Nov 06 2009
Let’s meet Wine Experts
In the previous article we were talking about wine ratings and now let’s have a conversation about people who create our first impressions before we have tasted the wine.
If somewhere there was a world of wine than all of its inhabitants we would call “sommelier”. Sommelier in our world is the profession of people who have specific duties and rules and the main purpose of whom is to know everything connected with this fabulous drink.
First sommeliers appeared in France and this word was used to describe people who organized transportation process and of cause they often transported wine.
Nowadays sommelier is an official profession of people in the restaurant or in other institutions which everyday duties are:
1) to know a lot about wine for creation of wine rating and wine list
2) to know about best food and wine pairing to recommend wine for every dish in the restaurant menu
3) to monitor for the good conditions of storing wine
4) to help with serving and ordering wine
5) to give wine knowledge to other staff
“To know the wine” means for sommeliers to discover the grape’s varietal of it, to guess where it was grown, including the region and possible vineyards. All that information good sommeliers can tell when they have tasted the wine.
There are a lot of sommeliers who work in different wine journals and also there are a lot of sommeliers who write there own wine lists in their books about it. All these two categories of sommeliers travel a lot because they need to know all existing wine types in the whole world. You can identify professional wine sommelier from nonprofessional one by asking one simple question “what’s new in the wine world” and if he would answer correct be sure this specialist is good.
Also the main trait of good sommelier character is that you will feel comfortable about wine if he is near, he can always advice you what you will like more if you can describe what you are expected about wine. Whatever you like sweet, dry of aerial drink or maybe you want to find the best pair for any food kind be sure he will know what to say to you in any case, of course if this case is connected with wine.
If you will decided to be a sommelier you should know about possible employment variants:
1) you have a chance to take part in the developing process of wine sommelier courses for wine enterprises;
2) you can work in the casino and manage beverages there;
3) you can be a guide in the tours the main thing of which is wine;
4) you can be a manager of wine shop;
5) you can be a teacher of wine knowledge;
6) you can write books, articles about wine.
There two main places where you can learn to be a sommelier: The Court of Master Sommeliers and The International Sommelier Guild. These two organizations have specific rules as for joining them. But after finishing you will certainly get diploma which will support you to find your place in the wine world. But remember that nothing can place love to wine and only if you love that drink you can connect you life with the profession of sommelier.
