A sommelier is a French term used for a wine steward or someone who is professionally trained in wine and wine pairings. They work along side top restaurants and chefs so that these culinary teams have the best possible wine with their food that best complement each other. Professional sommeliers must go through a combination of experience, training, and formal education that takes years and costs thousands of dollars but in order to become a "Master Sommelier", a professional must go to the Court of Master Sommeliers where they will need to pass a multitude of tests that include things like knowing the exact grape a wine is using, where and what region these grapes were grown in, and even how long the wine has aged for, all while being timed.
I had absolutory no idea that wine was this serious in some parts of the world. I knew that expert wine tasters were a thing, but I didn't know that there was an even more prestigious title of wine tasters that requires years of training and to be able to pass timed exams. Some sources differ a tiny bit, but as of 2017 there are only 250 people around the world that have the diploma of Master Sommelier and it was created in 1969. These individuals have truly honed all there senses.
Hi Connor
ReplyDeleteWhen reading about this in the book it truly was interesting learning about what a sommelier was. Including the extensive training they do on knowing the exact grape used in the wine. Showcases how refined our senses are when used to their full potential.