By Remy Sisk • Photos By Matt Johnson
When it comes to wine, Scott Harper is literally the expert. A managing partner of the Bristol and co-owner of Cuvée Wine Table, Harper is a Master Sommelier, a certified mastermind in the world of wine. Master Sommelier is the highest level of distinction there is in the wine industry, and the title is so notoriously difficult to attain that the exam holds a 5 percent pass rate with only 279 people worldwide currently holding the title, and Harper is one of them.
Harper was first drawn to wine at a young age when he had a job bussing tables at an Italian restaurant. His interest piqued, trips to California and Italy broadened his knowledge and expanded his palate. In the early 1990s, he decided to pursue the formal sommelier title. Now today, there are three levels before attaining the title of Master Sommelier, but when Harper embarked on his journey, there were only two. After he passed the second one, he remembers making the decision to go ahead and work toward the top title.
“You have to be dedicated,” he says of the process. “There’s no formal classes. There are a very limited number of classes but nothing like a semester in college. You have to be a passionate person. If you’re not really passionate about wine, then you’re not going to get through it. If you’re doing it for a raise, a promotion or anything like that, it just doesn’t make sense.”
There are a multitude of elements to the certification process including theory, a blind tasting and a hospitality and service component. Harper identifies that the exam challenges every candidate in different ways and to actually pass the exam takes years of dedicated study. He shares, “If you said today, ‘Scott, I want to become a Master Sommelier. How long do you think it will take?’ I would probably say 10 years.”
Having emerged triumphant from such an erudite endeavor, Harper puts his knowledge to good use at Cuvée Wine Table, a chic eatery and wine bar in Springhurst here in Louisville. But he’s sure to not let his refined knowledge eclipse the merriment inherent in wine. “Drinking wine is about having fun and enjoying yourself for God’s sake,” he laughs. “So, let’s not all be too hoity-toity about it. We have 58 wines by the glass at Cuvée, a couple of hundred by the bottle and we do a 2-ounce taste as well.”
Certainly, Cuvée is an ideal destination for those interested in exploring more intentionally the world of wine, even if you’re not even sure where to start. “If you give us an idea of what you like, what you normally may drink,” Harper shares, “we can help you. … It’s just really about listening to our guests and seeing what they like and then doing our best to match that.” For those who want to dive even deeper and learn more, Cuvée also hosts wine dinners monthly and offers a wine club, where members can choose from different tiers to experience wines they may not otherwise.
Regardless of the prestige of the Master Sommelier title, Harper is insistent that Cuvée is anything but pretentious – it’s an inviting and accessible place that can open your mind to the world of wine with menu selections curated by literal experts. “Wine is about pleasure, having fun, engaging with fellow people,” he emphasizes. “It never needs to be overly serious. … I always find that people who drink wine are happier people.”