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The Role of the Sommelier

A sommelier is a professional wine steward or waiter. The term derives from the old Italian "somigliere". The "Somigliere di Bocca e di Corte" was a public official responsible for selecting and supervising the service of wines at the court of the Dukes of Savoy in Piedmont in the l8th century. Lt was from this source that the word passed into the French language in the midl9th century.
The profession however of selecting, bottling and serving wine was recognized long before the Dukes of Savoy. The Greek symposium, an ancient version of a wine drinking society, was directed by the "symposiarch" and wines were selected and served to the Roman emperors by the "rex bibendi". In Renaissance times, the "coppiere" (literally "cupbearer") held an important position in Italy's royal-courts. The Venetian author of the l6th century, Romoli, described in great detail the responsibilities of this figure and the ettichette of serving wine which he had to observe.
Today the Italian Association of Sommeliers has more than 7,500 members who are professionally involved with wine. The courses they follow provide practical training in buying, storing and serving wine, which is summed up in this section. The information should prove useful not only to professional sommeliers in other countries but to anyone interested in wine. Stocking a cellar for a restaurant or shop.

The fundamental rules of wine buying are:  

Base the size of orders on a realistic estimate of demand


Always be guided by the principle of value for money


Always taste before buying, even in the case of famous winest


Check the quality of bottles, labels, capsules, cartons or crates and, above all, the condition of corks before every order 


Buy wines for ageing from great vintages early and in adequate supply to meet future demand and hedge against price increases


Beware of special discounts on large quantities; over-stocking of a certain wine may limit the range of wines you are able to offer


Order wines for early drinking annually but arrange for delivery every three to six months to avoid overloading the cellar


Select wines independently, on the basis of direct personal experience 


Storing wine
Wine must be stored in a manner which will protect it from deterioration over the long term. Optimal conditions for a wine cellar are: 

Constant temperature of 10° 15° C 


Low humidity and effective ventilation


Absence of foreign smells 


Isolation from traffic vibrations 


Subdued lighting. 


Even if the area is primarily for storage, it is wise to keep it neat and attractive. Customers like to visit even the most primitive of wine cellars. Shelves should be built of wood, tiles or cement, which resist temperature changes better than metal. Bottles should be shelved:

Horizontally with their labels facing up 


Grouped by estate or zone of origin or type


In rows with sparkling wines, dry whites and rosés at the bottom where it is cooler and reds for ageing and strong dessert wine at the top. 


Wines should be catalogued in a rolling stock list by type and vintage with a note of the original cost. For ease of reference stock numbers can be included in the wine list.

Creating a wine list
There are many different approaches to creating a wine list, depending on the size and importance of the cellar and on the style of the establishment. Wine lists may range from a handwritten sheet to a bound and illustrated volume. Whether simple or ambitious a wine list should be:

Arranged with the wines listed in the same order as they are stored in the cellar, beginning with sparkling wines and continuing with whites, rosés, reds and dessert wines 


Arranged according to countries and regions of origin, beginning with those of the restaurant itself


Complete and accurate with the names of producers, "cru", explanations of unfamiliar wine names, vintages and price 


Clear and easy to read. 


A good wine list must also be periodically updated, ideally in the spring, when wines from the latest vintage begin to arrive, and the autumn, when wines for ageing are most often bought in. Keeping a supply of extra copies is worth the expense as customers often request the list as a souvenir. There are few better means of publicizing a restaurant and its wines.