How to Become a Sommelier

Master of the Cork, Keeper of the Tastevin

A sommelier is more than a wine taster -- geez, almost anyone over 21 can do that. There's a reason these bona fide wine stewards get the tastevin to wear around their neck. You know, that presumptuous shallow silver cup dangling on a chain that some professionals have. The little silver tastevin was developed by Burgundians to assist a winemaker in judging the clarity and color of a wine by candlelight in their dark and dank Côte d'Or caves. Is it useful? Not really. It's more of an affectation, but hey, it beats wearing a club tie. That little cup necklace aside, a sommelier is the wine steward and the overseer in charge of a restaurant's wine. The sommelier title is non-gender specific, so he or she reigns over their dining establishment's wine domain; they are the regents of the wine, the stewards of the Burgundy, the oracles of the Cabernet. These wine professionals are in charge of procurement, proper cellaring, wine stock rotation, and wine service. They run the wine show at a restaurant. A great sommelier can elevate a great restaurant to a higher plane. Conversely, we don't want to discuss what an inadequate sommelier can do to a restaurant.

Knowledge and Service

The word sommelier is of French origin, and traditionally these wine stewards or butlers provided service to families of royalty. That tradition and its ensuing role has evolved over the generations and the modern sommelier provides wine service to restaurants, and in most cases fine restaurants. A sommelier's primary duty is developing the restaurant's wine list, often working in conjunction with the chef to strategically pair appropriate wines complementary to the menu. Note however, in the case of some restaurants, the wine list -- like destiny -- is predetermined and managed by their wine distributor. Regardless, the sommelier also cannot neglect the serving staff at the restaurant, since they are the front line to the patrons and are responsible for overall wine service. Thus, the sommelier must train staff on proper serving protocol, technique, etiquette, and basic wine knowledge. Often they will hold in-house tastings to expand the waitstaff's wine knowledge and consequently provide better service.

The Sommelier in the Front

A sommelier wears two hats, with the first hat being the cellar. The second hat is the one most people are familiar with, the one providing guidance for the best Oregon Pinot to go with their savory rack of lamb…and then uncorking their bottle of wine with style and savoir faire.

Arguably, the sommelier's most important activities take place in the front of the house, providing service to a restaurant's clientele, particularly a star restaurant with a big reputation for wine that holds Wine Spectator's restaurant Grand Award. The sommelier is the person that patrons will summon for sensitive and intuitive wine selection advice based upon their tastes, dining choices, and budget. They must present the wine, verify the wine is what the customer intended, check the wine's temperature, uncork the wine, and when appropriate, decant it. The sommelier is also the one to make the determination if a wine is corked or tainted and therefore 86ed. They are expected to know the details of all the wines on the menu, the wine's region, varietals, vintage year quality, ratings, and any juicy gossip floating around the wine industry about a particular winery or personality. In short, they are expected to know quite a bit about wine and above all else, be professional. That takes more than just watching Sideways - the Movie. It takes going to school.

How to Become a Sommelier

First thing, don't be intimidated or dissuaded. Second, don't get confused. A person doesn't have to be a certified sommelier to pour a glass of Pinot Noir from Sonoma or tell anyone that the 2002 vintage was a top-notch year. However, there's a level of prestige to wear on one's jacket and to be a certified sommelier, and even higher to be acclaimed a Master Sommelier with an MS behind one's name. It would also be a disservice to neglect the Master of Wine (MW) category as well, a certification indicating a high mastery of wine knowledge.

What's the difference between the two certifications of MS and MW? Think of it as the MW being more academic and learning more wine theory and less about service, whereas an MS also delves into more practical education and takes a hands-on approach regarding the wine business, beverage management, and wine knowledge. Never fear, both the Institute of Masters of Wine (MoW) and Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) require a significant amount of tastings to pass their programs and know wines. Either way, if you pass the final examination, you will be acknowledged as a peerless expert of wine. In fact, the number of MS and MW sommeliers worldwide are a rare breed, with 247 Master of Wine holders and only 124 Master Sommeliers floating around the world.

Both organizations originated in Great Britain, with the Institute of Masters of Wine starting in 1953, with The Court of Master Sommeliers holding their first exam in 1969. Debate amongst yourselves about which is the better "M_" to hold. Both require extensive study and time to achieve, with no guarantee of succeeding. Both institutes hold educational seminars and examinations locally in worldwide locations. Both also require that students have a background in the wine industry. There's a four-step program for the CMS program, culminating in the MS certification. The MoW program has a hefty syllabus that takes about two years to plow through. Still, each program only awards a handful of MW or MS certifications each year.

Alternative Paths

Relax. There are no legal requirements to being a sommelier -- you don't even need a driver's license. There are other paths, both direct and indirect, that help in getting started to become a sommelier—work at a wine retailer, become a waiter or waitress in a restaurant that is intensely into wine, move to Napa and get a job pouring wine at a winery's tasting room, get a rep job for Constellation Brands…and above all else, take formal classes and talk to people about wine.

Education

Never fear, not everybody has to go to the Harvard of wine schools to get a job as a sommelier. Many community colleges and university extension programs, particularly ones in wine country vicinities, offer wine education programs. What most sommeliers recommend is a combination of practical experience topped off with education. The following is a condensed list to help you get started.

• International Sommelier Guild
• Algonquin College
• Society of Wine Educators
• Sommelier Society of America
• Professional Culinary Institute
• Culinary Institute of America
• Boston University
• Kevin Zraly's Windows of the World Wine School
• Institute of Masters of Wine
• Court of Master Sommeliers

A Sprinkling of Top Sommeliers

• Andrea Immer

Andrea Robinson or Andrea Immer, she's a star cookbook writer and MS sommelier with great food pairing advice.

• Evan Goldstein

Evan, tell your mom, Joyce, to bring back Square One.

• Larry Stone

This ex-Master Sommelier at Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco crossed over to become General Manager at Rubicon Estates in Rutherford. Larry, just when you thought you were out he pulled you back in…"Yes, Godfather…"

• David Gordon at Tribeca Grill

If he's good enough for Drew Nieporent and Robert De Niro, he's good enough for me.