Sommelier Route to Stardom Tips

Sommelier Training at Entry Level:

“Build knowledge, customer care tips and hospitality knowledge: Know your client, their food

culture and insert wine…” (A.Martinez, stewarthilluk.com)Basic Sommelier Training involves building a strong foundation in a few key areas. If you’re aiming to work in restaurants, wine bars, hotels, or retail, here are the areas in highest demand for entry-level sommelier work:

It is relevant as a sommelier to have a grounding with your own taste, influences and preferences, an idea of the type of experience a guest is looking for, their likely taste based on menu or food pairings and their experience.

Home tastings – Sommeliers start with someone they know!

Even for home tastings you can practise question and answer rounds to hone your ability in knowing a client’s requirements and their knowledge and experience level to give the best impression of any wine or drink you present.

The basic industry knowledge for a sommelier training is technical and just like catering requires knowing terms and vocabulary that give a basis of understanding to work with for even the most novice of curious guests.

Your Starter Point as a Sommelier:

1. Wine Regions & Grape Varieties

• Learn the major wine regions (France, Italy, Spain, USA, etc.) and their key appellations.
• Know the primary grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, etc.)
• Our Tip: Add: Terroirs and landscapes that suit the grapes agriculturally

2. Wine Tasting ‘Sensory Skills’

• Systematic tasting—identifying what are aromas, flavours, body, acidity, tannins, and alcohol.
• Describe a wine to a customer with confidence
• Our Tip: Personal charm; an anecdote that connects to a landscape or terroir they are familiar with to connect!

3. Food and Wine Pairing

• What is pairing: How to pair wine with food—acidity, sweetness, tannin, and intensity, and colour!
• Know classic pairings (e.g., Sancerre with goat cheese, Barolo with truffles).
• Our Tip: Have a few modern pairings to offer for entertainment!

4. Service Skills

• Learn the proper way to serve wine, including still, sparkling, and decanting reds.
• Train in restaurant service etiquette—clean, confident, graceful pouring and guest interaction.
• Our Tip: Top Wine serving tips on Youtube with your favourite Influencer or wine adveturer.

5. Wine Storage & Handling

• Understand ideal storage conditions (temperature, light, humidity).
• Know how to handle corked wines, oxidation, and bottle faults.
• Our Tip: Have respect for the wine and the drinker’s experience

6. Basic Beverage Knowledge

• Many sommelier jobs also require some understanding of beer, spirits, sake, and non-alcoholic pairings.
• Our Tip: What is your favourite and why? Share relevant tips with your guests.

7. Sales & Upselling

• Learn to recommend wines based on guest preferences, budget, and food.
• Be comfortable with upselling techniques while remaining guest-focused.
• Our Tip: The guest is looking for your knowledge on their best experience yet!

8. Certification and the value of references

• Even a Level 1 entry course with any platform for varied and international information.
• Introductory Sommelier course (WSET, CMS, etc.)
• Our Tips: Be the Source. Boost credibility and gives you structured knowledge, ongoing is as good as finished in your quest for knowledge.
• Work Experience and exposure to the field, people, buyers and sellers and the consumer, your guest.

Next we look at a possible structure for your resources and study:

SOMMELIER TRAINING ROADMAP: BEGINNER LEVEL

Phase 1: Build Wine Fundamentals (Month 1–2)

• Learn the 6 Noble Grapes:
• Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir
• White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling
• Study Old World vs New World wine differences.
• Focus on major regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany, Rioja, Napa, Mendoza, Marlborough, etc.
• Practice basic tasting technique (appearance, nose, palate, conclusion).
• Start reading labels and trying different wines at home or in tastings.

Phase 2: Deepen Tasting & Pairing Skills (Month 3–4)

• Practice blind tastings with friends or online groups.
• Study wine and food pairing principles:
• Match intensity
• Balance sweetness, acidity, tannins
• Complement or contrast flavours
• Learn common wine faults (cork taint, oxidation, etc.).
• Start visiting local wine bars, tastings, or wineries.
• App: Vivino (great for tracking what you taste)

Phase 3: Service, Etiquette & Sales (Month 5–6)

Goals: Learn hospitality skills and how to interact with guests.

• Practice opening bottles (still and sparkling).
• Learn glassware types, serving temperatures, and decanting.
• Role-play guest interaction—asking questions and suggesting wine.
• Understand restaurant workflow and basic inventory management.

Courses:

• Court of Master Sommeliers – Introductory Sommelier Course
• Alison.com: Introductory Course on Wines
  YouTube Channels: GuildSomm, Karen MacNeil