A sommelier ( or or ; ), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as

wine and food pairing Wine and food matching is the process of pairing food dishes with wine to enhance the dining experience. In many cultures, wine has had a long history of being a staple at the dinner table and in some ways both the winemaking and culinary traditi ...

. The role of the wine steward in

fine dining Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an of ...

today is much more specialized and informed than that of a "wine waiter". Sommeliers Australia states that the role is strategically on par with that of the ''

chef de cuisine A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads and manages the kitchen and chefs of a restaurant or hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities ...

''.

Description

A sommelier may be responsible for the development of wine lists and books and for the delivery of wine service and training for the other restaurant staff. Working along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines that will best complement each particular food menu item. This entails the need for a deep knowledge of how food and wine, beer, spirits and other beverages work in harmony. A professional sommelier also works on the floor of the restaurant and is in direct contact with restaurant

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

s. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of the patron. In modern times, a sommelier's role may be considered broader than working only with wines, and may encompass all aspects of the restaurant's service, with an enhanced focus on wines, beers, spirits, soft-drinks, cocktails, mineral waters, and tobaccos.

Etymology

The modern word is French, deriving from

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from ...

where it referred to a court official charged with transportation of supplies. This use of the term dates to a period when

pack animal A pack animal, also known as a sumpter animal or beast of burden, is an individual or type of working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back, in contrast to draft ani ...

s would be used to transport supplies. The Middle French probably finds its origin in Old Provençal where a ''saumalier'' was a pack animal driver. ''Sauma'' referred to a pack animal or the load of a pack animal. In

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

, ''sagma'' referred to a packsaddle.

Education and certification

Though 'sommelier' is a job title potentially anyone may claim, becoming a professional certified sommelier often requires some combination of experience, training, formal education (a bachelor's degree is not required, but individuals may do a two-year associate degree), classes and examinations. It is possible to become a sommelier by starting at the entry level in the hospitality or wine industry and working up, though many choose to become educated and professionally certified by one (or more) of the many certifying bodies. Various certifications are offered by a wide range of educators. A very basic education in wine may be attained over the course of months at a cost in the hundreds of dollars, but advanced professional certification typically requires years of study, practice and experience costing thousands of dollars. It has been noted that a thorough education in wine is still less expensive than typical

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

costs in the US.

The Court of Master Sommeliers

The

Court of Master Sommeliers The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) is an educational organisation established in 1977 to encourage improved standards of Alcoholic beverage, beverage service by sommeliers, particularly in wine and food pairing. From the court's inception throu ...

(CMS), established in 1977, is an independent examining body that offers the 'Master Sommelier Diploma', the 'Advanced Sommelier Certificate', the 'Certified Sommelier Certificate', and the 'Introductory Sommelier Certificate'. It was created under the supervision of the

Worshipful Company of Vintners The Worshipful Company of Vintners is one of the oldest Livery Companies of the City of London, England, thought to date back to the 12th century. It is one of the "Great Twelve" livery companies of London, and its motto is ''Vinum Exhilarat A ...

, the Institute of

Masters of Wine Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional know ...

, the British Hotels & Restaurants Association, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association of Great Britain, and the Wholesale Tobacco Trade Association. Since the Master Sommelier Diploma was introduced in 1969, a total of 249 people from around the world had become Master Sommeliers by the end of 2017. The Court also offers intermediate levels of education including the annual "Advanced Sommelier Course", which prepares invited candidates to sit for the Advanced Exam, generally offered 2–3 times per year. Taking the Advanced Course and passing the Advanced Exam are mandatory before sitting for the Masters Exam.

International Sommelier Guild

The ''International Sommelier Guild'' (ISG) educates and certifies sommeliers in Canada, China and the United States. It was founded in 1982 and the programme consists of Level 1 Wine Fundamentals, Level 2 Wine Fundamentals and a Sommelier Diploma. They also offer a 'Certified Sommelier Instructor' diploma.

International Wine & Spirits Guild

The International Wine Guild was founded in 1998 and is approved and regulated by the

Colorado Department of Higher Education The Colorado Department of Higher Education (DHE) is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for implementing the policies of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).C.R.S. § 23-1-101 As the policy and ad ...

