer for K&L Wine Merchants and earned her sake sommelier certification from the Sake Education Council led by sake master John Gautner. 


A beverage all too often associated with sushi and hangovers, Melissa L. Smith will guide you through the basics of sake, from production, to food pairings outside of Japanese cuisine. You will learn the nuances of the different grades, how to purchase, store, and properly enjoy this incredible, gluten free, food friendly rice based alternative to wine and beer. 

~Wines, sakes, and spirits can be customized to fit any budget from $20/bottle to $2000/bottle~

 

EVENTS
SERVICES

SERVICES

EVENTS

WINE CELLAR MANAGEMENT

CONSULTING

Full service in-home and corporate team building wine and spirits seminars offered on and off site. Custom themes and signature cocktails can be tailored to your event. 

VALUATION of WINE COLLECTIONS CLE

California State Bar Association certified Continuing Legal Education seminar on the Valuation of wine collections as they pertain to family law and trust.

Elite Sommelier Services include organization, inventory, tracking software, valuation, brokering, wine curation for investment and consumption, and collection maintenance.

 

WINE APPRAISALS 

Specializing in inventory and valuation for insurance and legal purposes.

All wine appraisals are  USPAP compliant.

Appraisal Services Include:

  • Consultant

  • Damage Claims

  • Divorce Settlements

  • Equitable Distribution

  • Estate Probate

  • Estate Sales

  • Insurance Claims

  • Non-Cash Charitable Donations

Services ranging from developing food and beverage programs, events, marketing, social media, 

and staff training.

Specializing in re-branding and revitalizing existing businesses.

WINE RELOCATION

Inventorying, organizing, and coordination of relocating wine collections with wine specific movers.

Wine movers will handle the packing, transport, and insuring of the collection.

ABOUT US

Melissa L. Smith is the FORBES and Robb Report recognized Founder of Enotrias Elite Sommelier Services

 

A wine appraiser, educator, writer, expert witness, and the creator of the Wine Collecting Master Class, Certified Sommelier Melissa L. Smith built her profile as "The Sommelier to the Silicon Valley Stars",  and has since grown Enotrias into the country's premier provider of private cellar management.

 

While maintaining a full time position as the Head Sommelier for K&L Wine Merchants, the largest online wine and spirits retailer in the country, she developed the first iPhone App for wine pronunciation, the Enotria Guide, and simultaneously created Enotrias, providing cellar organization and wine appraisal services to top collectors in the Bay Area. After over a decade working with various collections, she developed proprietary software unique to Enotrias, allowing for wine cellar inventories that are the most efficient and accurate in the industry, and compatible with commonly used cloud based inventory platforms.

 

In 2018, Melissa became the first person certified by the California State Bar Association for her continuing education seminar on The Valuation and Appraisal of Wine Collections, and in 2020 her CLE was credited in Texas, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and later in Florida. Her reputation for providing high profile clients with cellar services has lead to a series of MCLE seminars, where she works directly with Family Law and Trust and Estate attorneys as a valued resource for legal cases, and USPAP compliant appraisals.

In 2022, she created the world's first online Wine Collecting Master Class, based on the one-hour seminar on wine collecting that has been attended by wine enthusiasts and attorneys around the US. 

 

Melissa is a CIA trained chef that spent 15 years in some of the top kitchens in the country as well as Japan, including stints at the French Laundry, and at Terra, under chef Hiro Sone. After spending years roaming the country with her knife bag and an unbridled sense of adventure, bouncing from a Relais & Chateaux dude ranch in Montana to a hunting camp in Idaho, to a charter yacht in Southeast Alaska, and a pineapple scented season in Maui, Melissa then spent time as the private chef for families of industry giants, and settled down in the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue a career in wine and hospitality.

 

Melissa is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, The Culinary Institute of America, The California State Bar Association, The Sake Education Counsel, and the Appraisers Association for USPAP. Melissa's work has been published in print and online, and she is often used as a trusted source for industry news. ​

Enotrias Clients
ABOUT US
CONTACT

CONTACT

To subscribe to the newsletter, book an event, or to schedule a cellar consultation or wine appraisal, please fill out the form to the right or call the number below and someone will be in touch as soon as possible. 


Tel: 510.969.WINE (9463)

Success! Message received. We will contact you as soon as possible. All the best, The Enotrias Team

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