Origin and evolution of a profession
Fascinating epicureans, appreciators of the beautiful things in life, but at the same time serious and elegant experts in the world of food and wine that we observe with a mixture of reverential fear and envy: this is how we often see the sommeliers, real gurus of the wine world. Some of them have become, over the years, real stars on the international scene, collecting awards and producing wines that bear their name, in addition to their knowledge.
The image that this profession enjoys today, combined with the ever-increasing interest in the sector, however, has a long history behind it, during which it has undergone an interesting evolution.
The origin of the term sommelier
The simple etymology of the term sommelier leads the profession from the elegant salons of today to much more modest roots and linked to agricultural production. The term in fact originates from the French Provençal saumalier, or driver of pack animals, where by "pack" is meant by extension the load that the animals carried: wood, materials of all kinds but also food, including beer barrels and, to return to our sector, wine.
Over the centuries, this transporter has evolved into a food handler, then a cellarman, and only in recent years (during which wine has increasingly established itself as a product of excellence and, in some cases, elitist) has it become a cultured connoisseur and consultant of eating and drinking well.
Training to become a sommelier
Today, there are specific training courses for those who wish to undertake the profession of sommelier, and these are articulated between skills related to the origins of the product (viticulture and production methods), tasting techniques (key quality for the profession), knowledge of the market and current regulations, up to the table service and food-wine pairing.
Bringing together in a single figure the skills of winemaker, producer, merchant, taster and connoisseur of gastronomy, the sommelier now has an important role as a consultant and trend-setter in the world of wine, to the point that a positive or negative review by an expert can mark the success or commercial failure of a wine product.
Drawing the key information from these experts, in our online wine shop we wanted to match each product we sell with a card of organoleptic characteristics and proposals for food and wine pairings.
This aspect is of fundamental importance to us and we particularly want to propose each bottle as if we were the producer ourselves: this is the philosophy that we follow and that allows us to provide our customers with all the crucial information to choose and enjoy the best wines we love.
Source: https://www.fermataspettacolo.it/vino/gocce-divino/il-sommelier-e-le-sue-funzioni
