Description
A wine expert is a highly trained and knowledgeable wine professional who specialises in all aspects of wine service, from advising diners on what wines would go best with certain foods to the nitty-gritty of procurement, managing inventory flow, creating wine lists for food and beverage establishments, mentoring, etc. The job requires a blend of hospitality skills and in-depth knowledge of wines — grape varieties, regions, vintages, vineyards, how to taste wine, etc.
Requirements
A good hotel management degree focusing on wine with on-the-job training or a certified course from a well respected organisation are adequate as long as you have a strong interest in the subject and the desire to learn. A certified sommelier qualification from a reputed institute is an added asset. A sommelier certification offers practical training in wine service and tasting as well as knowledge about wine regions, winemaking and viticultural practices, etc
Job Prospects
Wine tasters can offer their services in hotels, restaurants, import-export companies, or even as independent consultant, thus the payoff varies immensely. In food and beverage establishments, a junior wine expert can get Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 per month. A senior person can get Rs.40,000 to Rs. 60,000 per month. Those who work independently as wine consultants can earn anything between Rs. 25,000 to a couple of lakhs per month. The hospitality industry is not the only avenue. Wine-import companies, marketing offices of wine houses, working as a consultant to the smaller restaurants, wineries, embassies etc are some other options.
Pros & Cons
An aspirant must consider the costs involved in trainings. You have the potential of being part of one of the sunrise industries in India. One can start one’s own business like consultancy, wine import-export business.
