Sommelier / Wine Taster : Eligibility & Course Areas

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Educational:
The requisites to be in this field is a degree from a reputed hotel management institute followed by on-the-job training, or a certified course from a reputed organization, strong interest in the subject and the desire to learn. A certified Sommelier qualification from a reputed institute is a requisite to get into top positions. A sommelier certification offer practical training in wine service and tasting as well as knowledge about wine regions, winemaking and viticulture practices etc.

Courses are offered mainly at two levels:
Level I - Foundation course,
Level II - Intermediate course.

The curriculum will be covering a range of related subjects including the history of wine, the marketing of wine, the wine regions of the world, viticulture (grape varieties) and vinification (wine making), types and styles of wine, understanding wine labels, understanding quality designations, wine service and storage, food and wine pairing and responsible consumption.

Wine tasting courses teach students the physiological and sensory reactions to wine which can offer information into where the wines come from, what grapes were used, and by what methods the wine was made etc.

Personnel attributes:
To be a sommelier one must have hospitality skills, administrative skill to train staff, communication skill to deal with people, listening skills to understand what customers are looking for etc. They must ideally love travelling as frequent travel is part of their career. At the same time they should be ready to work for long hours. They also require excellent customer service skills, as well as a thorough knowledge of wine vintages.