Investing in the future of wine service

I have been blessed to have several impactful mentors during my career in hospitality, food, and wine. People who invested time and wisdom that provided me with knowledge and insight as well as inspiration. Because of the impact of these mentors, giving back to professionals in my industry that have a passion to be better is very important to me.

Twenty five years ago, I joined a worldwide food and wine society called the Chaine des Rotisseurs. Being a professional member (a majority of members in the Chaine are non-industry professionals, or consumers) allowed me to provide ideas and inspiration for events throughout the year, which brought me great joy and created opportunities for friends and enthusiasts to enhance their appreciation of wine and food. This was the basis and inspiration for this wine education business! What has brought me the most joy in my association with the Chaine des Rotisseurs, is leading the Jeunes Sommelier Competition, a series of annual sommelier competitions for sommeliers under 30 years of age. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary of this competition. It is designed to create a platform for sommeliers to hone their skills, while gaining competition experience alongside professionals from around the country. Each year brings a new group of young and talented wine professionals whose commitment and resiliency are inspirational.

My desire to invest time and passion in this competition was emboldened by the effect of COVID from 2020- 2022. During this period, the wine industry changed considerably as restaurants closed and retail operations where wine and spirits were purchased. The enjoyment of these beverages largely happened in the comfort of your own home. When restaurants slowly returned, the role, and more specifically the need, of the sommelier was de-emphasized. Staffing was reduced and less people were asked to do more, often wearing several hats, one of which was managing a wine program. With the exception of the very highest level restaurants, the sommelier became a luxury that most restaurants could no longer afford due to rising operating and labor costs. The wine program and sommelier duties became the responsibility of the restaurant manager or restaurant owner. This resulted in shrinking wine lists and products that were more recognizable to the dining consumer.

Over the last couple of years, we have started to see more emphasis on the sommelier position but not to the level we saw pre-COVID. While the size of wine lists has not really grown back to previous sizes or selections, the return of the new generation of sommelier is curating wine lists and programs offering great diversity of regions, grape varieties, and styles that are fostering more interest and experimentation in wine appreciation. Size or number of wine selections is no longer the benchmmark for a great wine list. It is more about the diversity and balance of selections.

The Jeunes Sommelier Competition places a premium and emphasis on service, including decanting, sparkling wine, and food and wine pairing exercises. These are especially important as the influence and impact of the sommelier in the restaurant and dining setting is hinged on creating memorable wine and food experiences with customers with the goal of creating trust and comfort with the sommelier and eliminating any potential intimidation. In addition to the services exercises, two other important areas are involved, blind tasting and theory. These two aspects provide the foundation of knowing wine’s characteristics and being able to confidently make recommendations with confidence.

There is a very spirited and collegial community of sommeliers around the US (and world) that are connected through experiences and their amazing shared passion for wine and other craft beverages. What I see happening is the continuum of sommeliers that have gone through this program becoming mentors to new young sommeliers poised to reach the highest level. This is especially gratifying to see. The wine industry is an interesting point after almost 20 years of strong growth. A newer generation of consumers who don’t rely on point scores or accolades of wines are interested in wine but know there are other options as well. The role of the sommelier now is more impactful and important than ever in seizing this moment to show consumers the many aslects of wine that make it so special.

It is my hope that investing in the sommelier role, training, and experience for the professional early in their career, greater opportunity can bve realized and the relationship between customer and sommelier elevated to a level we have not yet realized.