Carlton McCoy, one of the wine industry’s newest heavy hitters, earned the Master Sommelier (侍酒师) title -the highest qualification in the wine industry.
Though he is now known in the field, McCoy entered the industry through the kitchen. He was raised by his grandmother in Washington, D.C. and cooking was a significant part of his childhood.As a winner in a cooking competition designed for disadvantaged teenagers,McCoy earned a full scholarship to a college, Culinary Institute of America(CIA). This was a major turning point in his life, as he hadn’t been planning to enter college.
“CIA’s like the military. You have to show up every day clean-shaven, and your knives must be sharp. If the chef can’t slice a sheet of paper with your knife, you have to go home and sharpen your knives,” McCoy says. “I know it’s very odd, but I actually thought it was fun.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree in CIA, McCoy moved to New York, where he found that servers made more money than cooks, so he became a temporary server. But he ended up really enjoying the delight of getting to connect with people over food and wine. “I like talking to people about food,” he says. “It was something I really missed in the past.”
To tell his customers more, he tried to learn about wine, and that was how he came to learn the Court of Master Sommeliers. At 28 years old, he became the second-youngest person in the world to pass the Master Sommelier exam. McCoy is now the CEO of Heitz Cellar.
“I think my existing in a high position hopefully can lead as an example to encourage others to be confident,”he says. “Just like ‘hey look, this is something I could do.’ To me, it’s worth it to take my career as far as I can just to show people that they can also makea difference.”
4. What led McCoy to go to college?
A.His passion for cooking. |
B.His fame in the wine industry. |
C.His grandma’s encouragement. |
D.His scholarship from a competition. |
5. Which of the following best describes the McCoy’s experience in CIA?
A.Risky and tiring. | B.Meaningful but fruitless. |
C.Difficult and unpleasant. | D.Stressful but interesting. |
6. Why did McCoy initially choose to be a server after earning his bachelor’s degree?
A.He could earn more money as a server. |
B.He was able to learn more about wine. |
C.He missed his childhood experience. |
D.He was fond of interacting with people. |
7. What can we learn from McCoy’s words in the last paragraph?
A.Details determine success or failure. |
B.All things are difficult before they are easy. |
C.Never underestimate your power to change yourself. |
D.Knowledge without practice makes but half an artist. |