Meet the Sommelier: Maximilian Kast of FEARRINGTON VILLAGE in NC

Maximilian Kast is the wine director of Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Max changes Fearrington House's over 1000 label wine list regularly to match the seasonal changes of Executive Chef Colin Bedford's menu. The list includes wines from all over the world, from verticals of famous Napa Valley Producers and First Growth Bordeaux to in-depth selections of the best wines from Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy, with a representation of every major wine making country in the world.

His broader responsibilities include the beverage program for special events, The Goat café, The Fearrington Granary Restaurant, and Roost, Fearrington's beer garden. Max also facilitates wine and beer oriented team building activities popular with corporate and group clients.

Max grew up in a food oriented German-American family in Michigan, and discovered his love of food and wine very early on. He studied history at the University of Montana and he began his career there, at Triple Creek Ranch. Max joined The Fearrington House in 2007 as Sommelier, and within a year was promoted to Wine Director with responsibilities for the beverage program of the entire property.

Most recently, Max introduced a new wine by the glass program focusing on sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines. He also began a collaboration with Durham's Fullsteam Brewery to develop a seasonal line of craft beer, Fullsteam Fearrington, flavored with seasonal ingredients from the Fearrington gardens.

Max has been quoted by Forbes.com, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Sommelier Journal, The Local Palate and local media like Metro Magazine. Max placed second at the TopSomm National Finals in 2014.

Max has been honored with the following awards:

AAA Five Diamonds?Forbes Five-Star Award?Top 100 Wine Lists

OpenTable?Second Place, National TopSomm Finals in 2014

Rising Star of the Carolinas, StarChefs

Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence, every year since? 2004.

Third Place in Chaîne des Rôtisseurs's Best Young Sommelier in the U.S., 2013

Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview Maximilian Kast about his career and Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

1. What special personal qualities or talents have enhanced your career?

I've always enjoyed talking to people, getting to know them, and learning about what they like. Hospitality is all about making people feel welcome and comfortable, and that is my goal with guests at Fearrington, and in general. I strive to express this hospitality both personally and professionally.

2. Who have been some of your professional mentors or individuals that have inspired your work?

I'm grateful to have had many people help me through the years. In the sommelier world, Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser has inspired my curiosity and discipline to study for the Master Sommelier exam. Colan Vance, director of operations at Quince Pacific Avenue, was a great mentor earlier in my career at Triple Creek Ranch, a Relais & Chateaux hotel in Montana. We crossed paths for a little over a month, and it was like boot camp. That month was probably the best education I've had in my career. He taught me the importance of attention to detail, to take service seriously - like a surgeon - and everything you could possibly want to know about fine dining.

There are many other sommeliers who influence and inspire me - people like Andrey Ivanov in St. Louis, Christopher Bates in the Finger Lakes, James Tidwell, June Rodil, David Keck in Texas, for example. The great thing about being a sommelier is that there are so many talented people in the industry. It's great to get know them, and for all of us to learn from each other.

3. Tell us a little about your travel experiences as a sommelier. This can be local, regional or international.

I take wine trips as often as I can. Perhaps the most memorable trip I took was to Northern Italy. Being in the vineyards of Barbaresco and Barolo really helped put a lot of things together, mentally, for me. I've always had an emotional attachment to the wines from these two appellations, but once I was there tasting them with a view of the Alps in the background, I felt that I could pick up on the vibrations of the region, because wine is a living thing that expresses the spirit of the region it comes from.

I also recall a trip when I was enjoying a glass of Ridge Chardonnay at the Montebello vineyard high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, overlooking Silicon Valley. The vineyard was first planted in the late nineteenth century, and as I looked at the view, thousands of feet above the valley, I tried to imagine bringing all of the equipment up by horse and cart and to build the winemaking buildings without machines. When I taste Montebello now, I feel that connection to the history not only of the vineyard, but also to the history of California, and America. Wine is one of the great arts of humankind, and traveling to wine country it is like being able to talk to a painter in his studio, or have a front row seat at the symphony. It can have a transcendent effect.

4. Why do you find your career as a sommelier so rewarding?

As a sommelier, there is never a dull moment and there is always something to learn. No one will ever know everything about the world of wine, which means there is a lifetime of learning to be had. It is also a combination of so many aspects of life. One must understand culture, history, geology, geography, horticulture, philosophy, taste, cuisine, psychology, style, economics etc. How many other professions require you to know so much about so many different things, just to understand what it is that you do?

5. What is one of your favorite meals and what wine would you select for it?

My parents are both from Germany, so I was raised on a lot of German cuisine. My favorite meal in the world is Käse Spätzle. I love to make them at home with my daughter. I love the simplicity of the dish. It's a dough made from eggs, flower and milk, with a little nutmeg. You grate them into boiling water, caramelize some onions in butter, take the Spatzle out of the water and mix with the onions, and grate cheese into the mix. I use Comte cheese. It's the most decadent meal ever. I enjoy it with a nice Silvaner from Franconia in Germany, like Hans Wirsching's Julius Echterberg Silvaner. That is the definition of perfection for me.

6. Tell us a little about the restaurant or organization that you currently work with.

I've been the wine director for The Fearrington House Inn, Spa, and Restaurant outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina for nearly a decade. It is a family owned resort and a member of Relais & Châteaux. It's owned by R.B. Fitch who, with his late wife, purchased an old dairy farm in 1974 and over time, transformed it into the picturesque, almost dream-like the village that it is today. Our executive chef, Colin Bedford, is, in my opinion, one of the stars in the culinary world. He is an extraordinary talent who creates nuanced dishes that are creative, artistic and delicious. We have been working together as long as I have been here at Fearrington, and we understand each other's palates very well, which helps with food and wine pairing.

Fearringon Village is made up of the Five Star, Five Diamond Fearrington House Restaurant, the 32-room Fearrington House Inn; a wine shop and café called The Goat; our outdoor beer garden, Roost; a casual dining restaurant called The Granary; a spa; McIntyre's Books, one of the best independent bookstores in the country, and Dovecote Style, a lifestyle shop. All of these are expertly managed by our general manager, Theresa Chiettini. It's almost impossible to do justice to Fearrington Village in writing. It's a real treasure, and a visit is the only way to experience this magical place.

For more information about Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina, please visit: https://www.fearrington.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maximilian Kast

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