CMS Advanced Sommelier & Chef Dave Bodi

I was born in Oregon’s own Willamette Valley. The third generation in my family to call the bucolic lands around Eugene my own native stomping grounds. Growing up in the natural environs that surrounded the south Willamette Valley, I have always felt inextricably connected to the land and what grows from it.

As long as my memories have existed, I have held a fondness for cuisine, hospitality, and the theatre that is built around this culture. Most likely, the catalyst for my motivations stemmed from memories of my sweet Grandmother Ann and Great Grandmother Rose, cooking delightfully enjoyable meals from her heavily wooded Christmas tree farm in Cheshire, Oregon. My extensive family would gather at these events while us kids blissfully explored her incredibly diverse land. These memories informed my love for cuisine as adulthood set in and I migrated to the mid-Willamette Valley.

I dabbled in an array of professions throughout my twenties yet bonded with none. In my free time I always found solace in the kitchen as well as physical sport. The kitchen’s endless possibility of creation as an artistic outlet was invigorating. Sharing my creations with others gave me a sense of community and a place of belonging.

Meeting my intelligent and endlessly charismatic wife Amy in 2010 was the turning point for my career. Her tenacious confidence in my abilities as a cook while we binge watched the then popular series Master Chef, led to her encouragement that I try out for the hit reality series. I agreed.

Nervously I prepared a dish that I believed would wow the judges, drove to Portland and waited for half a day in a line of other hopeful contestants at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. My nerves ran so high that day that I cannot even remotely recall what I prepared. Whatever it was, it did not earn me a spot on the show, but the energy I felt that day from the adrenaline coursing through my veins and the inspiring and creative hopeful cooks that stood beside me in that line, left me wanting to achieve more. This was the turning point in my career.

Wanting to become like the chef’s I admired so much, I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu later that week. Commuting from Salem at five in the morning five days a week while working multiple odd jobs in the restaurant industry I honed my skills as a burgeoning chef. I only took one short one semester’s hiatus upon the birth of my son Ramsey to bond as a family. Two years later I finally graduated at the top of my class.

Although I had grown up in the Willamette Valley, I had no exposure to well-crafted wine, instead crushing beers and colorfully named cocktails with my equally oenophile challenged friends. Culinary school afforded me the adventure of an introductory wine class. It was during this class that I experienced my first epiphany wine, and my world was forever changed. I still remember the layers of flavor, texture and tension that this wine evoked. It was as complex as a six course chefs tasting menu, yet it was one simple beverage coming from nothing other than fermented grapes. I was inexplicably hooked.

Shortly after and looking for a better life my family found ourselves in Bend, Oregon. As I furthered my career as a chef, I began to replace the other alcoholic beverages in my repertoire with wine. I remained obsessed but didn’t know how to direct the energy of that obsession.

One evening after finishing up a grueling yet all too common ninety-hour work week I found myself on the couch barely able to muster up enough energy to raise a glass to my lips and smash buttons on my remote control. In my trance like state, I button smashed my way to a documentary titled SOMM.

This cult classic followed the lives of a few candidates preparing to sit for their Master Sommelier exam proctored by the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. Watching the film, I learned that the title of Master Sommelier is one of the rarest achievements in the world. Immersed in their journey I was flooded with empathetic nerves and adrenaline. Highly competitive by nature, I woke the next morning certain that I had found the path to gaining the wine knowledge I had longed for. I enrolled in the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Course and found myself in Chicago three months later sitting for and passing the exam.

The fire was sufficiently stoked and immediately upon returning home I began studying for the Certified exam, a much more rigorous process. I gave myself six months to prepare and booked a seat to take the exam in Portland, Oregon. This exam consisted of a written portion, a mock service, and a timed blind tasting portion. At the end of the exam, I was unsure of how I did. As the results were announced I learned that I had passed two of the three parts, narrowly missing the necessary score to walk away from passing the service exam. Having been working as an Executive Chef of a popular Bend restaurant I had neglected the practice to achieve the service aspect.

Emotionally crushed yet resilient and determined I sat in my truck, dressed to the nines searching on my android phone for the earliest next date that I could qualify to retake the Certified Exam. Reno Nevada was the answer and three months was the timeline. I didn’t hesitate to sign up and immediately driving home to address my weaknesses. Ninety days later I walked away from my exam in Reno passing all parts and earning the title of Certified Sommelier.

Coming home to my Executive chef position that offered no real allowance for the pursuit of my dream as a sommelier was a hard emotional pill to swallow. Passing that exam left me with such a mental high, but when the reality of my environment set in I realized that I had no specific pathway to utilize my new accolade and share my knowledge with others to give them a unique and hospitable experience.

