We Asked 15 Sommeliers: Why Did You Want To Become A Sommelier?

Wine professionals share why they wanted to become a sommelier.

Sara Rossi, Head Sommelier of Trinity in London's Clapham, London

Because I love the fact that every bottle of wine has a story behind that you can tell to the guest. I love also to study the grape, the region, the traditional food which matches with wine. In the end, I chose to become a sommelier, because I knew that I would never get bored with wine. 

Svetoslav Manolev, MS- first Master Sommelier from Bulgaria

I have always had a curious nature and wine is one of those things where there is always something else to learn, another aspect you haven't thought of or another wine you haven't tried. So I guess sommelier was the perfect fit to always keep me motivated and wanting to learn more.

Matteo Montone, World Best Young Sommelier 2019 Chaine de Rôtisseurs

I discovered my passion for wines in Italy when I was very young, after a trip to Montepulciano where my wife has relatives and subsequently attending wine tastings for amateurs in Milan. After a few experiences in the hospitality industry in Milan and then in London, I soon realised that I wanted to become a Sommelier and started to expand my knowledge. I love sharing my passion and knowledge with staff and guests in general.

Matteo Furlan, Head Sommelier at the Ritz Restaurant London and winner of the UK’s best sommelier award.

Working in hospitality, I developed an interest in wine at an early stage, I was always asking questions to my managers, I wanted to know everything about the history of the producers and their philosophy. I was working in a little fine dining restaurant and one day the restaurant manager, I think he was overwhelmed by me asking so many questions, suggested to me the Sommelier Course, which I joined straight away. That course opened my eyes over the wine world and since I haven't stopped.

Beatrice Bessi, Head Sommelier at Chilternfirehouse, London

I became a sommelier more than 10 years ago when, after 10 years in bartending, I realized that I couldn't see myself keep pursuing that side of the profession in a later stage of my life. I've encountered my first female sommelier boss back then, and I saw in her confidence, and empowerment, through the wine acknowledge she had. I wanted to be like her.

Melania Battiston, Head Sommelier at THE MEDLAR RESTAURANT LIMITED

My first ambition was definitely not to become a sommelier. I moved to UK in 2015 to study business and marketing in Bath. I arrived in London a few months before university to polish off my English and get to know the culture. That’s when I found my first job at 28-50 and I discovered the world of sommellerie. 

I had the luck to have a great mentor next to me. Clement Robert has made me fall in love with wines since day one. He was and he still is my biggest inspiration. This profession is both very sociable and highly academic. I have a burning desire of serving and connect to others in the most enthusiastic, educational and skilful way. I’m also a bit of geek and I love spending time studying. Then there is the travelling part. A real gem. 

Chris Delalonde MS, Master Sommelier and Head of Wines, The Dorchester, London

Never really thought to become a sommelier on the first place; I wanted to learn about wine as I was never exposed to this vast subject. As I started to learn the passion grew and the job followed. I was very lucky to meet some great characters and amazing persons and/or mentors that put me in the right path and helped me developing.

Erik Simonics, Head of Wine at Caprice Holdings Ltd, London

I fell in love with wine while I was studying hospitality in college. I was very passionate about learning more and more about the subject and tasting new wines. Luckily, I was surrounded by people who shared the same passion for wine who supported each other to become great sommeliers. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Antonio Palmarini, Wine Buyer at Franklin's Wine Shop and Bar, London

All come naturally! I was an experienced head waiter when I met Jean-Claude Ali Cherif as my manager in Ladureeé at Harrods back in 2011 and he becomes straight after my wine mentor. He was a real wine and cheese expert and with his passion drove me to explore with a different look the wine world to me still ignored. From then after 2 years I've become a sommelier and my career switched completely!

Thank you, Jean-Claude but at the question "Why I did become somm???" because I just love wine!!!

Daniele Chelo, Head Sommelier, Clos Maggiore, London

It is something that came along later in my career. It has always fascinated me, but never to the point of seeing myself going deep in the topic. After the first experiences in a restaurant, where I had to recommend and serve wine too, the interest sparked to the stars, bringing me slowly to attend wine courses. Once you start to open the doors of this world it is impossible to get out of it!!

Yuri Gualeni, Head Sommelier at Bar Boulud, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

I have grown up surrounded from bottles of wines (or at least relatives and friends drinking it). My first memories go a long way back, during hot summers day, I would be bottling wines in my grandfather’s garden. Wines he would buy off Demi-johns directly from the winery to then stock his own cellar for the year to come. year to come. I went to a hospitality school, Carlo Porta in Milan which is where I have been lured into the real wine world and I will always remember the moment I understood this was going to be a happy marriage between wine and myself. It was during a school trip to the vineyards of Chianti, Alsace and ultimately Champagne that I have fallen in love with the dedication of the people “hidden” behind the label and thought to myself: I want to be the storyteller, I want to transmit the love I witnessed there to the people who drink those bottles. I want to be able to showcase this in the best restaurants in the world.

Wine needs a Sommelier as much as a deejay needs his vinyl. 

Adriana Valentini, Head of Beverage at Oxford and Cambridge Club

My degree is in foreign languages so I have never really thought of becoming a sommelier. My very first encounter with the wine world came after a Summer trip to Burgundy back in 2005 and my Sommelier certificate followed just few years later. Due to an economic crisis in Italy at that time, the Real Estate Company I was working for as translator made me redundant, so while I was already a part time sommelier, I decided to definitely turn to the wine world and to invest my time, energy and money into a new professional life: the Sommellerie at high level. My passion grew so the jobs which came along with it. During my journey, I was very lucky to meet some great characters and a few amazing mentors who constantly supported me and let me thrive till it came my decision to work abroad and eventually moving to London in 2014 and study wine at WEST. 

Stefano Pasqual, Head Sommelier at Gordon Ramsay Group

The passion for wine came when I was studying in Italy but only really focused on wines only few years ago (always worked front of house but mainly on managing roles)

Sanya Abhay, Master Sommelier candidate & freelance educator

I needed an outlet to share my two greatest passions: food and wine. Having previously worked in wine retail, I drew great satisfaction from telling the stories behind the labels, but one thing was missing. Being a sommelier allows me to soak in the customers' reaction and share the moment they take their first sip. 

Jules Bensacq, Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer at 28°-50° Wine Workshop and Kitchen, London

I never really wanted to become a sommelier but without admitting it to myself, this profession alone brings together everything I love.

A lot of sharing, conviviality, emotion but also a lot of rigour, hard work and adrenaline.

I didn't expect the hospitality industry to be so inclusive, especially at 28-50, where we all share the same values and all have the same goal of doing our jobs to be the best possible potential.

Vincenzo Arnese, Head Sommelier & Wine Buyer at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London

Wine has always been a big part of my life. I have very fond memories of wine during my childhood. I remember very clearly when my grandfather gave me the first taste of his homemade wine at the age of five. I started to become actively interested in wine when I worked as a commis sommelier at the Waterside Inn in Bray. The General Manager, Diego Masciaga, decided to assign me to the sommelier team - which sparked my curiosity for the world of wine. The Head Sommelier there always challenged me with different questions, so research and study became a pleasant routine. After seventeen years in hospitality, I am still learning every day.

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