A sommelier is a wine expert who specializes in wine tasting, pairing wine with food, buying and storing wine, and creating wine lists. They work in top restaurants to help customers find a wine that suits their tastes and complements their food. Becoming a sommelier involves extensive study and training, and the most prestigious certification is the Master Sommelier offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. The exam consists of three parts: an active part, a knowledge test, and a hands-on tasting exam.
A sommelier is a wine expert who specializes in catering in the wine industry. He or she is trained in wine tasting, pairing wine with food, buying wine, storing wine, and creating wine lists. Most top restaurants employ at least one wine expert, and for the most prestigious resorts and restaurants, having a master sommelier is a necessity.
A sommelier’s primary purpose is to ensure that dining room customers are able to find a wine within their budget that suits their tastes and complements their food. At a basic level, this means that the expert works with the kitchen to find suitable wines to pair with each entrée dish on the menu, and sometimes with other courses as well. At a higher level, a sommelier is often out on the restaurant floor, helping customers decide on the exact wine that best meets their needs.
Becoming a sommelier can be a daunting task, involving many hours of study and often a great deal of expense in procuring both tuition and fine wines for tasting. Most experts come to the job through one of two routes: either through extensive work in fine dining and studying wines “in the field” or through formal training in wine studies. Of course, neither of these paths is completely independent of the other, as most restaurant employees on the road to becoming a sommelier take at least a few formal classes, and many formal students find work in a fine-dining restaurant both to earn money and to get ready. access to wines to taste.
The best known certification for this work is the Master Sommelier certification offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. To earn this certification, a person must first take an introductory course, take an exam to become certified as a sommelier, continue their education with an advanced course, and finally pass the Master Sommelier exam. There are currently 124 individuals who hold this title worldwide, including 79 in North America.
The exam to become a Master Sommelier consists of three main parts. The first is an active part asking the candidate to recommend drinks, intelligently discuss the menu and wines, select glasses, make pairing recommendations and prepare and present wine, grappa, cigars and spirits. The second tests knowledge by asking the candidate to discuss various varietals and regions, answer questions about international wine laws, explain the process of making spirits and beers, discuss cigars with authority, and give an account of procedures adequate storage. The final section is a hands-on tasting exam, where the candidate must identify and discuss six wines, with reference to variety, place of origin and vintage.
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