Master Sommelier
Robert Bath
- Discipline
- Master Sommelier
i. Biography
Robert Bath’s work sits inside California wine’s long practical history, shaped by third-generation roots in the state and by the structured training he received at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Since 2000, he has built his career in Wine Education and consultation, with precision, steadiness, and the kind of applied expertise that comes from moving between classroom instruction and field experience.
The Path
At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, the foundation for Robert Bath’s career in wine was laid through disciplined study before he entered the professional side of the trade. His next step was National Sales Manager at Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California until 2000, a position that placed Robert Bath inside one of the country’s most closely followed wine regions. From there, the work continued to shift toward teaching, communication, and the practical transfer of wine knowledge to others who could use it. From 2004–2010, Robert Bath served as an Adjunct Professor at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley, bringing that experience into an academic setting with exacting standards and a strong food-and-wine culture. The role expanded his work beyond sales and consultation into formal education, where wine could be examined with structure, context, and rigor. Since 2000, Robert Bath has been founder of Robert Bath MS – Wine Education and Consultation, a practice built on instruction and advisory work. Through that enterprise, he has remained focused on Wine Education and consultation, drawing on California roots, Napa Valley experience, and a long professional immersion in the business of wine. Since 2010, he has also been professor of wine and Beverage Studies at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, continuing the relationship first established there and keeping teaching at the center of his work.
The Work Today
At The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Robert Bath has served as Professor of Wine and Beverage Studies since 2010. The setting matches the shape of the work: focused, demanding, and built around the careful transmission of knowledge. In that role, Robert Bath continues to shape students’ understanding of wine and Beverage Studies in an environment where detail carries practical weight. Wine Education and consultation remain a central part of Robert Bath’s professional practice. That pairing of academic leadership and independent advisory work gives the career its balance. The line is clear: a California background, Cal Poly, and a long commitment to Wine Education and consultation. The work is defined less by display than by continuity, and by a steady effort to help others move through wine with confidence and insight.
Career - Founder — Robert Bath MS – Wine Education and Consultation (2000–present) - Professor of Wine and Beverage Studies — The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley (2010–present) - National Sales Manager — Shafer Vineyards, Napa Valley, California (until 2000) - Adjunct Professor — The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley (2004–2010) Education: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Acclaim
Robert Bath’s honors include Master Sommelier (1993), a distinction that marks a high level of professional attainment and the depth of knowledge behind his work. In a field where expertise is accumulated over time, that credential points to the seriousness of his training and the long arc of study, service, and engagement that has shaped his career.
FAQ What is Robert Bath's current role? As of 2026, Robert Bath is Professor of Wine and Beverage Studies. Where did Robert Bath train or study? Robert Bath trained at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. What recognition has Robert Bath received? Master Sommelier (1993).
