Sommelier

When customers in an upscale restaurant want to order a bottle of wine with dinner, they may be overwhelmed by or unfamiliar with the selections offered on the wine list. When this is the case, they can ask the sommelier for advice. Sommelier is the French term for cellarmaster or wine steward. Sommeliers are individuals with a love of wine who are eager to impart some of their knowledge to the customer. They can describe the regions, grapes, vineyards, and vintages of an assortment of wines. The best sommeliers talk to, not at, their customers and enjoy when customers tell them of a bottle they have recently tasted that they are not familiar with. The sommelier either helps to create the wine list or compiles it on his own.

The sommelier recommends wines that suit the customer's tastes and price range. Even those who are knowledgeable about wine can benefit from the sommelier's advice. He has tasted the items on the wine list and knows which wines go best with which entrees.

Many patrons are easily intimidated by wines and do not understand the terminology used to describe them. The sommelier must be ready to coax from them a description of their desires and be understanding of their budgetary limits.

When they select a wine, the sommelier brings it to the table with the appropriate glasses and pours it for the customer to taste. The sommelier should encourage the patron to smell the wine first and should describe its components to him, bringing the wine to life for the patron before it even touches his palate.
Sommeliers also decant wines, when necessary. Decanting, usually done to red wines aged over ten years, is the process of pouring the wine into a decanter before serving it. This is done to allow the wine to breathe and to separate it from any sediment that may have settled at the bottom of the bottle.

Extensive and frequent travel is part of the sommelier's career. Many travel yearly to different regions to choose wines for their restaurants. At times, they will leave a promising wine behind but return to it repeatedly until they feel it has aged properly.

Sommeliers train for years to develop their palates. The best ones travel throughout the major wine regions of the world to view the vineyards and wine-making processes firsthand. While touring the globe they attend many wine tastings. This travel allows them to explore the customs of the areas, as well.
Usually, the sommelier meets with the vineyard owners to inquire about their vintages and discuss the harvest seaons. Most sommeliers spend a significant amount of time in France, often continuing their studies in a restaurant under another sommelier. For many sommeliers, wine starts out as a hobby and progresses to a love that culminates in a career.

A sommelier's education is not over when his travels are through, though. Wine is produced continually and he must regularly taste new presses. Sommeliers return to France and other favorite regions again and again. They must read about wines they have not tasted and be familiar with other alcohols, such as scotch and sherry.

The field of wine is vast, but more traditional and family-oriented than one might expect.

Vineyard owners are responsible for tending to the grape harvest and wine making. They employ large numbers of people to do this. Wine production is predominantly a closed area as there are a limited number of good grape-growing regions and families tend to pass the vineyard down through bloodlines.

Those who are knowledgeable about wine may consider hosting tasting dinners or teaching wine-tasting classes. Still others may write about their experiences for industry publications, such as Food & Wine Magazine.

The practice of cultivating grapes for wine has been carried on for thousands of years. Drinking habits have always fluctuated around the fashions, politics, and customs of the times. Often these three factors have had much to do with the profit generated from wine making.

The early twentieth century saw the beginning of a movement to ensure wine's authenticity, which culminated in laws stating, for example, that only wine from the French region of Champagne could be called champagne.

Since World War II, wine consumption in the United States has grown; the American vineyard has matured and some vineyards in California produce excellent wine. The best European wines are becoming increasingly expensive, causing many to view them as investment opportunities.

This has created a demand for sommeliers: Given the complexities and the cost of wines, many people recognize the need for guidance in choosing one.

Two Years Out

Most sommeliers begin by working under another sommelier's guidance. All report great satisfaction with their choice of career.

Five Years Out

The majority of sommeliers now work independently and enjoy the increased responsibilities. The sommelier is often given the task of creating the wine list for a restaurant and welcomes the opportunity to create the perfect wine selection.

Ten Years Out

By this time the sommelier has probably acquied a reputation and may be quoted in magazines and journals as an authority on wine. Some sommeliers travel from restaurant to restaurant bringing their own flair to each house, while others steadily transform the restaurant where they are employed. Many host wine dinners or act as mentors to aspiring sommeliers.

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