Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

---

Ron Washam is one of the few satirists writing about the wine industry. His much loved and much feared blog TheHoseMasterofWine was published from 2008 until 2019. After graduating with a degree in English and Comparative Literature from Occidental College in 1974, Washam worked as a comedy writer for NBC. In 1987, Washam was hired as a sommelier at The Pacific Dining Car in Los Angeles where he worked for 19 years and was twice named Sommelier of the Year by the California Restaurant Writers Association. He has written for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and now writes a monthly column for British wine journalist Tim Atkin’s site timatkin.com. Washam also serves as a professional wine judge in many competitions.
.
.
Subscribe to the best free newsletter on wine, WineSpeed bit.ly/WineSpeedSubscribe
.
.
Check out more about Karen MacNeil by visiting her website bit.ly/KarenMacNeil
.
.
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. It's the best-selling wine book in the U.S. Buy it here! bit.ly/thewinebible