Are your friends constantly asking you what kind of wine they should choose? Do you love the taste of wine and know exactly what types of wines go with which foods? Is your living room filled with the latest wine magazines? If this sounds like you, perhaps working as a professional sommelier is something you should be considering.

A sommelier is a person at a restaurant who helps the patrons choose the wines that will complement their meal. As a sommelier you will also provide the proper stemware, open, decant, and serve the wine to the patrons of the restaurant. This job will also require an individual to work with the chef to help match the food with wine.

Most of the time a sommelier of a restaurant will also be in charge of taking inventory of the wine on hand, updating the wine lists, and training the restaurant wait staff as to which wines should be suggested.

Sommelier Positions

As a sommelier, there are a number of choices for employment. Of course, fine dining establishments are some of the top choices of where to work. However, sommeliers are also found working in hotels, resorts, casinos, country clubs, cruise ships, and other areas of the hospitality industry. Some sommeliers choose to be teachers and will conduct seminars and classes on the art of choosing the right wine.

On the Job

If you are choosing to become a sommelier, expect to work most nights and weekends, as it is required by most restaurants and other industries. Typically, a sommelier will come in to work during the afternoon to check the cellar, order stock, and prepare for events. The day may not end until 1 or 2 am. A person will need to be able to stand for long periods of time and able to move large cases of wine and equipment. Of course, a person will need to be 21 to be considered for this position in the United States.

Becoming a Sommelier

In order to become a sommelier a person will have to study wine extensively. Developing your palate will require hours of study. This can be done in several fun ways such as visiting wineries and holding wine dinners. There are also seminars that can be attended in order to learn the trade. Several schools offer training in this profession.

The salary of a sommelier will vary and there is no direct source that will give the average. This is mainly because anyone working in a restaurant that is in charge of wine service can be titled sommelier. The Master Sommelier designation is one of the most well know credentials of this field, with fewer than 200 people obtaining this title. Those who have obtained this title have salaries of over $160,000.

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