­Don’t think of a sommelier as just the waiter who serves vino . The safe wine steward expend the skills of counselors as they inquire about their customers ' need and desires , teacher as they explain the merits of unlike type of wine-colored , business executives as they cope with the gamey costs of some vintages , adventurers as they travel the world and bring home plate products . Successful sommeliers must be passionate about two things : vino and people . In a sense , a sommelier is a marriage broker , seeking to enthral customers with perfect pairings of food for thought and wine .

At the most canonical degree , asommelieris a wine steward – someone who oversees a wine cellar . The word comes from the Middle Frenchsoumelier , an functionary in charge of supplies [ generator : Merriam - Webster ] . That word come from an even old Holy Writ for ingroup brute . While the connection from pack animal to our modernistic sommelier may seem slight , remember that wine-coloured was a necessary provision hundreds of years ago ( and still is for many people today ) . Instead of procuring vino for a Lord ’s banquet Charles Martin Hall , though , most of today ’s sommeliers work to stock the wine cellar of hunky-dory dining establishments , consult with the chef to determine what wine-colored will best complement the food . The sommelier must know how to serve wine , such as what glasses are correct and what temperature is idealistic . Most of all , the sommelier must regale guests with respect and cordial reception , giving them the feeling that they are on a shared gustatory escapade .

­Choosing the right wines for a meal is just a portion of the modern - sidereal day sommelier ’s duty . He – for most of the clip it is a he , 95 percent of sommelier are humanity – works to make a vino list for the eating place , mess with suppliers and maintains the eating house ’s vino cellar [ reservoir : Princeton ] . Outstanding sommeliers may become fame in the foodie universe – writing article on wine-colored , h­osting wine degustation , conducting duty tour of vineyards and wineries , perhaps even bring in enough money to stock their own private vino cellars .

In this article , we ’ll bet at how a sommelier gets to be so knowledgeable and how he is able to share his passion with his clients . We ’ll explore the sommelier ’s expanding role in a world where a single nursing bottle of wine-coloured can cost thousands of dollars . So whether you ’re a sophisticated oenophile ( wine lover ) or someone who ca n’t tell a Shiraz from a Chardonnay , scan on to see more about the makings of a sommelier .

What Does a Sommelier Do?

Ordering wine-colored in a ok dining establishment can be an intimidating experience , but it does n’t have to be . A good sommelier enjoys working with diners as they choose the correct wine for the food they ’ll be consume . Sommeliers must also be knowledgeable about beers , ales , ciders and even after - dinner cigar . The sommelier must be familiar with both the restaurant ’s carte and the excerption of wines he has available in the wine cellar . He has a hand in compiling the wine-coloured list or perhaps invest it together alone . The sommelier must maintain the listing ’s integrity while providing variety between good , lower - toll varieties and higher - priced vintages . pick out ahouse wineis one of the most all-important duties of a sommelier . The theatre wine must complement the cooking style of the eating house and is the wine most commonly ordered by customers .

A good sommelier can take the customer far beyond the introductory rules of red wine-coloured with red meat , blank wine with fish and into another kingdom of dining nirvana . He knows about every wine-coloured in the cellar and every cup of tea on the carte and understands when to choose a wine that complements the intellectual nourishment and when to take one that will leave a contrast . Even diners who are familiar with wine-coloured can do good from the expertise of the sommelier . Sommeliers bask lecture about wine and like to hear about wines their customers have tried .

After the sommelier and the buffet car have selected the wine pairing for each path , the sommelier orders the bottles from the cellar . If necessary , he decants the wine-colored . Decantingmeans rain cats and dogs the wine from the bottle into another container for serving . It is commonly call for for red wines that have been aged more than 10 age . pour oxygenise the wine-coloured , a process that ’s necessary to play the wine to its full robust tang . The sommelier make for the wine-coloured with its appropriate glass to the table . He stream a little amount for the legion to sniff , sip and approve , say her what she should be looking for as she try out the wine . This is when the sommelier gets to use those descriptive phrases such as " bracing and crispy notes " and " the combined odor of blueberry , oak and the spiciness box . " Sometimes the guest will invite the sommelier to have a taste . The sommelier will reprize the process of pouring and describe for each course .

Sommelier Training and Certification

Unlike becoming a medico , lawyer or driver of an 18 - rack hand truck , the track to becoming a sommelier is n’t clearly set . There are no set standards for using the title . Anyone who pours wine can call himself a sommelier . That does n’t mean that any wine-colored buff can just order a snowy crown and a tastevin off the Internet and get a job in a fancy eatery . Most employer will want you to show that you have passed competency examination administered by one of the many organizations for professional wine waiter . To get to the compass point of taking the competency exam , a prospective sommelier will need lots of experience with vino or preparation through self - Education Department or through courses in wine .

Several institutions and organizations offer courses for sommeliers . Some can be completed in a few days , while others involve months . The Culinary Institute of America offers corroboration programs for wine professionals – a foundation degree certification and an advanced level – at its wine center in California ’s Napa Valley . After passing these exams , a graduate can add the initials C.W.P. for Certified Wine Professional to his or her name . Colorado - based International Wine Guild bid several storey of study and certificate for wine professional . The International Sommelier Guild is one of the few institutions with a diploma computer program specific to sommeliers . The order also offer a master ’s degree political program leading to the title of Grand Sommelier .

documentation by the Court of Master Sommeliers , an international dead body with branches in the United States and Great Britain , is extremely regarded . Wine professional must complete the introductory sommelier course and test before moving on to the certified sommelier exam that consists of a write examination of 25 questions , a blind tasting of two wines and a service test . After passing this exam , the sommelier can take the advanced sommelier trend and exam , then attempt to secure the master sommelier sheepskin . Only salient graduates who have obtained the victor sommelier designation may be invited to full membership in the Court and given license to wear the Court badge . Currently , fewer than 200 mass have make the title Master Sommelier [ source : CofM ] .

Each course and test carries a fee , range from about $ 150 for a beginer grade to $ 800 for the original sommelier exam . Many employers will yield the fees for their sommeliers . While a college level is n’t require before starting training as a sommelier , it is recommended . Studies in business courses and a foreign language or two would for sure be helpful and give the sommelier a stage up on the contention .

Sommelier Careers and Beyond

The typical sommelier begin his calling as an help in the hospitality diligence , working under and larn from more experienced wine steward . After a few year , most are work on independently , choose wine-colored for the restaurant and developing and maintaining family relationship with provider . With much experience in the business , a sommelier often becomes a mercenary wine expert and may dish as a wine adviser for several restaurants or for a restaurant grouping .

Sommeliers have the opportunity to plight in a number of contest held throughout the humankind . Requirements may vary as to who can enroll – young sommeliers , sommeliers who forge in Texas and so on – but most are judged on the same factor . rival take a written exam , compete in practical exercises in which their service accomplishment are showcased and display their fine locoweed in unsighted savouring .

Salaries for sommeliers motley greatly bet on where they cultivate and their storey of experience . Beginning pay are around $ 28,000 , while experient sommelier can overlook $ 160,000 or more [ origin : U.S. Department of Labor ] . The job is more physically demanding than you might reckon . A sommelier is busy throughout avail each dark , either on the floor or in the wine cellar . Also , it ’s a problem for a night soul , since most fine dining consume place in the eve . wine steward should also be free and eager to travel . As they advance in their career , they will call for to inspect vineyards and wineries around the world , see in mortal what they already are acquainted with in the feeding bottle . Despite some of the hardships , dedicated sommeliers express great job atonement . To them there is no greater reward than working with wine-colored and introduce it to others .

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