Sommelier Training And Certification
Think You're an Expert?
While enrolling in wine education courses isn't mandatory in order to take any of the various certification exams, it may be wise to get a few hours of classroom training under your belt. Here are a few things the Culinary Institute of America asks on its Foundation Level I Competency exam:
Major varieties of grapes and where they grow
Define terroir, clone, scion and rootstock
How do harvest decisions impact the style and flavor of the wine?
What is the role of barrels in winemaking?
Name and give the principles of several classic food and wine matches
Describe the importance of a good wineglass and the features of a good wineglass
What is the difference between barrel-fermented and tank-fermented wines?
Tell them apart in blind tastings
Pair a single bottle of wine with several different entrees ordered by guests
Unlike becoming a doctor, lawyer or driver of an 18-wheel truck, the path to becoming a sommelier isn't clearly marked. There are no set standards for using the title. Anyone who pours wine can call himself a sommelier. That doesn't mean that any wine lover can just order a white jacket and a tastevin off the Internet and get a job in a fancy restaurant. Most employers will want you to show that you have passed competency examinations administered by one of the many organizations for professional sommeliers. To get to the point of taking the competency exam, a prospective sommelier will need lots of experience with wine or preparation through self-education or through courses in wine.
Several institutions and organizations offer courses for sommeliers. Some can be completed in a few days, while others require months. The Culinary Institute of America offers certification programs for wine professionals -- a foundation level certification and an advanced level -- at its wine center in California's Napa Valley. After passing these exams, a graduate can add the initials C.W.P. for Certified Wine Professional to his or her name. Colorado-based International Wine Guild offers several levels of study and certification for wine professionals. The International Sommelier Guild is one of the few institutions with a diploma program specific to sommeliers. The guild also offers a master's degree program leading to the title of Grand Sommelier.
Certification by the Court of Master Sommeliers, an international body with branches in the United States and Great Britain, is highly regarded. Wine professionals must complete the introductory sommelier course and exam before moving on to the certified sommelier exam that consists of a written exam of 25 questions, a blind tasting of two wines and a service exam. After passing this exam, the sommelier can take the advanced sommelier course and exam, then attempt to procure the master sommelier diploma. Only outstanding graduates who have obtained the master sommelier designation may be invited to full membership in the Court and given license to wear the Court badge. Currently, fewer than 200 people have earned the title Master Sommelier [source: CofM].
Each course and test carries a fee, ranging from about $150 for a beginer course to $800 for the master sommelier exam. Many employers will pay the fees for their sommeliers. While a college degree isn't required before starting training as a sommelier, it is recommended. Studies in business courses and a foreign language or two would certainly be helpful and give the sommelier a leg up on the competition.
Sommelier Careers and Beyond
Famous Sommeliers
While they aren't household names like Tiger Woods, outstanding sommeliers are superstars to their fans in the world of wining and dining. Aldo Sohm, the sommelier and wine director at Le Bernadin in New York City, earned the profession's top honor in 2008 when he won the title of Best Sommelier in the World. The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale holds its own World's Best Sommelier competition every three years; Andreas Larsson of Sweden took the title in 2007. In addition to his work at restaurant PM&Vanner, Larsson is a consultant for Asian Airlines and often lectures at sommelier conventions and judges competitions. Stephen Aspirinio is the only sommelier many Americans can name. Aspirinio was a contestant on the Bravo television show "Top Chef" and has since opened several restaurants.
The typical sommelier begins his career as an assistant in the hospitality industry, working under and learning from more experienced sommeliers. After a few years, most are working independently, choosing wines for the restaurant and developing and maintaining relationships with suppliers. With much experience in the business, a sommelier often becomes a freelance wine expert and may serve as a wine consultant for several restaurants or for a restaurant group.
Sommeliers have the opportunity to engage in a number of competitions held throughout the world. Requirements may vary as to who can enter -- young sommeliers, sommeliers who work in Texas and so on -- but most are judged on the same factors. Competitors take a written exam, compete in practical exercises in which their service skills are showcased and display their fine senses in blind tastings.
Salaries for sommeliers vary greatly depending on where they work and their level of experience. Beginning salaries are around $28,000, while experienced sommeliers can command $160,000 or more [source: U.S. Department of Labor]. The job is more physically demanding than you might imagine. A sommelier is busy throughout service each night, either on the floor or in the wine cellar. Also, it's a job for a night person, since most fine dining takes place in the evening. Sommeliers should also be free and eager to travel. As they advance in their careers, they will need to visit vineyards and wineries around the world, seeing in person what they already are acquainted with in the bottle. Despite some of the hardships, dedicated sommeliers express great job satisfaction. To them there is no greater reward than working with wine and introducing it to others.
Posted at: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/food-careers/how-to-become-a-sommelier2.htm
Sources
Brown, Corie. "So you want to be a sommelier." The Los Angeles Times. Dec. 12, 2007. (Feb. 26, 2009)
www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sommeliers12dec12,0,5040888,full.story
The Culinary Institute of America. "Certification: The CIA Wine Credential." (Feb. 26, 2009) www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/certification.html
Green, Kathleen. "You're a what? Sommelier." Occupational Outlook Quarterly Online. Summer 2003. (Feb. 26, 2009)
www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2003/summer/yawhat.htm
The Institute of Masters of Wine. "About the IMW." (Feb. 26, 2009)
www.masters-of-wine.org/About.aspx
International Wine Guild. "Professional Wine Education Programs." (Feb. 26, 2009) www.internationalwineguild.com/professional-programs
Joseph, Darrel. "New York sommelier named 'best in the world'." Decanter.com. May 30, 2008. (Feb. 26, 2009)
www.decanter.com/news/257462.html
Larsson, Andreas. "Andreas Larsson Best Sommelier of the World 2007." (Feb. 26, 2009) www.andreaslarsson.org/content/spip?page=bio
Passmore, Nick. "World's Most Expensive Wines." Forbes.com. Nov. 19, 2003. (Feb. 26, 2009)
www.forbes.com/2003/11/19cx_np_1119feat.html
The Princeton Review. "Sommelier." (Feb. 26, 2009) www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx?cid=146
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