Sommelier

Sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, typically working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter. A sommelier may be responsible for the development of wine lists 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 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 patrons. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of the patron.

In modern times, a sommelier's role can be much more diversified than working only with wines, and can encompass all aspects of the restaurant's service, with a particular focus on beverages. Many of these new roles require additional skills, such as proficiency in sake, beer, spirits, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, cigars, and even tea and coffee. Some sommeliers have chosen to specialize in one of these areas.

History

The word sommelier is derived from the Middle French "soumelier", and was originally a court official charged with the transportation of supplies. This use of the term dates to the Middle Ages. 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, sagma referred to a packsaddle.

Training and certification

In many countries, a sommelier is defined by the certification and training of the sommelier, though there is no universal certification program. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) provides certification, while in the United States and Canada, the Court of Master Sommeliers offers several levels of sommelier certification. In France, the Union de la Sommellerie Française, and in Italy, the Associazione Italiana Sommeliers, provide certification, among others.

See also

• Wine tasting
• Wine and food matching
• Wine cellar
• Wine accessory
• Wine list
• Wine steward

External links

• Court of Master Sommeliers
• The Institute of Masters of Wine

Sommelier Resources
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