Sommelier

Culinary definition of Sommelier:   A wine waiter, or someone in charge of and knowledgeable about a restaurant's wine inventory.

C@H FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Sommeliers we know and love are so much more than wine waiters, and they know oh so much more about wine than that which resides in a particular restaurant's wine cellar or storage. 

Sommeliers are required to have a good working knowledge of spirits, beer, cider and sake - most particularly as these beverages relate to food - but to a lesser degree, and also to be current and conversent about who is who, who is doing what, and who is winning awards in the local, regional, national and international wine growing regions.

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In Canada, the Professional Sommelier Certification under the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers requires intensive classroom and field training, and candidates must be knowledgeable about wine storage, professional wine service culture, winemaking, sensory evaluation, so-called old world wines (France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Greece, sometimes Northern Africa ), so-called new world wines (Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Chili), and food and wine pairing.  Master Sommelier is the highest possible Sommelier designation, but the curriculum is rigorous.

Barely 200 Master Sommeliers populate the global Court of Master Sommeliers, and just a handful of those are Canadian.  However, Canada is well populated by outstanding Sommeliers - most of whom ply their old world trade with a white-gloves-off enthusiasm, flexibility and open-mindedness that is quintessentially Canadian.  Santé!

With the growing interest in and popularity of Craft Beers and Craft Ciders, came a relatively new (to North America) hospitality service and industry designation called Cicerone.  As with the Sommelier certifications, one can earn a Certified Cicicerone or Master Cicerone designation.

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