My own journey to becoming a sommelier was very different to the opportunities ambitious wine superstars in South Africa can seek out today. A world in which hospitality was a lifestyle, we worked hard and played harder. Colleagues became family and a sink or swim attitude to running restaurants meant a great many more failures than successes. The age-old adage: “How do you make a small fortune in restaurants? Well, you start with a large fortune”, was never truer than in the UK restaurant business during the hustle and bustle of the 1980s and 90s.
Training was virtually non-existent, even in an environment of ever greater regulation within an exploding, dog-eat-dog market. Instead, my peers and I learnt about wine and service from our own managers, suppliers, and occasional mentors. Just as they had done before me. The likes of the Wines and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) was still largely unheard of. The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) was a stuffy club for pompous wine snobs. The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI)? Who was that? By 1990, just 74 people had earned the title of ‘Master Sommelier’ worldwide. In South Africa at the time nobody had even heard of a sommelier, let alone been served by one.
For me all that changed with the dawning of the 21st century as my career progressed to fine dining and the daunting world of Michelin Stars. Education expanded and professionalism in hospitality emerged. I am fortunate to now hold various wine, business and sommelier certifications, up to BA Honours level, and am privileged to pass on the skills and knowledge I have acquired over the last four decades to the next generation. I’ve travelled the world, met some incredible people and had an absolute ball doing it. But how easy is it for aspiring young sommeliers to follow in my footsteps?
To begin with, the world has changed. Unless one comes from proven background and is already long in the tooth, no longer can people call themselves a sommelier without proper certification. When I arrived in South Africa in 2018, the certification process had only just begun. If you were to peruse the job vacancy websites, you would have found precisely zero advertisements for employers seeking the services of a sommelier. Just recently, I looked on a well-known jobs portal and found eighteen different employers all looking for sommeliers across Southern Africa. Without exception, these were jobs requiring certification. So how does a wannabe sommelier get certified?
A sommelier’s role transcends wine expertise. The South African Sommeliers Association (SASA), which provides local support, direction and certification, offers the following definition, describing a sommelier as someone who “can expertly recommend and serve wine at a professional level…”
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) expands on that definition. They suggest a sommelier is skilled in “all aspects of beverage service, including wine, spirits, beer and other drinks.”
And Jancis Robinson, the world-renowned British wine critic, journalist, and author, recognised as one of the most influential voices in the wine industry for over 50 years, emphasises the guest-centric approach: “the role of a sommelier is to make sure that the wine list is interesting, but also to make sure that people are comfortable with the wine that they are ordering.”
All these perspectives highlight a depth of knowledge and extensive service experience that define what a sommelier is. Those competencies, coupled with strong business and leadership skills, are a far cry from the romanticised vision of what a sommelier is often perceived as being.
The first point to understand is that there is no fast-track to the top jobs. A staged certification programme is the common feature of all routes and becoming the next wine rock star takes time, extensive studying and a lot of hard work. An entry level certification will allow you to do an entry level job. Because of this, it is important to know what you hope to achieve when starting your own journey.
Why wine-only courses aren't enough
When budding young sommeliers in South Africa begin their own journey, they start with wine theory programmes such as WSET or Cape Wine Academy (CWA). These highly respected courses provide important wine knowledge, but they do not cover the broad range of practical service skills required to be a sommelier.
In addition, international training providers like WSET offer Level 1 and 2 courses but only cover South Africa in a very limited context. The WSET Level 3 course covers South African wine in more detail but is a difficult exam because it covers global wine regions in detail. Many young South Africans lack the resources to gain exposure to international wines so struggle to pass at this level. For many it can become a glass ceiling for continued success.
This identifies one of the issues sommelier exam candidates face: Which training courses provide the right knowledge and skills for the desired sommelier exam level? One of the more complicated issues to understand is how independent training providers own courses align with sommelier certification.
My advice to anyone who is looking into sommelier qualifications – whether that’s individuals looking for career opportunity or businesses looking to upskill employees – is to understand what you want to achieve. Then ensure the course outcomes meet your needs. If your career intention is to remain in Southern Africa or its associated tourism offerings, then the SASA Junior Sommelier Certificate is a great option. However, it is still a rigorous exam that requires a more detailed knowledge of South African wine than most courses offer. WSET 2, for example, will probably not be enough.
SASA Junior Sommelier is by far the most recognised in South Africa and, for those who pass, demonstrates a level of skill any employer in the wine business would benefit from. SASA also offers a Foundational Certificate but it’s a very basic entry point and doesn’t cover the broad range of knowledge and skills to be called a sommelier.
If your career aspirations are further afield, then ASI or the Court of Master Sommeliers certifications would be the best route. They are both recognised across the world as professional sommelier certifications. Being international certifications, they are more aligned to international wine with much less focus on South Africa. Of course, that doesn’t mean ASI and CMS exams are easier.
To summarise, if becoming a sommelier is for you make sure you know which path suits your goals. Find out what you need to know and what skills you will need to demonstrate from the certifying body (SASA, ASI, CMS); they all provide the required competencies for candidates. Then choose training that will help you succeed. There are plenty of wine knowledge organisations in South Africa; make sure you choose the courses that align with the competencies required.
You may, however, need to explore multiple training providers to learn all the knowledge and skills required to pass. For SASA Junior Sommelier, make sure your South African wine knowledge is sufficient. CWA offers an SA wine course and the wine.co.za DTC Academy is launching a comprehensive South African Wine course later this year. When it comes to practical skills, the ability to pull a cork and pour a glass of wine isn't enough. Seek out practical training from organisations such as Sommeliers Academy who offer theory and practical training aligned to all sommelier examination bodies. Including other beverages required to pass higher level exams.
For employers, the investment in developing sommelier skills is no longer an unnecessary cost. The return on investment has been proven to build professionalism and stability while also enhancing the guest experience and revenues, but there is no ‘one size fits all’. Speak to training providers about your objectives and work with them to develop a plan that meets your business needs.
In closing, there is a world of opportunity out there for those with the determination and aptitude to choose sommelier as a career, but it’s not for everyone. It requires hard work, dedication and lots and lots of study. Taking courses will never be enough. Just as it has been for me, it’s a lifestyle choice, a commitment to explore the world of wine and beverages that fall into the sommelier’s remit. There is no shortcut to success.