What constitutes a wine expert or sommelier? Fine restaurants employ wine stewards to assist in the selection and presentation of wines. The best ones are professional and discreet, taking care to provide gentle advice and thus help ensure that the diners choose a wine that perfectly suits their meals, palates, and budgets.
Because there’s so much to know about wines, choosing from an extensive list can be daunting, making it a smart move to seek the input of a wine professional. However, because the science of wine and all the factors that collaborate to make a great—or not so good—vintage are fascinating, it makes sense for anyone who enjoys a good glass of wine to pursue more knowledge.
Why would someone decide to become a sommelier? In one instance, those with extensive wine collections that include wines acquired as an investment would be well-served to expand their knowledge base. Casual wine aficionados—oenophiles—may also enjoy taking online or in-person classes to be better able to choose from wine lists at restaurants and when purchasing wine for themselves or as gifts.
An excellent example of a person who pursued a career as a wine steward is Stephen Grubbs, wine director at Ovide in Sandestin, Florida. A 2011 Food & Wine magazine Sommelier of the Year, he became interested in wine while working as a server at Five & Ten, a restaurant helmed by Hugh Acheson’s restaurant in Athens, Georgia. That’s where he developed a passion for wine education and for offering wine-pairing suggestions to his regulars. This led him to complete the Court of Master Sommeliers Level 1 class and exam.
“In addition to structured classes, I read, travel as often as possible, and I ask good winemakers a million pointed questions to learn more about the subject from those who make it,” Grubbs said.
For others, it’s a way to continue a family tradition. Pauline Collas, head sommelier at Miami’s Villa Azur, was raised on her parents’ vineyard in Provence, France.
“Life was great on this small property, which was surrounded by olive trees and lavender,” Collas said. “My father taught me about Syrah, Cinsault, and other grape varieties that are used to produce Côtes-de-Provence wines.”
As a result, she developed a passion for wines at a young age, eventually leading her to decide to become a sommelier.
When Collas was 19, she spent two years in culinary school, followed by a two-year wine steward apprenticeship in Paris at a restaurant in the 6th arrondissement. It was on the Seine waterfront, with a magnificent view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Her first job as a sommelier came just in time for the reopening of the historic Hôtel de Crillon on Place de la Concorde.
“The wine list was just extraordinary, with more than 2,000 references, and including some of the most exclusive wines,” she said.
A wide range of online programs, as well as many in-person classes, are readily available in cities around the world. The Court of Master Sommeliers offers online and in-person programs in a four-tiered schedule that begins with an introductory sommelier course. The prerequisites for prospective students include having a working knowledge of wines and understanding the various duties of a wine steward.
Over the course of two days, students receive in-depth instruction from master sommeliers in wines and beverages, the elements of wine service, and tasting techniques from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exam is administered at 4 p.m. on day two. Students who pass the exam are eligible to take the Certified Sommelier Course within three years.
However, not everyone seeks a career as a wine steward; for others, a self-directed, hands-on approach may be an ideal way to increase their knowledge of wines at their own pace. The suggested steps include sampling different wines at winery or retail store tastings as often as possible; learning how to view, smell, and taste wines; and developing an “aroma and taste archive” by smelling and tasting vegetables, spices, and more, which will assist in describing wines.
Other steps you can take to learn more about the intricacies of wine include training your palate to distinguish things such as the different viscosities of various vintages. Joining a local wine club could be an excellent way to learn this and other relevant skills, as well as to pick up the terms used by wine experts.
The internet and your local library can provide you with hours of reading materials on the science of wine production, such as how climate and soil play a pivotal role in making a great wine. If you live near vineyards, consider volunteering for whatever tasks they may need help with. Regardless of what they have you do, witnessing the winemaking process firsthand will greatly increase your knowledge base. You'll most likely have a lot of fun and make new friends, too.
Collas summarized the goal of a wine expert, saying, “In my mind, a sommelier is the person that can change a fine dining experience into an astonishing one.”
