Word
sommelier
Phoneticssom·me·li·er
UK/sɒmˈɛliə/
Definition
n. 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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“The sommelier paired the dish with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon.”
contextual
“At the Michelin-starred restaurant, the sommelier explained how the wine's acidity balanced the dish's richness.”
complex
“Renowned for his expertise in rare vintages, the sommelier curated a tasting menu that traced the evolution of Burgundy's terroir over three centuries.”
Real-World Examples
“Similar to a sommelier in the wine industry, a Q grader is a trained and CQI-licensed cupping professional who can evaluate arabica coffees using the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) grading system.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/sommelier