. The independent school offers the Level IV 'Guild Master Wine Educator Diploma', the Level III 'Guild Wine Master Diploma and Certification', the Level II 'Advanced Wine Course and Executive Sommelier Certification' and the Level I 'Introductory Wine Sommelier Certification'. The International Wine & Spirits Guild was established to encourage study to develop technical and professional understanding and increased knowledge of wine throughout all areas of the wine, spirits and food service industry. IWSG also offers professional courses and certifications for Wine Judges, Wine Instructors, and in Fine

Spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

and

Sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

North American Sommelier Association

The North American Sommelier Association was founded in 2006 and is the official representative in the United States and Canada of the Worldwide Sommelier Association (WSA). Its Certified Sommelier course is divided into three phases but is offered as one entire course and includes extensive class time, lectures, educational visits to wineries, and educational dinners. Unlike other groups, NASA has only two tiers of Sommelier qualification: Silver-Pin and Gold-Pin. The Gold-Pin qualification is obtained through a series of extensive requirements and certifications (Master Wine Taster, Master Of Service...) as well as proof of experience in the industry. Aside from the Sommelier Certification, NASA also provides various smaller proprietary specialization courses, such as 'Italian Wine Specialist', 'American Wine Specialist', 'Spanish Wine Specialist' and various master-classes such as 'Master Of Terroir', 'Master of Sangiovese', 'Master of Service', and 'Master Wine Taster'.

National Wine School

The National Wine School was founded in 2009 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, California. The school offers

ANSI The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organi ...

-compliant professional certification for the wine trade in the United States. They offer five levels of wine certification. To earn a sommelier pin, one must complete level three certification. To earn the advanced sommelier pin, the student must complete the level four certification.

Union de la Sommellerie Française

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, the ''Union des Sommeliers''Union De la Sommellerie Française
- Historique (in French) (UDS) was founded in 1907 to ensure social protection for its members, both sommeliers and cellar masters in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

region. The approach and role of the association developed throughout the years as it lost its autonomy by merging with the ''Mutualité Hôtelière'' in 1959. Ten years later, sommeliers regained their independence as the ''Association des Sommeliers de Paris'' (ASP) was founded in 1969. In the same year the ''

Association de la Sommellerie Internationale The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale is a nonprofit organization founded in Reims in 1969 to develop and promote the sommelier profession around the world. Every three years, it holds a competition in an international city and names ...

'' (ASI) was created and federated other organisations in the world, and in 1970 the old UDS was renamed in ''Union de la Sommellerie Française'', UDSF, which supervises today the 21 regional associations in France (including ASP). The title of ''Mention Complémentaire Sommellerie'' (MCS) and ''Brevet Professionnel de Sommelier'' (BP) can be achieved studying for many different approved providers, and the final qualification of ''Maître Sommelier'' can be achieved after an accurate career assessment, requiring at least 10 years of professional experience.

Associazione Italiana Sommelier

In Italy, the

Italian Sommelier Association Italian Sommelier Association, 'AIS' (', sometimes also as known as ') is an Italian non-profit organization founded in Milan on July 7, 1965, officially recognised and legally acknowledged by the Italian government on April 6, 1973, - WSA / AIS A ...

, 'AIS', founded on July 7, 1965, is one of the oldest sommelier associations of the world. It is officially recognised and legally acknowledged by the Italian government. Italian Sommelier Association is part and founding member of the ''Worldwide Sommelier Association'' (WSA), which is officially recognized throughout the world. It is actually the largest sommelier association ever featuring over 33,000 members only in Italy. AIS / WSA is famous worldwide for its technical tasting approach and methodology, patented food & wine pairing technique, publications, service standards and three-levels course structure which leads to the ''Certified Sommelier'' qualification. A ''Professional Sommelier'' qualification and diploma is issued by AIS, after a candidate's career assessment, for those sommeliers actually working in a food and beverage establishment.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

The

Wine & Spirit Education Trust The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, often referred to as WSET, is a global organisation which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine, spirits and sake. WSET was founded in 1969, is headquartered in London and is generally regarded as one ...

, often referred to as 'WSET', does not offer sommelier certifications. Despite this, many sommeliers choose to earn these qualifications due to similar curriculum and the WSET's structured approach that allows one to gain knowledge through tutored coursework.

Similar professions

Other specialized beverage service roles take on the term "sommelier". These include:

beer sommelier A beer sommelier, also called a cicerone, is a trained professional, working in the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industry, who specializes in the service and knowledge of beer, similar to a traditional wine sommelier. The knowledge required ...

(also called a cicerone),

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

sommelier,

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

sommelier,

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...

sommelier, and

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

sommelier.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Bartending Food services occupations Guilds in the United States