Emerging Wine Regions Seminar
Presented by Max Kast, MS with Broadbent Selections | April 27, 2019


Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend hosted an educational wine seminar that explored emerging wine regions producing exceptional wines. The seminar was presented by Max Kast, Master Sommelier and Director of Education at Broadbent Selections. The seminar was held at Barings’ Sky Room on the 26th Floor. Attendees tasted eight different wines including 2013 Gusborne Brut Reserve | Kent, England; 2017 Tyrell’s Semillon | Hunter Valley, Australia; 2015 Spy Valley Riesling | Marlborough, New Zealand; 2016 Badenhorst Family White | Swartland, South Africa; 2016 Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve | Virginia; 2006 Bodegas Weinert Malbec | Mendoza, Argentina; 2011 Château Musar Rouge | Bekaa Valley, Lebanon; and the Broadbent 10 Year Verdelho Madeira | Portugal. These wines were sure to broaden attendees horizons and reward their palate!

About Max Kast, MS and Director of Education at Broadbent Selections - while studying History at the University of Montana, he supported himself by working in restaurants and wine bars. With a pocket full of tip money, he purchased a bottle of 1991 Chateau Musar Rouge and fell completely in love with wine.  After graduating with a BA, he decided to forego the world of academia for a full time career in the world of food and wine when he realized he spent more time reading Michael Broadbent, Kermit Lynch, and Jancis Robinson than applying to grad school. Max was the wine director at the Relais & Chateaux property, Triple Creek Ranch in the Bitteroot Valley of Montana before he moved to Chapel Hill, NC where he spent 10-years  as Wine Director of the Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux Fearrington House Restaurant. During his time at the  Fearrington House he helped the property earn the coveted  Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux and the Forbes Five Star designations.

In 2018 after over a decade of traveling, tasting, studying and more studying, Max earned the coveted designation of Master Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers.  Max is one of only 256 Master Sommeliers in the world.  Since 2016 Max has worked for Broadbent Selections, where he passionately promotes their diverse portfolio of family-owned global boutique wineries from around the world including the wine that set him on his path, Chateau Musar.

Photo Credits: Poprock Photoraphy