Well, I made it through level one of sommelier training and I don’t really know how well I did on the test, because they don’t tell you unless you are have the top score (that wasn’t me). However, I have my certificate and pin, and that is good enough for me.
It really was inspirational for me to go to this training course and I am truly fired up to go on to the next level which is the Certified Sommelier level. It is only after passing this stage that you can officially call yourself a sommelier on your blog or business cards. I really don’t care about the title, but I do care about the training and the knowledge that is attained by studying for these exams. The world of wine is amazing and there is so much to find out, dig out and digest.
It was especially satisfying to be instructed for over sixteen hours by four Master Sommelier. Melissa Monosoff (Coordinator), Thomas Price, Nate Reddy, and Chris Tange were top-notch teachers and I was enthralled by their passion, humility and knowledge. I had never been so tired as I was the first day, and yet was able to pay rapt attention to everything that was put before the class. Truly amazing stuff!
Day 2 of the instruction was a bit of a catch-up day so the instructors went through some of the information at a very accelerated pace. We then tasted four wines in the double-blind format, using the tasting grid that will be used at the certified level. The instructors walked us through one white and one red, than left us on our own to the other white and red. We were given 5 minutes per wine. I should have went with my gut on the first white, and I would have nailed it. The red was a little easier for me and I got that correct except for the country of origin. It was both fun and challenging at the same time.
After the instruction and blind tasting, we were given a seventy question test. It was multiple choice, so I wouldn’t put it on the super-difficult level, but you certainly had to pay attention in class if you wanted to pass. A lot of us did as eighty-two of the ninety-one in attendance passed. Awesome! There were a couple of questions where I wondered what was even being asked, so I knew I wasn’t going to ace it. However, I passed and I can move on to the next level which is what I plan to do. I have some practice ahead of me, since the certified level involves Champagne service, something I have never done since I am not in the restaurant side of things. For the next few months, I plan on lots of study and practice.
I know all of this is going to help me be better for my customers at the store level, better for my blog, and better for my Youtube channel. It will also help me to be a better wine taster, something that is most beneficial for what I do. Most importantly, the humility that a sommelier is encouraged to show is most refreshing to me, and something that attracts me to this side of the wine world.
Cheers! Stan The wine Man
