WINE - English Activity - Atividade de Inglês - Actividad de Inglés

Teacher Yanina has prepared a wonderful activity for you! 
Are you interested in the wine business? Are you a wine connoisseur? Well, let’s see what you need to become a sommelier and then will discuss some questions. 

¡La profesora Yanina ha preparado una actividad maravillosa para usted!
¿Le interesa el negocio del vino? ¿Es un conocedor del vino? Bueno, veamos lo que necesita para convertirse en un sommelier y luego discutiremos algunas preguntas. 

A professora Yanina preparou uma atividade maravilhosa para você!
Você se interessa pelo negócio de vinhos? Você é um conhecedor de vinhos? Bem, vamos ver o que você precisa para se tornar um sommelier e depois discutir algumas questões.

1. Read the definition on a dictionary:

sommelier noun

som·me·lier | \ˌsə-məl-ˈyā \

plural sommeliers\ˌsə-məl-ˈyā(z) \

Definition of sommelier

• a waiter in a restaurant who has charge of wines and their service
• a wine steward

2. Watch the following video to learn a little about what a sommelier is.
1. Did you know the meaning of a sommelier?
2. What’s your experience with sommeliers?

3. Read the following article and then answer some questions.

BEING A SOMMELIER

Fashion designers are celebrities (think Victoria Beckham). Chefs are rock stars (think Anthony Bourdain). But what about sommeliers?

A sommelier or wine steward is a person who is an expert in fine wine and is responsible for serving it to patrons. The word sommelier is French in origin and originally a wine steward's job was to serve royalty. Modern sommeliers offer their services to fine restaurants. A sommelier should know detailed information about wine including such things as the types of grapes used to make a particular wine, in what region the grapes were grown, the vineyards where the grapes were grown, a wine's rating, and the vintages of various wines.

The basic skills needed to be a sommelier are tasting, product management, selection and service according to the dishes. In appearance, it is a profession that requires a lifetime dedicated to wine; however, you can start in adulthood. It's just a matter of a lot of dedication.

It’s not only a matter of knowing types of wines, you must also get involved in all areas of culinary culture; mainly, cuts of meat and pairings. These responsibilities include:

• Creating wine lists for the restaurant
• Knowing what wine will be best with different foods
• Maintaining the wine
• Ordering the wine
• Training other employees about the basic knowledge of wines

Logistics knowledge is very important. You could start your career in inventories, distribution, orders (dealing with suppliers), warehouse management, sales or some administrative area of the industry.

You need to know the market in depth. Start by marking a wine route in your city. Visit establishments and taste the different drinks to build a canon and educate your palate. Then, venture to know the offer at a regional, national and international level. You could evaluate the option of changing residence to a producing state.

In some cases, no bachelor's degree is requested, but certifications are required. The recommendation is to have an alternative career that allows you to pay for your education in wines.

The distinction of a good sommelier is their knowledge of high culture and that includes being (minimal) trilingual. English and French are mandatory requirements to work in the sector.

Public Relations and Marketing are areas of knowledge that you should reinforce. Most employers seek to increase their client base. Do not worry about this inconvenience. There will always be restaurateurs or small producers that give you the opportunity to start "harvesting" experience. Just be patient!

Many wine houses require urgent media exposure. It is very easy to start enrolling in the environment as a wine reporter or critic. Start a blog or get a means to write and build a reputation. This can be alternated with your professional preparation in the wine world.

Although many sommeliers work in upscale restaurants, there are many other places and ways he/she can earn his or her money as well. These include:

• Working in casinos or tourist attractions
• Owning his/her own wine store
• Creating training classes for wineries or restaurants
• Organizing and conducting wine tours
• Teaching about fine wines
• Writing articles about fine wines

In short, a good sommelier will be able to make the customer's dining experience memorable by suggesting wines that will enhance the flavour of the food that they are eating. The most important thing to remember is that being a sommelier is a profession that requires practice and tasting talent.

• Would you like to become a sommelier? Why/not?
• What do you think would be the advantages of being a sommelier?
• Do you think sommeliers experience any drawbacks?
• Would you like to teach other people to become a sommelier? Why/not?
• Do you consider the career of becoming a sommelier is a trend nowadays?
• Is it important for you to know about wines before choosing one?

**NOTE: Text was edited and the information used in it comes from the following websites:

https://www.sokanu.com/careers/sommelier/

https://www.cordonbleu.edu/news/sommelier-job-description/en