Who Is Madeline Triffon?
Madeline Triffon is an American wine and hospitality specialist, and Master Sommelier.
When she passed the M. S. exam in 1987, she was the sixth American, the first American woman, and the second woman in the world to attain the credential.
Today, she is one of 170 professionals who have earned the title in the Americas chapter; of these, 25 are women. There are 274 professionals worldwide who have received the title of Master Sommelier since it was established in 1969.
Madeline spent many years as the wine director for restaurants in the Metro Detroit area. Today, she works for Plum Market, an independent Midwest retailer organizing and hosting wine events as well as vetting wine selections.
She is happiest in her interactions with guests and staff, and loves nothing better than sharing her experience.
And, she loves tasting wine!
"I grew up in Greece and you’ll see that modern Greek wines often show up here. I like teaching people to say Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko like a native! I literally tripped into the wine business at age 21, fresh out of college, when I applied to the then newly built Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. “Would you like to be a sommelier?” “Sure, what’s that?” This was the conversation with a food and beverage director who hired me for their French dining room."
"The job taught me – quite literally. Learning to recognize quality in wine and making recommendations to dinner guests was a very fast master class in this profession. And I have you, the consumer, the guest, to thank! For keeping my language simple, for keeping intent in exceeding your expectations, for making my recommendations overperform in their price points. This experience as a sommelier fueled my desire to give back to the community, and In the Glass is the happy result!"
