08 Sep Meet the Somm Showdown Competitors
The room was buzzing with energy, glasses clinked, and guests leaned forward in their seats. Last year’s inaugural Somm Showdown was immensely exciting — an event where knowledge, skill, and passion collided onstage. Six of Nashville’s finest sommeliers took their places under the spotlight, navigating blind tastings, rounds of trivia, and food pairings with precision and grace. The audience leaned in with every pour, every guess, and every answer, while the judges weighed each move with anticipation. In the end, one sommelier, Alex Burch, claimed victory, but all proved that Nashville is home to a vibrant and deeply talented wine community.
Now, the stage is set once again. Somm Showdown 2025 is here, and the competition promises to be even more exciting.
What is a Sommelier?
The word “sommelier” translates to “wine steward,” but the role is far more complex than the simple definition implies. Sommeliers dedicate years to mastering not only wine but also the art of service, food pairing, and hospitality. They are curators, educators, and guides, helping guests discover new varieties, understand terroir, and elevating dining experiences.
Aspiring sommeliers often pursue rigorous certification through programs like the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) or the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). While WSET provides a broad academic foundation for enthusiasts and professionals alike, CMS emphasizes beverage service skills and the nuances of hospitality. Many sommeliers pursue both paths, layering knowledge with practical mastery.
Here in Nashville, this dedication has fostered a close-knit community of wine professionals. These individuals support one another, share knowledge, and volunteer countless hours at events like those hosted by Nashville Wine Auction. Somm Showdown is more than a competition; it’s a celebration of their shared craft.
Meet our Somm Showdown competitors
On November 16, six contestants will compete to be named the second annual Nashville Wine Auction Somm Showdown champion.
In round one, contestants will demonstrate their wine and food pairing skills by working with a chef to pair a small plate with their wine. In round two, four remaining Sommelier competitors will dazzle the audience and judges with their wine knowledge in a Jeopardy-style wine quiz. In the final round, two remaining contenders will do what sommeliers do and blind taste 2-3 wines.
Meet the Somm Showdown competitors below!
LeeAnne Arnold, CMS Certified Sommelier & General Manager, Harvest Wine Market
LeeAnne was last year’s Somm Showdown runner-up and is back for another chance at the title.
LeeAnne grew up in Orlando, Florida, but has lived abroad and in several cities in the U.S. including Gallup, NM and Charleston, SC before landing in Nashville, TN. Originally planning to be a teacher, she was bit with the hospitality and wine bug while in Charleston and hasn’t looked back.
LeeAnne has worn many hats in the restaurant industry, from biscuit maker to General Manager to Assistant Wine Director for some outstanding chefs. In December of 2023, she left restaurants to pursue a better work-life balance working in fine wine retail.
LeeAnne brings her years of fine wine experience in restaurants together with her love of teaching to lead education programming and outreach – for staff and customers at Harvest Wine Market. Currently a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, she is working to pass the Advanced Sommelier Exam.
LeeAnne will be paired with Chef Anthony Pell in round one of the competition. Chef Pell began his career cooking alongside his mother at Tucky’s BBQ in Henderson, NV, before honing his skills in Atlanta with Castellucci Hospitality Group.
His passion for Basque cuisine led him to The Iberian Pig, where he now serves as Executive Chef of the Nashville location, blending Southern hospitality with Spanish flavors.
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Eric Bowers, CMS Certified Sommelier & Beverage Director, Bastion
Eric is the beverage director for Bastion, a 6-course 24-seat tasting menu restaurant in Wedgewood-Houston. Here, he takes an intimate approach to wine service by blending education and verve, helping guests become excited by wine. Eric’s dedication to education has become a pursuit to gain the trust of the guests, instilling the confidence in them to find their own quest for deliciousness.
Starting his career in the service industry as a specialty coffee roaster & educator, then later working as a bartender and a beer brewer, Eric has been a man of the beverage. His passion for teaching, palate and terroir naturally progressed into wine. Eric’s career highlights the seemingly mundane with the intrinsic science that is flavor.
Eric will be paired with Chef Jason La Iacona of Miel Restaurant. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, Chef LaIacona has spent over a decade in Nashville refining his leadership and culinary style through work with some of the city’s top restaurant groups. With a focus on sustainable seafood, local farms, and creating healthy kitchen cultures, Chef LaIacona brings a thoughtful approach to every dish.
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Scott Herrmann, CMS Certified Sommelier, CSW, WSET Level 2, & Wine Director and Assistant General Manager at The Detroit Cowboy
Scott grew up in Napa Valley just a few blocks from the legendary Chateau Montelena, where wine was part of daily life from an early age. Over the course of his career, Scott has worked with or managed renowned California wineries including Williams Selyem, HALL Wines, and WALT Wines, building a deep understanding of both production and service.
