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Madeline Triffon
Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
The Climb
Restaurant wine work in Detroit in the late 1970s required range: cellar knowledge, table judgment, and the ability to translate regions and producers for guests without reducing the wine. Madeline Triffon entered that trade after studying at the University of Michigan in 1977, then moved into service in a city with an active dining culture. The sommelier post at La Fontaine put the work on the floor: reading tables, making selections, and building trust through service. By 1985, the same discipline carried Madeline Triffon to London Chop House, a Detroit institution where a sommelier’s value depended on command of classic references and practical pairing judgment. Wine direction expands the sommelier’s craft from bottle recommendation to program architecture: list shape, purchasing, staff fluency, and the balance between tradition and change. In 1988, Madeline Triffon became Wine Director at Jimmy Schmidt's Restaurants, then in 1995 took on director of wine and beverages at Unique Restaurant Corporation, extending that work across broader beverage operations. Multi-restaurant wine leadership requires consistency without flattening the identity of each room. That was the work during Madeline Triffon’s tenure as Wine Director at Trowbridge Restaurant Group until 2011. Since 2011, the craft has moved into retail, events, and education at Plum Market, where she serves as Master Sommelier and director of events.
The Work Today
A market-based wine program asks for a different kind of service than the dining room: tastings, events, guest education, and buying guidance all sit closer to the shelf. Since 2011, Madeline Triffon has worked at Plum Market in Detroit as Master Sommelier and Director of Events, applying restaurant-floor discipline to public-facing wine education and event programming.
Distinctions
Industry recognition marks how widely a wine professional’s work travels beyond the room where it is performed. Madeline Triffon was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry in 2012 and was honored as the Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year in 1999.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Madeline
What is Madeline Triffon's present role?
Madeline Triffon is running events and tastings and helping the team with wine selection.
Where did Madeline Triffon train or study?
Madeline Triffon trained at University of Michigan.
What recognition has Madeline Triffon received?
Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry (2012).
