Have you ever heard the word “sommelier”? It does sound fancy, and rightly so. A sommelier means a person working in the profession of wine tasting. For all those who are wondering if wine tasting is even a real job, our answer is yes. It might appear too fun to be considered a field of work, but a strong will and thorough study go behind a professional wine taster. Today, there are plenty of out-of-the-box options available when it comes to choosing a career. Although tasting wine has been the job of an expert since forever, this job is gaining more popularity in today’s world. So, if you want to drink free wine, make a couple of interesting comments about it, and get paid for all that fun, follow the steps given below.

Get to know more about wine

As a sommelier, you are expected to be a living Wikipedia about wines. So you must start gaining as much information as possible. At least the general knowledge of wines from different popular regions is necessary. Then comes the knowledge of the variety of ingredients that are loved across the world. The best way to learn about wine is by traveling and drinking a little bit of regional wine wherever you go. Talking to the local people about the specialty of the wine is a smart way to gain necessary information about the wine.

Learn about storing, pairing and cooking with wine

Wine is delicious, as well as a delicate drink. Delicious because no one can refuse a good glass of wine, and delicate because it requires to be handled carefully. No, we don’t mean the glass bottle. We mean wine. It needs to be stored under suitable conditions. If it’s not, the taste will go bad, and no one wants a foul-smelling wine that doesn’t even taste good. After the general know-how of storage, a wine connoisseur must know how different types of wines should be paired with food for maximum taste. But it doesn’t end here; a sommelier also knows how to cook with one.

Understand how to open, pour and serve wine

Opening and pouring wine is an art that needs to be practiced over and over again. The way a sommelier will serve wine will be very different from the way that an amateur does it. That’s why in the process of becoming a professional wine taster, people tend to look at even the tiniest of details about opening, pouring, and serving wine.

Practice remembering the wine by its taste and smell

Most people can recognize a wine by looking at the label on its bottle. However, only a real professional can tell the name of the wine just by taking a quick sniff and sip. This is a purely acquired talent, and it takes a long period of time to gain this knowledge. For this, one needs to have a great sense of smell and taste because at the end of the day, most wines are alcohol-based beverages, and it is a real task to differentiate.

Go for wine classes

Now we know that self-education is a great way to learn about wine, but we all do need some lessons from experienced professionals from time to time. The same goes for people who are trying to become sommeliers. While wine tasting might sound like a hobby or, at most, a dream job, you can actually take it up as your career. Classes are a great help for those who have basic knowledge about wine. However, straightaway jumping to classes without following the other steps mentioned above will only leave you puzzled.

Work under a mentor

It’s quite evident that real expertise comes from continuous practice. After following the aforementioned steps, you will have gained theoretical knowledge, but you need working knowledge to earn your certificate. Although you can’t start working already because you don’t have a certificate yet. What you can do is, find a good mentor, and work under him/her. Doing this, you will learn all that you need to start working on your own. Also, the experience gained with your mentor will help you get your certificate faster and easier.

Get your certificate and work

This is the last, however, not the easiest step. Wine tasting is a serious job, and only those with a burning passion and a thorough understanding of the subject can be successful sommeliers. So, if you think you match the criteria, you can complete the other six steps and get enrolled in programs that provide certificates to professional wine tasters. Once you get certified, you are all set to dip into the world of wine.