A sommelier is a professional who works with wine, usually assisting restaurant patrons in selecting wines that are appropriate for the food they are eating. This is the most common sommelier job, but the skills required to perform this function can be applied to a variety of other jobs. There are various levels of sommelier jobs even within the restaurant industry. Many of these jobs may require certification, though the necessary skills can be learned without enrolling in a program.
Sommelier jobs usually entail assisting customers in selecting a wine for each course of a meal in a restaurant or hotel. This is usually done with the customer’s input, taking into account his or her preferences and budget. Although each sommelier may have personal preferences and slants on wine traditions, the selection process is guided by formalized wine knowledge. A restaurant sommelier must be completely knowledgeable about all of the wines available to customers, as well as all of the other items on the menu.
Restaurant sommeliers are often in charge of ordering and keeping track of what wines are available, as well as ensuring that the appropriate wines are in stock for the food being served. At times, a restaurant will have multiple sommeliers, some of whom are subordinate to others. Working as a head sommelier in a fine restaurant often necessitates different skills than working as a subordinate sommelier, so these jobs may be considered distinct.
All sommelier jobs necessitate a thorough understanding of wine and alcoholic beverages. Sommeliers can also work as wine critics or in other wine-related fields. Sommeliers are also required to teach and certify future sommeliers, though this requires additional training. One way to creatively expand the horizons of a sommelier is to be an expert but not perform the sommelier’s job.
People who have been trained as sommeliers may find their skills useful in purchasing situations. Grocery stores that stock wine, for example, will frequently hire a wine expert to assist customers and make recommendations, though this person will rarely serve wine. Winemakers may also hire people with sommelier experience as salespeople or even as entry-level winemakers. Experience as a sommelier can help you get a job in the wine industry, and becoming a sommelier is an excellent way to get involved in the larger wine world.