One Sommelier’s Guide to Drinking [Better] Wine

Forget dogma, taste often, and question everything

The Mosel River in Germany

“Have you seen the movie SOMM?”

As a sommelier, I get this question invariably once a week.

The answer is no, I have not.

To which some variation on “Oh, you definitely should. You would love it,” usually follows.

From the movie, SOMM (2013). If you’re wondering where all the women are, well that makes two of us; Source: The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center

Released in 2013, the SOMM documentary features an all male cast of sommeliers as they study for and prepare to pass the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Master Exam. The film essentially offers non-restaurant folk a peek behind the scenes of one of the most rigorous wine steward certifications in the world. Those who wish to earn the title are required to pass a series of assessments that focus on three major areas of wine and beverage mastery: service, theory, and blind taste.

According to the Court’s website, there are just 255 people in the world who hold the Master Sommelier title, 164 of whom reside in the U.S., and just a scant 26 of whom are women.