FLX Wienery and FLX Table, Geneva, New York

Why He Won

This Master Sommelier is a Finger Lakes change agent: focusing on Syrah and Cabernet Franc instead of the usual white varieties at his Element Winery; operating a fancy hot dog stand (FLX Wienery) with an inappropriately excellent wine list; and launching a new 12-seat restaurant (FLX Table).

1963 Dow's Vintage Port

In college I was really into Scotch, so my dad gave me a few wine magazines to check out. One reviewed a vertical of Dow's port; I started searching for the '63. That was the first bottle that pushed me into wine geekery and searchery.

1945 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux

In 1945, Gaston Huet was freed from a concentration camp, and he walked all the way home to Vouvray—then set about making one of the greatest wines in the world. I searched for years to find the bottle I have in my basement.

2013 Pierre Luneau-Papin L d'Or Muscadet

This is what I want to drink 90 percent of the time. Everyone in Muscadet is clamoring for a more opulent style right now, but L d'Or has remained traditional–not too fancy, too ripe, too concentrated, or too textured.