The Advanced Exam was next in line, said to be ten times more difficult that the Certified and I knew I needed to prepare and not waste any time. This exam was by invite only and to qualify I had to first be invited to the Advanced “Course” which offered guidance on how to prepare for this high level of testing. The Advanced Course itself required an entrance exam of which the top one hundred plus test takers in the Americas would be invited to. I took the exam and eagerly awaited my results. A few weeks later in the midst of a busy turn and burn service my results arrived. I had passed the course entry exam with an ego boosting high percentile. I officially was going to Dallas Texas and upon returning would be qualified to sit for the actual Advanced Exam. The year was 2020…

Pandemic parameters extensively delayed the Course which was beginning to feel like it would never happen. Over a year would pass before I was able to sit for the Advanced Course. I spent every bit of that time studying as if I was sitting for the actual exam. I realized that at this level there was little to no way I would be able to retain the knowledge necessary to achieve my goal without working full time as a sommelier. Up until this point I had been teaching wine classes and jumping on any opportunity that presented itself that involved wine.

Mid pandemic, I found myself jobless as well as the newly appointed teacher for my then 1st grader. My wife son and I unanimously agreed that teaching a first grader was not in my wheelhouse.

Still studying for something that seemed to have no foreseeable end, my relentless nature pushed me even harder. I realized that if I wanted to achieve this goal, I needed to create my own opportunity.

On a random afternoon in the middle of the pandemic, perusing Loopnet, I found a 450 square foot retail space in the heart of downtown Bend Oregon. In prior years finding a space like this was unheard of. My designer wife Amy and I toured the space and immediately knew that this was the evolution of my endeavors. We signed the lease and got to work on the buildout, opening the doors in October of 2020.

In the meantime, I finally had the chance to go to the Advanced Course in Texas. Inspired upon returning, I wasted no time signing up for the Advanced Exam set to take place in St. Louis Missouri. In order to get invited Missouri I had to first pass the written exam. Sitting for that exam was daunting and by far the most difficult test I have ever encountered. Awaiting my results, I did not have high hopes. The week’s passed by until one evening while dining at a local restaurant I received a notification. I approached the notification with emotional caution knowing that no matter what it stated it would provide me with a chance to learn and grow from my experience. My mind was blown to learn that I had passed and was invited to sit for the other two parts of the exam in a few short months!

Those months flew by far too quickly and after experiencing a nightmare of travel woes that left me stranded in Denver, Colorado driving a rental Mustang at hell speed across the country to arrive in Missouri well past two in the morning of testing day I had arrived. The Court of Master Sommeliers was very understanding and due to my travel woes, in addition to the airport losing my luggage and then finding it as I was on my way to purchase all new belongings, accommodated me by allowing me to sit for my exam later in the day. Three well needed beers and a nap would follow.

Two of the most stressful and exhilarating days of my life followed and the results were finally in.

Having already passed the theory portion I was informed that I had passed service as well! For the third and final portion of blind tasting I was informed that I had come up short by 1% and would have to sit again next year.

Emotionally compromised yet not deterred I pulled out my laptop and signed up for the next years exam from the hotel lobby. Surrounded by those celebrating their well earned successes gave me the encouragemnet for forge ahead.

2023 came and went without success for a second time. I chose to use those perceived failures to gain introspect and fine tune my own path to success. Years of self study had led me to fully understand myself and what I needed to find success.

2024 arrived and it was again time to sit for theory, a rigorous exam that I had passed before. I set personal goals attempting to achieve a score that not only passed, but confirmed my growth as a Sommelier. I few weeks later I learned I had passed the exam and was on my way to Phoenix in a few short months. The focus on blind tasting and service intensified.

Arriving in Phoenix I saw many familiar faces. Comrades in hospitality who shared my tenacity. Three of the most emotionally tense days of my life passed by in slow motion and results were ready. On the cusp of a panic attack I eagerly awaited, humbly viewing others emerge from the results room with varying sets of emotions drawn upon their faces. My turn arrived. Sitting down I prepared my emotional state for the possibility that I would be signing up for the next exam from the hotel lobby yet again. Two Master Sommeliers sat across from me and expansive welcoming smiles came across their faces. I had passed the Advanced Exam!

Although it is possible to gain immense amounts of knowledge without any certification whatsoever, I enjoy the comradery in community, and personal challenges that sitting for these exams helps me to achieve. The Master Sommeliers and candidates hopeful to bear the title one day form a foundation of knowledge and inspiration that is unimaginable and nurturing.

I am currently in process of studying for the title of Master Sommelier and although it is a long one that is rarely achieved my commitment will remain unwavering with the ultimate goal of bringing all of FERM & fare’s guests the most genuine and informative experience that they can imagine.

With the opening of our new restaurant in downtown Redmond, Oregon on the horizon I couldn’t be more ecstatic to bring together the two parallels of my life’s work to share with all of you!

Salud!