What Does sommelier Mean
Sommelier is a French notion that came to our language as sommelier , although it is common for the Gallic word to be used directly. This is the wine specialist who, in a restaurant, hotel or other type of establishment, recommends diners which drink to choose according to the dish in question.
What the sommelier does, therefore, is dedicate himself to the study of wines in order to be in a position to make suggestions to consumers. It can be said that this expert puts himself in the customer's shoes and chooses the best wine according to the occasion. In theory, the sommelier should be objective and recommend the wine according to his knowledge, regardless of the winery or the producer.
The origin of sommelier work as such is in the Middle Ages. And it was in the fourteenth century, specifically in the year 1318, when King Felipe V opted to have a figure like that at court. What mission did he have? Basically, he had to taste the wine that the monarch was going to drink later in order to certify that it was not poisoned. A function that, according to historians, was maintained until the French Revolution broke out in 1789.
It is important to distinguish between the sommelier and the winemaker . While the sommelier is oriented to tasting the wine to check its characteristics and then make recommendations, the oenologist is the technician who is in charge of directing the production process. The oenologist, therefore, is the one who supervises the production , storage, bottling and distribution of the wine.
The classic function of the sommelier is in great restaurants, where they can draw the letter wine cellar and direct advice to the client. The sommelier, in this sense, is the one in charge of suggesting the pairing .
Therefore, we can establish that the main function that every sommelier has is to ensure that the diners who come to a restaurant can enjoy a perfect pairing, that they are delighted with the wines they have been recommended and that they are clear that they were appropriate. completely to the dishes that have already taken your tastes.
However, that is a complicated task, inasmuch as each client has preferences and also has a different economy to be able to pay more or less for a broth.
Currently, those who want to dedicate themselves to this profession, must take different specific professional courses that exist, where through many hours of practice and theory they will learn to taste wines, to know the qualities of each other, to understand the hallmarks of any wine, to be carried away by the senses ... All this without forgetting that they must have some innate qualities in this regard, such as great senses of smell and taste.
In recent years, however, the role of the sommelier has expanded. Now it is common for them to serve as consultants , critics and columnists . They can also organize presentations and wine tastings, among other events .