Masa's Restaurant San Francisco  
Gregory Short, Camal El Sherifi, Alan Murray & Adam Lovelace
Fine Dining San Francisco
 

Master Sommelier: Alan Murray

Executive Chef

Pastry Chef

Sommelier

general manager

 

 

 

  

Alan MurrayALAN MURRAY

Master Sommelier Alan Murray had his first glass of “quality wine” in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, Australia, where he was brought up.  After that glass, he spent nearly all of his vacations in Australia’s diverse wine regions, tasting, and learning as much as possible.  “I haven’t stopped asking questions since,” states Murray.

In 1998, Murray moved to San Francisco where he took a job at Rubicon restaurant in order to work with the highly esteemed Master Sommelier Larry Stone, who was running an ambitious wine program and had compiled an encyclopedic wine cellar.  With Stone’s encouragement, Murray began working towards his Master Sommelier diploma with the Court of Master Sommeliers.  He became wine director at Masa’s in 2001 and was awarded his Master Sommelier diploma in February 2005.  In doing so, Murray became the first Australian to earn that distinction. 

As for industry trends, we are seeing some of the effects of the USA emerging as the world’s largest wine consumer. Some of the effects include tremendous pressure on wine prices, increased vintage awareness, and a lessening of brand loyalty. Recently, Murray has been drawn to more native varietals from Southern Italy and Spain, finding interesting flavors and great values.  “Godello from Northern Spain is a new favorite of mine. Often coming from 100 year old vines with a rich palette and delicate hints of lavender on the nose.”  According to Murray, “Our guests appreciate that we offer a diverse selection of wines from around the world”.

Masa’s wine list features many small production wines from California, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and Germany.  “Even with trend toward higher prices for the limited production wines, we continue to strive to offer a sincerely amazing selection of wines that I believe represent the best vintners around the globe.”

For nearly 25 years, the sommeliers at Masa’s have prided themselves on their extensive knowledge and familiarity with wines from around the world.  “It is an honor to continue this tradition,” says Murray.  “It’s about what I can do to enhance the guests’ total experience. The more I put into wine, the more I have received in return.”