Sommelier - a profession, hedonism or both?

Whether it's the belief that older wine is better or that red wine pairs best with steak, white wine with fish, and champagne with cake, these are some of the most common stereotypes in gastronomy. Often accepted as absolute truths, the reality is that enjoying wine is entirely a matter of personal taste and individual experience, with no strict rules.

In the sea of food and drink varieties, and depending on personal preferences, achieving a perfect balance or harmony of flavors may seem like an impossible mission. However, that's precisely the challenge that sommeliers face – professionals who, with their exceptional knowledge of wine and its characteristics, as well as their skill in recognizing style and sensibility, find the perfect match for each guest.

In the developed world, sommeliership is a highly esteemed, well-paid, and refined profession. Although a love for wine is a prerequisite for this profession, becoming a professional in the field requires a great deal of interest, broad knowledge, and dedication.

What does a sommelier do?

The word "sommelier" originates from the French language and originally referred to a cellar master – a person who took care of wine at the court, tasted it before anyone else, and served it at the table. Only in the last 50 years or so has this profession and term gained a sophisticated touch and tone that resonates with style and refinement in today's world.

Nowadays, sommeliers primarily work in upscale restaurants and wineries where, upon guests' request, they suggest the best possible food and wine pairing. It goes without saying that this requires a perfect knowledge of the restaurant or bar's wine list, extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of each wine on offer, and an understanding of its compatibility with the menu offerings.

The nature of the job that involves interacting with guests requires sommeliers to have excellent knowledge of foreign languages, a high level of eloquence, composure, and kindness. The sommelier profession, therefore, carries a certain degree of academicism. Professionals in this field must know everything about grape varieties and their geographical origins, the production process, conditions for storing and aging wines, their age and maturity, physical and chemical properties, serving temperatures, and the type of food they pair with. A sommelier must be able to taste, smell, visually examine, and even blindly identify the main characteristics of each wine.

In addition to extensive knowledge about wine itself, a sommelier must be a person familiar with the highest hospitality standards, from communication skills to various technical details of service.

How to become a sommelier?

The career of a top sommelier is built over the years through various levels of training and exams organized locally and internationally.

In Belgrade, there are several wine and sommelier schools where you can gain initial knowledge in this field, and the most comprehensive training in our country is organized and conducted by the Association of Sommeliers of Serbia SERSA. The training consists of four levels, and you can earn the professional sommelier title after successfully completing three levels.

In addition to a few globally recognized organizations such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the Institute of Masters of Wine, the highest authority for sommelier training worldwide is the so-called Court of Master Sommeliers. Over the past half-century, only a little over 260 sommeliers worldwide have earned the certification from this program. The exam for the Master Sommelier title is considered one of the toughest tests in the world, with a pass rate of less than 1%.

Unless you are a passionate wine enthusiast with the ambition to achieve the most prestigious title in the world, in most cases, it will be sufficient to enhance your knowledge of the specific wine offerings in a particular bar or restaurant and start a sommelier career that you can build upon over time.

Advantages of the sommelier profession

Depending on the attained level in professional sommelier training, followed by years of experience and a developed reputation, a sommelier can have one of the highest-paying professions today. While this profession is still gaining recognition in Serbia, in large markets of developed countries, annual earnings for professional sommeliers can exceed $13,000 per month.

However, the benefits of pursuing this profession are not solely measured in numbers. Sommeliers enjoy a special reputation and prestige in society and, due to the nature of their work, they mingle in high circles, offering significant opportunities for professional and personal growth. The path to becoming a top sommelier is undoubtedly challenging, but once achieved, it opens up an entirely new dimension in the realm of hedonism.