Sommelier
Deliver excellent service to diners by helping them to select the right wine to complement their meal.
Job opportunities
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Jobs in SEEK right nowJob growth
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5-year projectionSalary
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Typical salaryJob satisfaction
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Job opportunities
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Jobs in SEEK right nowSalary
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Typical salaryJob growth
-
5-year projectionJob satisfaction
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On this page
- What's it like to be a Sommelier?
- How to become a Sommelier
- Latest Sommelier jobs
- Top skills and experience for Sommeliers
- Is Sommelier the right role for you?
- Sommelier role reviews
What's it like to be a Sommelier?
As a Sommelier, your main responsibility is to curate a wine list which complements a restaurant’s cuisine offering, and deliver excellent service and advice to customers on selecting the right wines to match their meals. There is however, a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver the perfect glass of wine.
Tasks and duties
- Curating the wine list and keeping it up to date as the menu changes.
- Selecting food and wine pairings.
- Maintaining inventory.
- Educating staff about the wine list.
- Engaging with guests and determining which wines best fit their needs. This involves finding out which type of wine varieties they like, and what their budget is.
- Quality assuring wines before serving in case they are corked or flawed.
- Serving the wine, which includes using the right technique, glassware and decanting.
- Maintaining engagement, conversation and a high level of service throughout the dining experience.
- At the end of service, cleaning up the decanters and glasses, putting wines away, polishing glasses and decanters, and restocking bottles.
- Studying wine, constantly tasting new producers, vintages, and regions, and attending industry events (often in your spare time).
How to become a Sommelier
Most Sommeliers have, in the past, learned the skills of this trade on the job. Today there are a range of courses available where you can learn the skills to become a Sommelier. Pathways to becoming a Sommelier typically involve a mixture of on-the-job experience and education.
- Gain some experience working in the hospitality industry – for example, at a restaurant or a winery.
- Complete a Sommeliers Australia accredited education program, such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and/or the Court of Master Sommeliers education program, which offer a knowledge base on which to develop your working practice.
- If you are really dedicated to this field, you can try to achieve Master Sommelier status, which involves completing a three-part exam as part of the Master Sommelier diploma. This diploma is the highest qualification anyone can attain worldwide in the wine, spirits, and alcohol industries. Roughly only five per cent of entrants pass, so you must be very committed.
Compare your salary
Find out how your salary compares with the average salary for Sommeliers.Latest Sommelier jobs on SEEK
Be one of the first to discover these recently listed jobs, or browse all Sommelier jobs on SEEK right now.Did you find this helpful?
Skills and experience employers are looking for
Having the right skills and experience can make you an in-demand applicant. Sommelier employers on SEEK are looking for job seekers with expertise in the following areas. Wine Knowledge
Wine Service
Content Management Systems
Fine Dining
Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate
Wine Industry
Wine and Spirit Education Trust Qualification Level 3
Stock Control
Hospitality
Guest Experience
Source: SEEK job ads and SEEK Profile data
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Latest Sommelier reviews
Oct 2018
The good, the bad and the very good of my sommelier life
Reviewer's QualificationCatering Hotel Schhol-Sommelier
Experience10+ years
Organisation sizeLarge (200+ employees)
Specialisationwines
The good thingsThere are so many good things about my role as a sommelier. There are few days the same as others. The first and most important is we are dealing with so many different kind of customers going from th...
The challengesWe confront different challenges in our daily or weekly role. We are not only on the "floor'during the services.The first one is to know perfectly your wine list and where every single item is located...
Read more
Apr 2024
Being a Sommelier is like being a storyteller, connecting tales of flavours, aromas, history and tradition into each glass poured, transforming moments into meme orange experiences
Experience1 – 4 years
Organisation sizeMedium (20-199 employees)
SpecialisationHospitality & Tourism
The good thingsBeing a Sommelier is like being a conductor or the taste buds, Orchestrating symphonies on flavours and aromas to pair with equator food. You learn so much not only about wine, but geography; culture ...
The challengesWhile this job is often romanticised, it does come with its challenges. Long hours, demanding clientele, and the pressure of constantly staying updated with an ever-changing industry. As most hospital...
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SEEK has not verified the truth or accuracy of these comments and does not adopt or endorse any of the comments posted on this page.SEEK collects and posts the comments for what they are worth and for information purposes only to assist candidates to find employment through www.seek.com.au
