Sommelier

Also known as: Sommelier, Chef de Vin, Wine waiter

A sommelier has the responsibility of serving and selling wine to guests and will recommend wines suitable for all types of food, occasions and budgets.  You may be serving and selling wine at parties, wedding, conferences and banquets.

Your day-to-day duties may involve:
• selling and recommending wine
• serving wine in the correct manner
• storing the wine correctly

At an event the sommelier will store the wine at the correct temperature, serve it in suitable glasses and present it in the appropriate manner.  Guests may ask you for recommendations from the wine list so you’ll need to have excellent knowledge of the food being served at the event. Prior to the event you will taste the wine and food to help the head sommelier prepare the wine list and make recommendations.

You will also sell and serve liqueurs, brandies, and sometimes cigars, and will liaise closely with other team members to take wine orders at the appropriate times. A sommelier will need to be attentive and work well in a team to make sure service is timely.

If you are looking to develop your career as a sommelier there are specialist industy bodies who can help. Advice, guidance and training is available from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the Academy of Food & Wine Service.