Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis Congratulates Two Cinder House Wine Professionals Who Earned Advanced Sommelier Status from The Court of Master Sommeliers

Cinder House at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis announces that two members of its sommelier team have achieved Advanced Sommelier status from The Court of Master Sommeliers.  Anthony Geary and Alisha Blackwell-Calvert passed three days of extensive testing to move forward to the next level of accreditation from this prestigious organization. These achievements further cement the positioning of Cinder House’s wine program as a leader not only in St. Louis, but throughout the Midwest.

At this level, candidates distinguish themselves with a superior understanding of wine theory and beverage service, and possess highly sophisticated tasting abilities.  Anthony and Alisha are among just 31 who successfully advanced from the total 225 candidates that participated in this year’s exam, and are the only two from Missouri.

The Court of Master Sommeliers sets the global standard of excellence for beverage service within the hospitality industry, with a focus on integrity, exemplary knowledge, and humility. The organization’s mission is to elevate the quality of beverage service and chart the course for current and future Master Sommeliers worldwide.

Anthony Geary, Sommelier for Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, leads the Hotel’s wine program and is responsible for achieving its many accolades to date.  This includes winning the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for the third consecutive year on behalf of the Hotel’s Cinder House restaurant.  Anthony was also recently named Food & Beverage Professional of the Year for 2022 by Missouri chapter of The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, has earned numerous accolades including: 2021 “Sommelier of the Year” Wine Enthusiast Magazine Wine Star Award nominee, Wine Enthusiast "Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers;" and a Feast Magazine “Rising Star” in 2018. Previously, she received the 2015 Walter Clore Certified Sommelier Scholarship for top score and attained the Certified Specialist of Wine certification through the Society of Wine Educators with a 99% score the same year.