Bringing Bliss to your palate from paths less traveled!
Since 2014, Bliss Wine has been traveling the world in search of wines that tell a story. The goal was to find the needle in a haystack. Three simple questions guide the path:
- Is this a delicious wine?
- Is it made in the right way, would I drink it as a health conscious person?
- Is it the best wine at this price point among everything we tasted in the region?
How refreshing is that?
In the past ten years, Andrey Ivanov and the Bliss team past and present have traveled to 20+ countries looking for the wines not on the typical vino-radar. During this journey, Andrey became one of only 278 persons in the world to have ever attained the Master Sommelier Diploma. He bought the business from the original founders, Alleah & Erin, in 2022 and helms the ship in its current journey.
At Bliss, we focus on smaller, family run wineries. We look to the past, present, and future to tell a story about a place and the people who call it home. Wine is a singular experience with a living, breathing entity. No two sips are ever truly the same. Join our wine club, and let Andrey and the team curate your journey!
Who is this guy anyway?
Andrey Ivanov, MS
A native of the city of Yakutsk, in the Autonimous Republic of Sakha (Northeastern Siberia), Andrey immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1992. He graduated with a BSBA from Saint Louis University triple majoring in International Business, Economics, and Russian Studies. His career in hospitality began in St. Louis, MO and included stints at Brasserie by Niche, 33 Wine Bar, Elaia & Olio, and Reeds American Table.
At the end of 2017 he decided to move to San Francisco where he eventually led a ten sommelier wine team at Chef David Barzelay’s Two Michelin Star restaurant, Lazy Bear. Seen as one of the best beverage programs in the country, Andrey helped Lazy Bear achieve the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator (2020-2022), a nomination and recognition as a finalist for a James Beard Wine Service Award (2022), and was the award for World’s Best Designed Wine List in North America (2022).
Andrey’s sommelier path started in 2009 with his Certified Sommelier Exam. In 2011, he passed the Advanced Sommelier Exam earning top honors in his class with the Rudd Scholarship and receiving the Johnston Medal for the top score in the US that year. Andrey completed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Master Sommelier Diploma in September of 2018 and again in December 2018 becoming one of 278 persons worldwide to have done so. For a further explanation of why, we invite you to google "2018 Master Sommelier Exam" :)
Andrey is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, and loves to travel. His favorite places to visit include Australia, Mexico, and the Iberian Peninsula. So far he has visited 39 countries, and would like to visit 100 as an ultimate goal. In August 2023, he decided to move to make Mexico his permanent home and is currently in residence at MUSA just south of Zihuatanejo on the Guerrero Coast of the Pacific.
A few of his other accomplishments are listed below:
Top New Somm:
- Midwest Regional Winner: 2012, 2013, 2014
Top Somm National Sommelier Championship
- 3rd Place (2015)
Chaine des Rotisseurs Best Young Sommelier Competition USA
- Midwest Region Winner: 2013-2015
- National Championship 2nd Place: 2014
- National Championship Winner: 2015
Wine & Spirits Magazine Best New Sommelier 2013
Wine Enthusiast Magazine Top 100 Wine Restaurants in America:
- 2014, 2015 for Elaia & Olio
- 2016, 2017 for Reeds American Table
Wine Enthusiast Magazine Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers: 2015
Food & Wine Magazine Top Sommeliers of the Year: 2016
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*Photo Credits: Tyler Silvestre