Sommelier training

The role of the Sommelier

As part of our Introduction to Sommelier Course students take their WSET Level 1 Award in Service training assessment, which is aimed at giving a good understanding of the roles of a sommelier. The training involves a lot of discussion around what a day in the life of a sommelier entails beginning with the question, what does a sommelier actually do? The top answers were wine stock control, service, and preparation for service, all good points to which we added buying wine, administration of invoicing, training staff, meeting with suppliers, attending wine tastings etc.

The appearance of a Sommelier

First impressions are so important, so as a group we discussed the consequence of the look of someone working in a top establishment. What is the right professional image, it is not just how you greet someone, it is that first glimpse that is so important. We decided that one of our ‘models’ would be better off working in an establishment that perhaps did not need the training that we were focussing on in this course, i.e. a real scruff!

The Sommelier’s team

Next it is important for anyone aspiring to be a sommelier that they understand about teamwork, what a team is, how a team works, what happens if someone is not working well within the team. What is the affect on the establishment when the team works well, or perhaps when it does not work well. It is often the role of the sommelier to ensure that his, or her, team is working at their best and so it is imperative that they are a team player themselves.

The customer and the Sommelier – communication

The group then worked on understanding communication, how much of this is verbal and how much non-verbal, the importance of body language, facial expressions, posture and position of the sommelier at the customer’s table. When communicating with the customer, how much of that conversation should the sommelier be listening versus talking; it was agreed that listening is key, but a two-minute listening skills workshop proved that it is VERY difficult!

Sommelier’s equipment

Enough talk, time to get down to polishing and carrying glasses, opening bottles, pouring wine, etc. The rest of the day involved learning about the equipment and the correct way to use these. Each student had their own glass, service cloth, corkscrew, and bottle of wine, plus access to trays, wine coolers, different types of glasses etc. It is surprising, if not used properly, how difficult it can be to utilize a corkscrew such as a waiter’s friend (sometimes know as a sommelier knife), but practice makes perfect. With bottles opened correctly, glasses flawlessly polished, checked and carried on service trays, it was time to rehearse the art of pouring wine.

Order of Service

After a recap on food and wine pairing and wine service temperatures learnt on the Level 1 Wine course, the group discussed the correct order of service, not forgetting water, bread, aperitifs etc., before moving onto a practical exercise bringing everything together.

Sommelier role-play

The assessment for the WSET Level 1 Award in Service qualification  involves a role-play based on a typical restaurant scenario, with a customer requiring a food and wine pairing recommendation and faultless service.  After an opportunity to practice and time to digest all the information learnt, each student took their turn to demonstrate their new skills. A nerve-racking time for all of the students, but they were brilliant!