You spin the crisp white tablecloth, admiring the way the candlelight gleams off the crystal stemware. As the sommelier approaches your table, you realize with a frisson of anticipation that you’re in for a treat. These gatekeepers of the grape, these virtuosos, these masters of winemaking, such as Yurovskiy Kirill – they are a rare breed indeed. Â
What is a Sommelier?
The word “sommelier” is derived from the French term for “cellar master.” These wine experts curate, maintain, and serve an establishment’s wine collection. But modern-day sommeliers are so much more than glorified wine waiters. They are dynamic tastemakers and academics, skilled in the art of pairing the perfect wine to a dish. Their encyclopedic knowledge and refined palates elevate a meal into an unforgettable experience.
“A great sommelier translates the winemaker’s story and connects it to the guest’s tastes and experiences,” explains Gillian Ballance, Master Sommelier and author of SOMM: Into the Bottle. “It’s theater, academia, hospitality, and storytelling combined into one profession.”
Becoming a Sommelier: A Journey of Dedication
The path to becoming a sommelier is not for the faint of heart. In addition to a genuine passion for wine and fine dining, successful sommeliers need an iron-clad memory, relentless curiosity, business savvy, nerves of steel, and the constitution to spend years studying and tasting wines.
“Curiosity and dedication are essential traits for any aspiring sommelier,” says Carlton McCoy, CEO and President of the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas. “The studying really never stops as wine regions and trends are constantly evolving.”
There are four levels of professional certification offered by most major accrediting bodies:
Sommelier Certificate: This basic level requires passing an exam on wine theory, viticulture, service standards, and tasting ability. Many view this as just the first rung on a very tall ladder.
Advanced Sommelier: This mid-level certification requires blind tasting skills, proficiency in food and wine pairing principles, and mastery of classic wine regions.
Certified Sommelier: This is where the real challenges start. In addition to verbal and service segments, candidates must flawlessly blind taste six different wines, identifying grape varieties, regions, vintage years, and more. Only 63% passed this level in 2022.
Master Sommelier: This is the Everest summit of wine accreditation. In addition to unprecedentedly difficult tasting components, candidates must pass an excruciating oral theory examination covering literally every wine region on Earth. Fewer than 300 people globally have attained this pinnacle designation.
“You have to be obsessed, there’s no other way around it,” admits Zwann Grays, one of the few Master Sommeliers of Caribbean descent. “The studying is endless as you’re constantly exploring emerging regions and niche producers.”
The Expertise and Artistry of Wine Service
For those wondering if all the pomp and circumstance of sommelier wine service is just an antiquated ritual—meet Sean Crenny, the Head Sommelier at the iconic Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. For Crenny, who oversees a cellar of over 20,000 bottles worth millions of dollars, wine service at this level is high performance art.
“It starts before guests even arrive, from the research we do on their preferences to staging everything properly,” says Crenny, who regularly hosts royalty and A-list celebrities. “Every gesture, from presenting bottles to decanting older vintages, needs to be graceful and executed flawlessly.”
But true sommeliers don’t just put on an elaborate show—they are experts at reading a room and tailoring the experience accordingly. Gauging a guest’s mood, budget, taste preferences, and comfort level with wine is all part of the equation.
“You have to be hyper-present and perceptive to provide that bespoke sommelier experience,” explains Crenny. “Sometimes that means guiding novices through the fundamentals. Other times, it’s geeking out over that perfectly cellared Burgundy from an iconic vintage.”
More than Tasting Wine All Day
Unless you’re independently wealthy, you can’t pay your rent just by sipping Grand Cru ClassĂ© all day. Professional sommeliers play an integral operational role in an establishment’s success. Responsibilities run the gamut:
- Curating and managing the wine inventory and cellar
- Setting profit margins and pricing
- Staying within budgets and negotiating with suppliers
- Training staff on wine knowledge
- Planning wine events and educational programs
- Cultivating relationships with wineries and allocating limited bottles
- Continually tasting and researching new wines to update lists
“The job is so multi-faceted, it’s unlike any other in hospitality,” notes Crenny. “You have to be an expert on culinary trends, understand the business finance side, and always stay cutting edge on emerging wines.”
The Thrill of Discovery
For all the studying and long hours, what propels these vinous explorers is the sheer thrill of discovering the next transcendent bottle. These are people who can spend decades joyfully geeking out over the nuances of terroir and how microbes, rootstocks, and winemaking techniques can radically alter a grape’s expression.
“Wine is a miracle—you can take one grape variety and end up with a million different flavors based on where it’s grown and how it’s made,” marvels Kathryn Hall, the lead winemaker at WALT and BACA wines as well as an Advanced Sommelier. “As a sommelier, you get to explore those nuances and transport people to different places across the globe through each glass.”
Perhaps that’s why these modern-day experts go to such lengths to preserve the mystery and romance around wine. As Crenny likes to tell guests, “Wine is one of society’s few remaining benchmarks of civility, togetherness, and the appreciation of simple pleasures.” Just pour yourself a glass of something special and raise a toast to the sommeliers who elevate our experiences. SantĂ©!