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How to become a Sommelier?

Tell us everything we need to know to become a Sommelier!

Note: We've seen a lot of interest in this career, so we're looking for guidance from our community of professionals.

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Philip’s Answer

That is a great question. Everything! Ok, first, you need to like wine. Then, you need to taste wine and pay attention to what you taste. Remember that the more you can speak about wine in a down-to-earth way, the better you will do. As the earlier answer mentioned, be sure to take every class you can. Some may be by CMS or WSET, but there are other people out there who are teaching, and they can be helpful on your journey. Some trade schools will also offer wine classes. These won't give you certifications, but they will make you more comfortable with an incredibly wide and deep subject. I've been doing this for quite some time and can still walk into a restaurant and not recognize most of the wines on the wine list. Read labels and, most importantly, back labels because they will give you more helpful information. That can be the winery's description of the wine and also, if it is imported, the name of the importer. Importers are major players in this world. Also, QR codes can open up tons of information from the winery about their other wines and about the regions they come from. I would also recommend reading the history of wine so that you can understand how wine fits into our culture and the roles it has played socially, politically, and religiously in our society. You will be amazed, and the stories you can pick up there will also be a great help when you go to the table and chat with your guests.
Congratulations, you are about to embark on a wonderful career. Best of luck!
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Tony’s Answer

If you want to be a good Sommelier, you should first take some courses and get certified. The two most popular organizations for this are Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) https://www.wsetglobal.com/ and The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) https://www.mastersommeliers.org/ They both offer different levels of courses, from beginner to advanced, and you can take many of the beginner classes on-line. I also recommend that you read The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil, available on Amazon.com You can also sign up for the weekly emails from Wine Folly https://winefolly.com/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=584234169823&tw_campaign=16086900139&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8J6wBhDXARIsAPo7QA8iZfdgj1-BNQuqb4DEw8sous3y3IbBv02YEqepVWfrSzGULWn3efQaAh5CEALw_wcB

Anybody can be a Sommelier, as the true definition of the word is 'A Wine Steward' or 'A person that serves wine'. If you want to be a certified Sommelier and further your career, you need to invest some time into it. The more you know, the more money you can make. Knowledge = $$$
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