Madeline triffon biography
- Madeline Triffon is an.
- Madeline Triffon is an American wine specialist and sommelier.
- “I started in the late seventies, graduating college, dragging my feet going to law school or medical school, and studying theater.
- •
Who are the ‘super sommeliers’?
Elin McCoy picks the names to know...
Top sommeliers to know
Originally published in the July 2017 issue of Decanter magazine and edited for Decanter.com by Ellie Douglas.
Superstars of the day
We’ve covered the pioneers of the new-wave sommelier, including Gerard Basset MW MS OBE, Kevin Zraly, Daniel Johnnes and Paul Grieco. Below are some more of today’s stars.
Austria-born Aldo Sohm, master sommelier who plies his trade as ‘chef sommelier’ at Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in New York, shot to prominence after he won one of the two World’s Best Sommelier competitions in 2008. From there his reputation soared, bringing other opportunities that spread his name, including a collaboration with Zalto glassware, another with Laguiole on a signature corkscrew, and the launch of the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar just down the block from the restaurant.
The sheer difficulty of the competition for World’s Best Sommelier attracts global interest and media attention, which adds to the winner’s lustre. A 4,000-strong
- •
WWC23 – Madeline Triffon MS, by Rebecca Miles-Steiner
This entry to our 2023 wine writing competition, by sommelier Rebecca Miles-Steiner, is about Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon. For more great wine writing, see our competition guide.
Rebecca Miles-Steiner writes Rebecca Miles-Steiner graduated from Wells College, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, with a degree in Theatre. While working as a Stage Manager in Chicago, her college-sparked love of Riesling and a library borrowed Jancis Robinson book set her on the wine and spirits path. She helped to open and then managed a boutique wine and spirit store in Lincoln Park, worked as a wine and spirit buyer for Whole Foods, was a wine captain and event lead at City Winery Chicago pre-pandemic, a Fine Wine Specialist and spirit buyer at Plum Market’s Old Town Chicago location, and is now a Fine Wine Specialist with Domaine Wine Storage in Chicago. She is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently making her way through the WSET Diploma program. In her spare time sh American wine specialist and sommelier Madeline Triffon is an Americanwine specialist and sommelier. Upon her completion of the Master Sommelier test in 1985, she was the ninth American, the first American woman, and overall only the second woman in the world to pass. She has been nicknamed "Detroit's First Lady of Wine."[1] In 2012, she was named IntoWine.com's 90th most influential person in the United States wine industry.[2] Madeline Triffon was born in New Haven, Connecticut. When she was three years old, her family relocated to Greece.[3] Triffon worked in the food industry to work her way through college. She sought to attend medical school.[4] She graduated, in 1977, from the University of Michigan.[5] She lives in Southgate, Michigan.[3] After graduation, Triffon worked for Westin Hotels & Resorts. Upon the opening of La Fontaine, a new French restaurant at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan, Triffon was named sommelier.&#
•
Madeline Triffon
Personal life and education
Career
Copyright ©froughy.pages.dev 2025