sommelier
n. countablen. a person trained to manage and recommend wine in restaurants or shops. They help customers choose wines that match their meals or preferences.
n. a professional responsible for wine service, selection, and education in hospitality settings. Typically works in fine dining establishments.
The sommelier paired the dish with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon.
At the Michelin-starred restaurant, the sommelier explained how the wine's acidity balanced the dish's richness.
Renowned for his expertise in rare vintages, the sommelier curated a tasting menu that traced the evolution of Burgundy's terroir over three centuries.
From French sommelier, which in turn derives from somme ("pack") and the suffix -ier (denoting a person's occupation). Somme traces to Vulgar Latin sauma, itself from Latin sagma ("packsaddle"). The term thus names a person responsible for managing the beasts of burden that carried wine — a role requiring neither theatricality nor notoriety, but a precise understanding of logistics.