How to become a Sommelier

When we drink a good glass of wine at table, we enjoy the taste and aroma and that feels like enough. But wine-lovers are certainly familiar with the job of the sommelier, the expert who can help us explore the world of wine. To become a sommelier, you must firstly love wine; and then you must want to study, because this job requires dedication and hard work. Let’s look at how to become a sommelier.

Becoming a sommelier: how to do it

Do you love wine? Would you like to become a sommelier? It’s by no means impossible.

The training to become a sommelier is divided into three levels and is open to everyone. During the first year you focus on the job of the sommelier, and learn about the properties of wine and how we can appreciate its different characteristics through our senses. You then go on to study viticulture, oenology, wine-production regulations, spirits and beer. On completion of these courses there’s a final exam that allows you to progress to the second level.

The second level involves the study of enography, and an analysis of Italian, French, Spanish and American wines. This enables you to distinguish the characteristics, qualities and strengths of every bottle of wine you may encounter. At the end of this stage, there is another exam to access level three.

To become an officially recognised sommelier, you also have to study the third level syllabus, involving food-wine combinations. You start with food in general and then you will be told how to combine wine with different dishes: from starters, to first courses, to meat, fish, vegetables, cheeses and even desserts. The last class will focus on combining wine with local products. Once this level is over you will be a qualified sommelier!