Sommelier: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering sommelier

You recommend wines for meals and events, curate selections and advise on pairings. Clients want a list that suits their food and budget, with the wine served and explained well on the day.

What customers ask

  • Can you recommend wines for each course?
  • Will you pour the wine at my event?
  • Who holds the license for the alcohol?
  • Can you help with a budget?
  • What non alcoholic options do you offer?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the menu, the guest count, the budget, the taste preferences and the occasion
  • Bring a sample wine list and let the client taste two or three wines in the style they want
  • Confirm in writing who holds the license or permit for serving wine at the event before you quote
  • Put in the quote the wines, the bottle count, the glassware, the service hours and the corkage or handling terms
  • Explain each pairing and why it works with the course
  • Offer a non alcoholic pairing for each course so guests who do not drink are included
  • Confirm the unopened bottle return and who pays for it

What to put on your profile

  • Post your wine lists for dinners, weddings and corporate events
  • List the regions and styles you know well
  • Show your tasting and service formats
  • Describe your non alcoholic pairings
  • Add your training and certifications, described accurately

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a tasting for the client's next event or a planned dinner
  • Suggest a wine club or a standing order for the client's home
  • Recommend a wine for the anniversary of the event
  • Share a short guide to storing and serving the wines the client bought

Licenses and permits

Advising on and selecting wine does not usually need a license. Pouring or serving alcohol commonly needs a license or permit, and the rules vary by place. Confirm which license covers the event before you pour, and keep your training and insurance on file. If food is served as well, food businesses commonly need a health permit or a food handler card from the local office that oversees food safety.

Questions

Do I need a license to recommend wines?

Advising does not usually need one. Pouring or serving alcohol commonly needs a license or permit. Check with the local office that oversees alcohol service before you pour at an event.

What if a guest has had too much wine?

Stop pouring for that guest, offer water or a non alcoholic option, and follow the venue's rules. Keep a record of the service.

Can I sell wine to the client?

Selling wine is a different business activity from advising on it. Check the rules that apply to selling alcohol where you work, and keep the sale and the advice clearly separate.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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