Sommeliers taste wine and often take notes as a study aid.
But to many people, sommeliers may still be something of an enigma.
How can one make a career out of pouring and tasting wine?
Sommeliers taste wine and often take notes as a study aid. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Shutterstock)
The answers might surprise you.
What Is a Sommelier?
Simply put, a sommelier is a wine expert.
The Worshipful Company of Vintners Arms. (Photo:Lobsterthermidorvia Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0])
Described aswine stewards, sommeliers study and practice a myriad of skills related to wine.
A sommelier should have a vast knowledge of wine regions, grape varietals, and wineries.
Found mostly in upscale dining establishments, sommeliers are the customers' liaison and guide to the wine cellar.
Sommeliers vary in their responsibilities, but some build legendary wine cellars for restaurants. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom il21/Shutterstock)
Working with wine has a long history.
Like other guilds, the Company was exclusive with membership generally limited to male citizens of the city.
Their duties would be more recognizable to modern sommeliers than the poison tasting of the word’s origin.
Sommeliers present a bottle to guests, which allows them to confirm their choice. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Shutterstock)
The Worshipful Company of Vintners Arms.
The Master Sommelier Exam went beyond factual knowledge to test an applicants service abilities and blind taste testing.
Sommeliers often spend years studying for each level.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom L I G H T P O E T/Shutterstock
Only 172 Americans hold the title of Master Sommelier, and only 269 people worldwide.
Sommeliers vary in their responsibilities, but some build legendary wine cellars for restaurants.
While many sommeliers work on the floor in restaurants, others may work for vineyards or distributors.
Wine tastings are important training events for sommeliers. (Photo:eggmijin)
While passing the exams offered by CMS may be professionally advantageous, not all wine experts choose that route.
For those who do, the payoff insalarycan be worth the work.
According toBinwise, Level 1 (the lowest offered) sommeliers make roughly $55,000 a year.
The particular market and work experience of an individual sommelier may also be reflected in earnings.
Ongoing study is required to keep up to date on menus and wine lists.
High-ranking sommeliers may curate wine cellars for restaurants or even private clients.
Sommeliers present a bottle to guests, which allows them to confirm their choice.
Of the 172 American Master Sommeliers, only 28 are women.
A recent article byNeat Pourhighlights the troubled history of gatekeeping and micro-aggressions within the CMS and wine world.
Wine tastings are important training events for sommeliers.