Scott shares an ‘aha’ food and wine moment that sparked his passion: when Sommelier Richard Betts, then with Little Nell in Aspen, paired a Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2000 with a pan-roasted quail dish. He described the pairing as “unforgettable—like fireworks at the table.”
Today in Nashville, he brings that wealth of experience to The Detroit Cowboy.
Scott will be paired with Chef Greg Giebler. Originally from the Jersey Shore, Chef Giebler trained in fine dining with a foundation in seafood and French technique. His Nashville career has included roles at Husk and opening concepts like St. Laurent Social Club and Anzu Social, earning him recognition in Industry Magazine’s Global Kitchen. He now serves as Executive Sous Chef at The Twelve Thirty Club, where his seasonal and locally sourced cuisine takes center stage.
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Phillip Patti, DipWSET, CMS Certified Sommelier & Owner, Southeastern Beverage Education
For the last twenty-three years, Phillip Patti has immersed himself in the world of wine, spirits, and beer, with a breadth of professional experience that includes work in vineyards, restaurants, education, retail, distribution, and production. He holds the WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits, the WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits, he is a Certified Educator for WSET, a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a certified Rioja and Sherry Educator.
In 2018, he established Southeastern Beverage Education to promote drinks education in the South, centered around Nashville, Tennessee. The teaching of Wine and Spirits Education Trust courses, and tastings for both professionals, hobbyists and lay people have given Nashville access to world-class educational opportunities.
Phillip is actively involved in the Nashville Wine Auction, participating in numerous events as the lead sommelier. This volunteer work has led to a deep connection with the most important wine figures in Nashville, other sommeliers and restaurant professionals who have the pleasure of supporting this activity.
He has been a Maitre d’Hotel for the International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, Oregon for 18 years. As a part of a 40-sommelier team, they deliver wine service and hospitality to 800 guests over a 3-day weekend through various meals, educational seminars, and winery-hosted lunches.
Phillip will be paired with Chef Alyssa Gangeri. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Chef Gangeri has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and alongside legends like Norman Van Aken and Tom Colicchio. As partner and Executive Pastry Chef of Nashville’s The Butter Milk Ranch — named one of the Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America (2024) — she has earned national acclaim and awards including the StarChefs Rising Star Award for Outstanding Baker.
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Jiby Philip – CSW, CMS Certified Sommelier, and Brand Manager at AOC Wine Distribution
Jiby Philip is a Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine who has been active in Nashville’s wine scene for over a decade, holding roles in both fine wine retail and distribution. He is currently the Brand Manager at wine distributor AOC, where he specializes in brand development and education.
Jiby views his mission in the wine business to pass along the stories of those who are trying to produce the best wines they can with each vintage and understands the importance of collaboration in lifting the wine culture in Nashville.
Jiby will be paired with Chef Christopher Von Egger. With more than 25 years of hospitality experience, Chef Von Egger is Regional Chef for Halls Chophouse, overseeing locations in Nashville, TN, Columbia, SC, and Greenville, SC. Known for his grounded leadership and dedication to excellence, he upholds the Hall family standard of hospitality while guiding teams to deliver exceptional dining experiences.
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Derick Spangler – CMS Certified Sommelier and Sommelier, The Twelve Thirty Club
Derick moved to Nashville in 2022 seeking a fresh start and quickly found his path in hospitality at The Twelve Thirty Club. Starting as a bar back, he worked his way up in just 18 months to bartender, server, and ultimately the first hourly sommelier at the venue. He later traveled to Phoenix to help open the Michelin-keyed Global Ambassador Hotel, where he honed both his sommelier and teaching skills while building a new wine program and culture of hospitality.
His passion for wine has taken him around the world, from competing as a finalist in the Western Australian Wine Competition to traveling through Tuscany during harvest, meeting winemakers from backyard growers to icons like Antinori. He has also explored Napa Valley, experiencing its terroir and traditions firsthand at wineries such as Shafer and Corison.
Now back in Nashville, Derick is energized by the city’s growth and sees it as the perfect opportunity for the wine market. Believing that people are increasingly seeking authenticity over excess, he is driven by a philosophy that wine offers something timeless and soulful: a pause from life and a connection around the table.
Derick will be paired with Executive Chef of Fancypants Mathew Meeker for the first round of competition. Before taking the helm at Fancypants, Chef Meeker honed his craft in some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens, serving as Executive Sous Chef at Michelin-starred Bresca and helping lead the reopening team of Reverie in Washington D.C. His Nashville roots run deep, with previous roles at local standouts like Bastion, Peninsula, and as Director of Fermentation at Husk Nashville, where he developed a passion for technique-driven, ingredient-focused cooking that pushes boundaries and surprises guests with a harmony of bold, inventive compositions.”