Many times I have felt slightly intimidated by the looming presence of a Sommelier and have simply opted to shoo them away. It doesn't help that the stereotype of a stiff figure in black with down-turned eyes and a twirling moustache gets consistently perpetuated. Yet look to South African Sommeliers and you will see young, fresh and passionate people, eager to share their love of wine and to help you experience a moment or two of tasting glory.
Stereotypes
must be broken and it was with great pleasure that I got to meet three of SA's
top Sommeliers and watch them take part in the Bollinger Exceptional Wine
Service Awards
A bit of
background information about the awards: Sponsored by Champagne Bollinger and with infrastructural
support from Riedel Glassware, this annual competition is
intended to be an inclusive, industry-wide initiative. It serves to advance the
interests of fine wine producers as well as those who make their living from
the sale of wine in the hospitality industry, be it in establishments such as
hotels, lodges or restaurants.
The three
finalists for this year are Angie Langlands, Sommelier at The Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga
Rocks, KwaZulu Natal; Cashias Gumbo, Sommelier at La Colombe Restaurant in Constantia,
Western Cape, at the time of the competition; and Gareth
Ferreira,
Sommelier at the Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Judging
these finalists are Neil Grant, Sommelier and Co-owner of Burrata Restaurant
and Chairperson of the South African Sommelier Association, Higgo Jacobs,
Sommelier and Consultant, and Ginette de Fleuriot (CWM), Vinimark Marketing
Manager - the results will be announced on the 5th November.
On Monday
6th October the three Finalists will meet at Ellerman House in
Bantry Bay to compete against each other for the Riedel Glass Trophy, and a
trip to France to visit the Bollinger House of Champagne, including airfare and
accommodation.
The tests they have had to do could easily give you grey hairs but I have never been so enthralled as when I was allowed to watch each finalist partake in the service challenge which saw them having to correctly serve 3 "customers" (the 3 judges) and then choose the correct glass and decanter for a terribly old Swartland Cinsault. Riveting stuff. Made me rethink my dinner parties - I never knew you had to serve from a certain side!
Besides the exams, there was time for me to get to know each of the Sommeliers and ask them some questions that I think really needed answering...
1) How did you prepare for the Final and why did you enter in the first
place?
Gareth: Everyone prepares differently but for me, having work colleagues test me daily with blind tastings was one area which was greatly beneficial. The theory is also important and I took it upon mself to read up on current events, wine trends and brush up on wine making terms, major regions in the world and styles of wine.
Angie: I got my fiancée to wrap up wines every day for me so that when I got home from work I would pour a glass and taste - he even put permanent marker on the corks so I couldn't cheat and peep. With blind tasting the trick is just to taste as many wines as possible with many different people who have a different perception and you can learn so much from them.
Cashias: I read any wine books, wine websites and did some tasting of wines from all regions of the world. I never know how far the judges can test us so pushing myself to study hard was how I trained.
2) What would it mean to win?
Gareth: It’s always nice to know that you have succeeded at something, it would also mean a fantastic educational trip to the house of Bollinger and anyone in the wine industry will know that when you visit a place, the amount of knowledge on the area you visit that you retain is invaluable
Angie: I think since I’m pretty new in the wine circle in South Africa, winning this competition will be a great chance for me to meet all the people involved in the different areas of this vast industry. It will also be great to see what level I am on compared to other Sommeliers and where I need to improve.
Cashias: It will be an honour to win this competition as this would be my first trip to Europe - it will be a memory of a life time and nobody will take that away from me.
3) Why is the role of a Sommelier so important?
Gareth: Sommeliers are an investment to an establishment; we essentially are there to run a wine programme that is different and interesting and attracts diners; we make money for an establishment by using our skills and knowledge of wine while creating a unique dining experience. Good Sommeliers also have great customer skills and ultimately build relationships with customers and create return business.
Another role of a Sommeliers that gets overlooked but is hugely important, is the back of house organisation, the stock control, stock handling, ordering, costing, tastings, meetings, changing and keeping wine list up to date.
Angie: I think the most important role of Sommelier is to train the staff on duty and share knowledge, to help them understand food and wine pairings and why it is so important. The Sommelier also needs to assist guests and guide them according to their budget and taste. It’s also a way of showing guests different wines in South Africa that they have never heard of and introducing a wider range for them to taste.
Cashias: This is as good as asking me why breathing is so important. Being a Sommelier is my life; if I am not serving the wine to guests, then I am with friends tasting it, visiting wine farms, attendiing trade shows or in my room reading a wine journal – it is a constant passion...not a job.
4) What do you think is the most common misconception that people have of
Sommeliers?
Gareth: Sommeliers I guess can be seen as arrogant; a mentor once told me a great Sommelier is one with confidence but without arrogance. We are there to help people make good wine choices, feel comfortable and enjoy their meal, not to demand what people should and shouldn’t drink.
Angie: I think most people/guests have the misconception that Sommeliers are snobby and condescending. Maybe this was how it used to be but the new movement of Sommeliers are so energetic and well trained and so eager to share their knowledge. They know the value of money and will never force anyone to buy a wine over their budget. I think the public do not make enough use of the Sommeliers and their knowledge
Cashias: People think Sommeliers are there to sell them expensive wines whilst believing that a Sommelier knows too much and will look down on their questions. What we all need to understand, and what we as Sommeliers need to get across is that we are not judges. We simply want to make your experience a good one, have you return often and get you loving wine more.