SOMMELIER BLACKJACK : LEARN HOW TO "COUNT CARDS"
AND BEAT THE HOUSE WHEN DINING AT A RESTAURANT
VALUE: $2000 / CALISSA RESTAURANT IN SOUTHAMPTON, NY

Calissa in Watermill was recently
awarded the Wine Spectator's Award of
Excellence and its' sister restaurant,
Amali, is one of Wine Enthusiast's Top
100 Wine Restaurants in America. Their
approach to wine has been described as
"daring... [one that] Dionysis would
approve of" (New York Times) and
"bold...the equivalent of freaking to Burt
Bacharach" (Eater).
The talk is lead by managing partner
James Mallios (a former stand up
comedian) who was described by
Decanted as "about a hundred miles
from the stereotypical sommelier - a sort
of Greek version of Tony Soprano who
looks more likely to kneecap you than
pour you a glass of natural wine".
James has taught this Sommelier
Blackjack class at the New York Times
and Fortune 500 companies as a team
building exercise. It includes prizes,
Q&A and insider insight about how
restaurants select and mark up wine and
how to use that knowledge to and buy
better wine at a lower price.
Whether a novice or an expert, guests
will learn how to find the hidden deals
and gems in wine lists and learn what
wines and grapes to avoid at your next
business meeting, date or social dinner.

For Calissa Wine Class Gift Certificates:
Location: 1020 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, NY. Please note that this gift certificate is not transferable to other
locations or dining credit.
Value Calculation: The minimum price of a private room, owner/sommelier's time, stationary appetizers (e.g. mezzo
platter) and of course, wine during the talk. The class is offered for between 8-10 people.
About the Talk: The talk is a roughly 30-60 minute presentation about how to order a better bottle of wine at a restaurant
for lower price. Time will vary based on guest engagement.
About James Mallios: Managing partner, sommelier and part-time comedian James Mallios will lead the talk. James was
described by Decanted Magazine and Eater.com as "about a hundred miles from the stereotypical sommelier. He's bald,
brash, and tough-a sort of Greek version of Tony Soprano who looks more likely to kneecap you than pour you a glass of
natural wine". James has spoken about wine, restaurants and sustainable business practices at the 92nd Street Y,
Columbia Law School and at The Cornell University Hotel School.
Scheduling
Off-Season: Scheduled in advance but generally offered on weekends.
In-Season: During the summer, preferred days are Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. There is limited Saturday availability
in June.
Blackout Dates: Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day Weekends. Other dates are based on availability.
Timing and reservations subject to a la carte and private dining reservations and the talk starts between 5:30-6:30. Gift
certificate is not transferable to dining credit and is exclusive of gratuity which is suggested. To schedule your sommelier
blackjack, email [email protected]. Calissa reserves the right to reschedule if required.
Expiration: 1.1.21
Calissa reserves the right to reschedule the event up to 24 hours before the event. While this has only happened on a
handful of occasions, we do want to bring this to the attention of our guests as without that ability we would not be able to
donate to almost 200 school and other charities each year. We endeavor to schedule wine tasting gift certificates on days
when this is least likely to occur to avoid this possible situation from the outset of scheduling.