Maria Moessner didn't set out to be a sommelier. She was in college
studying hospitality when her passion for fine dining developed into a passion
for wine.
"I focused on hospitality in college, but I landed a job in a wine bar."
One thing led to another, and when she was offered a job at a wine company,
Moessner accepted.
"I took a lot of other classes about wines, and then I graduated as a sommelier
in 1998."
The exam for certification as a sommelier was no simple matter. "The exam
is three parts, a blind [tasting], a written exam and a service exam. Since
I don't serve a lot, the service part of the exam was very tough. And
only about 30 percent of the people who take it pass."
The fact that Moessner spends more time recommending wines and wine and
food combinations than serving wine to diners also affects her plans for the
future. "The master exam is quite difficult, and it's not practical for
me since I'm not serving wine on a regular basis."
That's OK, though. Moessner loves her job. "I love tasting wines,"
she says with a laugh. "But I also love educating people and learning about
wine. And I go to a lot of trade shows, which works out because I love to
travel."
Moessner spends a lot of time educating others about wines by teaching
at a college and writing articles about wine.
"I really don't love sitting in front of the computer," she says.
But it's part of the job. "I much prefer being out there presenting wines.
I can present to five or 500 people. It can be very diverse."
Moessner is quick to point out that being a sommelier isn't for everyone,
however. "Go with your instinct. If you think this is something you can love
and have a passion for, go for it. But it's a way of life. Without passion,
there is no way you'll ever pass the sommelier exams."
Passions for food and wine seem to be motivating factors for those who
becomes sommeliers. Sebastian Verrier is a sommelier in Miami. He says that
he learned about his passion almost accidentally. "I was training in France
to be a waiter. There, waiters are required to train for two years before
they can get a job," he says.
It was then that Verrier found his calling in wine. "During the training,
it is required that we spend time studying a wine regimen and study under
a master sommelier in a restaurant in Paris. I learned that I was very interested
in wines and I loved doing the job of a sommelier," he says.
When Verrier came to the U.S., he found a job as a sommelier. "I definitely
love the food and the wine most," he says about his job. "Here I am doing
my own wine list. I take care of all the wines. I have to pair the wines with
the chef's menu. And if we are running a special, I have to have a wine
for that.
"Each time we do a new menu, I test the wines to see what their flavor
is with the new foods. I compare the different flavors of the wine with the
foods to see if it's too acidic or if it's balanced. How do the
flavors blend together?"
He says that putting the flavors together is also one of the hardest parts
of the job. If the combinations are not just right, customers will notice.
The psychology of the job sometimes gets to Verrier, however. Because he
is from France, it is sometimes hard for him to communicate with customers.
"I need to see who they are and what their tastes in wine are. Sometimes
that's difficult. Especially when you're dealing with some people.
Some of the customers are hard to judge, and you only have a few minutes to
determine what wine would best suit their tastes and preferences."
Still, Verrier has a passion for his job. And he says that's a trait
anyone considering becoming a sommelier must have. "You have to be passionate
about it, and you have to love to taste the wines, to compare the wines and
to pair the wines with food. If you're not passionate about
it, you can't be good at it."