Purposefully designed to make great wine uncomplicated
One could venture to say with Micah Sampson, what you see is pretty much what you get – passion, excitement, intelligence. But each of those things is about as complex as the best glass of wine – and as a sommelier Micah will tell you there’s so much more to wine than just fermented grape juice.
“There’s history, geology, geography, chemistry, cultural studies,” says the San Juan Capistrano resident. “Books and movies have been centered on it. Wars, empires, and country lines have been fought over it.”
So how is it that one of the most uncomplicated pleasures in the world is also one of the most complex and variegated? Micah would like to help answer that question – with his own brand of varietals – Somm’s Stash.
A good sommelier is a helper, a guide to finding the best wine for your food and experience. He says “basically, my job is to drink a lot of wine and know everything about it,” which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from an author when she realized she could major in writing – ‘it was like finding out I could major in eating chocolate.’
“It’s a bummer,” Micah laughs. “But the idea of having a wine brand run by a sommelier was to give people a chance to try and learn about varietals they may not have tried before.”
Uncomplicating the wine game has worked well for the Somm’s Stash since 2020, and unwrapping the mystery of why wine is enjoyable is a task Micah foresees sticking with for a long, long time. Probably longer than the shelf life of that Chardonnay or Petite Sirah sitting in your wine fridge right now.
The best part is, you can go about it any way you want to by booking a private tasting with Micah, and seeing what really goes into the wine you love so much. Bouquet, tannins, aroma, body, finish. Formal, informal – a guided pairing or a casual dinner party with friends where he’ll chat with anyone who has questions.
In a wild turn of events, what seems so uncomplicated stems from an extremely complex background of learning and teaching: the education and wine appreciation behind the distinguished certification. Whatever your reasons for coming to the Somm’s Stash for insight, leave with a personalized understanding of the real world behind wine. After all, what you see is truly what you get – you just have to understand what’s behind that first glimpse.
