Becoming a sommelier is a goal for many wine lovers, prodded on by the many “SOMM” movies and TV shows. It is now a career imbued with glamor and intrigue. Is becoming a sommelier a good career choice for you?
What Does a Sommelier Do?
By the most basic of definitions, a sommelier is a wine waiter. That was the job in the 19th and 20th Centuries, but not anymore. This expanded far beyond its humble beginnings. Adding to the confusion, there are now multiple career paths for sommeliers.
How Much Does a Sommelier Earn?
On average, a qualified Sommelier earns around $ 70,000 annually. An Advanced Sommelier can earn up to $ 100,000. A Master Sommelier takes home as much as $ 190,000. So what are you waiting for?
Should I Become a Restaurant Sommelier?
The most common type of sommelier, also known as the “somm,” works for a restaurant. On the floor, somms recommend wines to pair with restaurant customers’ dinners. However, the real work is done behind the scenes.
A somm is the restaurant’s in-house wine educator, responsible for training the bartenders and waitstaff. They also manage the wine list and maintain their wine cellar inventory. They also meet with wine suppliers and taste wines, often in the afternoon. Being up-to-date on wine trends and producers is vital to the job.
Are There Different Types of Sommeliers?
The wine trade is poorly served by academia. You can get a degree in hotel management and winemaking. However, those are just two jobs in a vast multi-billion dollar industry. Because there are limited opportunities at traditional schools, sommelier certification has become the gold standard in the wine world.
Back in the ’80s, certification was solely for restaurant work. That is far from true now. The jobs that require a sommelier certification have exploded. Often, jobs require a sommelier certification, not a college degree.
For a list of potential uses for a sommelier certification, you can check out our list of wine jobs.
Do sommeliers need to be friendly?
It might seem like a trivial question, but many people do not enjoy constantly interacting with others. Yet restaurant sommeliers are expected to continually contact staff, sales representatives, and distributors. It can be exhausting for introverts.
Many sommeliers do not work in restaurants and are not under the same pressure to be friendly to everyone.
How much wine knowledge do I need?
Becoming a sommelier is much easier when you have some basic knowledge about wine and food. In addition, you need a trained palate, and you should try gaining insight into wine production and cultivars.
If you feel ready to take on the educational section of being a Sommelier, there are different options. But first, you must apply to one of the available wine schools– and work toward getting your sommelier certificate.
What types of sommelier certifications are there?
Three major sommelier organizations are the Court of Masters Sommeliers, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and the National Wine School.
These organizations offer the same certification levels, even though they call them by different names. The following are the standard sommelier certification levels:
- Level One Certification (Introductory)
- Level Two Certification (Foundation)
- Level Three Certification (Certified Sommelier)
- Level Four (Advanced Sommelier)
- Level Five (Master Qualification)
Is the National Wine School a good program?
We believe this to be the best sommelier program available in the United States and the program we use for our wine courses. We love their programs; most of their clients are universities and colleges. They focus on students’ individual needs, and their programs are cutting-edge. We see their programs as the future of wine education.
What type of programs does the National Wine School offer?
Level One. This eight-week online program includes sixteen hours of education and covers many basics any wine enthusiast needs.
Foundation (Level Two). This program covers material similar to WSET Level Three and the CMS Advanced program. The NWS believes that sensory training is the foundation of all wine knowledge. The program includes 16 hours of in-class education.
Intermediate (Level Three). Regional wine knowledge is the core of this program, which also relies on a proprietary deductive tasting system that expands upon the Foundation wine course and includes 16 hours of in-class education.
Advanced (Level Four). This program requires a minimum of sixty-four hours of class time. It is similar to a bachelor’s degree: students can focus on specific topics, including winemaking, Italian Wine, Food and Wine Pairing, etc.
Master (Level Five). This program is structured like a university Master’s program. The student is assigned an academic advisor. They work together one-on-one to develop a master’s thesis. Only projects that promote the student’s career goals are accepted.
Is the Court of Master Sommeliers Reputable?
For over twenty years, we have maintained a distance from the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS), and this decision has proven prudent. Initially, the program’s atmosphere felt overly exclusive and cliquish. More concerning, however, are the numerous troubling reports in recent years regarding their management of wine exams.
Adding to these concerns, sommelier Tahiirah Habibi, a trusted former student of ours, lodged a credible bias report against CMS. In light of this, we cannot endorse CMS. Furthermore, there have been credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving members of the board of directors, which only strengthens our stance.
What type of certification does the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) offer?
The Court of Master Sommeliers offers four levels of certifications.
Introductory. This short, 2-day course focuses on viticulture, winemaking, cultivars, origins, spirits, pairings, classifying wine, tasting techniques, and wine service.
Certified. This is a 1-day examination that includes blind tastings, theory, and tests on wine services.
Advanced. This three-day course includes blind tastings, theory, and tests on wine service. However, to apply, you must have five years of experience in the industry and take an online test before completing it.
Master. This is a challenging certification to pass. It involves the same three examinations as the other courses, but obviously at a much higher level. The other two exams cannot be done without the theory examination. This diploma often takes up to 3 years to attain.
What is the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET)?
WSET offers wine certification for the restaurant trade via a franchise model. It focuses on PowerPoint presentations and memorization and is designed for students without a college education. The exams include a cross-section of wine history, theory, and practical wine service.
What type of programs does the Wine and Spirits Education Trust offer?
Level 1. This is a six-hour program that focuses on pairing food and wine and an introduction to the styles of wine produced today.
Level 2. This program focuses on cultivars, regions, styles, quality, and prices. The program includes sixteen hours of class time.
Level 3. This course included thirty hours of wine classes. This program goes in-depth into wine tasting and assessment. A section also focuses on the world’s wine in terms of viticulture and winemaking practices.
Level 4: Diploma. This diploma will take longer than two years to complete and includes one hundred sixteen hours of class time. It covers wine production, sparkling and fortified wines, the business side of wine, and blind tastings.
Is the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) a good program?
There is much to like about WSET, but we opted not to offer their wine programs many years ago. Their core beliefs don’t vibe with ours as respected as they are.
WSET focuses on uniformity and PowerPoint presentations that don’t appeal to our students. We serve the most diverse student population of any wine school, and the WSET one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t cut it.
Is the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) a good school?
This is great for those who are good at self-study. It is an independent study sommelier program – placing no pressure to attend classes – but it is an intense program designed to certify Wine Educators.
When they came online about a decade ago, their online programs were revolutionary. They inspired many wine schools to expand into online wine education. The programs were suitable for their original purpose: trade certification for employees within the wine supply chain and possibly for sommeliers.
For us, it’s not a fit. We thrive on intellectual freedom, and a trade certification underwritten by some of the most extensive wine companies in America isn’t our cup of tea. But, more importantly, we strongly disagree on what type of training a wine educator needs.
What type of programs does the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) offer?
Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). Here, the focus is entirely on the theory component. Students are taught and tested on viniculture, chemistry, regions, pairings, laws, and wine.
Certified Wine Educator (CWE). This certification takes it a step further and introduces blind tastings. This certification also tests your ability to conduct a class and hold the class’s attention while conveying your wine knowledge accurately.