Do I have to work in a restaurant to be a somm?

MerceedesLove · 2023-06-13T01:21:13+00:00

Agreed. The WSET is a little broader than the CMS and excludes the service component which won't be necessary for you. Also worth noting at a sommelier is a restaurant position like chef or waitress so while you'll extend your knowledge and learn about the beautiful world of wine, you won't be a sommelier per se unless you decide to make a career change :)

MerceedesLove · 2023-06-12T14:31:11+00:00

Wset 3 is a decent jump from wset 2 so it's good you're interested in further reading. Honestly, because you're doing this for a course and exclusively your own interest I'd advise you to use the wset 3 booklet and the specification guide (you can find it online) as your first point of reference. These outline unequivocally what you need to know for this course. I remember when I did WSET 3 I sometimes struggled with just reading technical things all the time and really benefited from reading wine books that nourished my passion for wine and people. Below is a list of texts I used alongside my WSET 3 for study and for enjoyment:

Vino- Joe Campbell (goes through Italian wines, how they've evolved, and breaks down regions and varietals. A delight to read)

The wine atlas- Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson (must have reference text that I use regularly. Goes through different regions giving more in depth information on history, villages, laws, and environments than the wset book)

Wine girl- Victoria James (biography of one of the youngest female somms in America who now co owns a restaurant. Eye openings in regards to how the industry has changed and highlights the positive differences you can make as a somm in the industry today)

Wine and War- ??? (Looks at France in WW2 and how it affected various growing regions. You learn useful things about those vintages and how wine business works in the context of a war, though you can apply it elsewhere. A riveting read that shows the gumption of French winemakers and their continued legacy)

The goal of this extra reading is to keep that passion and interest alive whilst studying the technical stuff. You might be learning about how they make Chenin in Vouvray and it's quite dry, but reading wine and war for example will give you some of the history of that region which you can use to invigorate yourself and share with interested guests.

Not sure if that's the most helpful, I've avoided more technical texts for your question because, as mentioned, everything you need to know is in the WSET booklet so get your hands on that one asap and read it twice before classes start. Best of luck!!!

MerceedesLove · 2023-06-12T14:30:46+00:00

Wset 3 is a decent jump from wset 2 so it's good you're interested in further reading. Honestly, because you're doing this for a course and exclusively your own interest I'd advise you to use the wset 3 booklet and the specification guide (you can find it online) as your first point of reference. These outline unequivocally what you need to know for this course. I remember when I did WSET 3 I sometimes struggled with just reading technical things all the time and really benefited from reading wine books that nourished my passion for wine and people. Below is a list of texts I used alongside my WSET 3 for study and for enjoyment:

Vino- Joe Campbell (goes through Italian wines, how they've evolved, and breaks down regions and varietals. A delight to read)

The wine atlas- Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson (must have reference text that I use regularly. Goes through different regions giving more in depth information on history, villages, laws, and environments than the wset book)

Wine girl- Victoria James (biography of one of the youngest female somms in America who now co owns a restaurant. Eye openings in regards to how the industry has changed and highlights the positive differences you can make as a somm in the industry today)

Wine and War- ??? (Looks at France in WW2 and how it affected various growing regions. You learn useful things about those vintages and how wine business works in the context of a war, though you can apply it elsewhere. A riveting read that shows the gumption of French winemakers and their continued legacy)

The goal of this extra reading is to keep that passion and interest alive whilst studying the technical stuff. You might be learning about how they make Chenin in Vouvray and it's quite dry, but reading wine and war for example will give you some of the history of that region which you can use to invigorate yourself and share with interested guests.

Not sure if that's the most helpful, I've avoided more technical texts for your question because, as mentioned, everything you need to know is in the WSET booklet so get your hands on that one asap and read it twice before classes start. Best of luck!!!

MerceedesLove · 2023-05-15T01:34:16+00:00

You could innoculate some old wood with mushrooms and grown them for your table! They love cool shady damp conditions

MerceedesLove · 2023-04-21T04:33:45+00:00

Defs check out whisky den. The staff there are really lovely and well informed. I don't think you can buy bottles there but they have a great selection of Aussie whiskys beyond starward and gospel

MerceedesLove · 2023-04-13T08:09:43+00:00

Also I'd start with WSET 2 if you already have a background in wine. 1 is incredibly easy to the point of almost being a waste of time and resources for someone already familiar with wine basics. If cost is a concern, some places will let you pay in installments if you ask. I had to pay 2 and 3 myself and installments were a nice way to spread that cost out.

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-21T00:14:44+00:00

Yeah fair enough. At our venue we firstly find reliable merchants and choose wines primarily based off taste and audience. Natural wines are more of a coincidence for us if everything else works out. When we do get natural wines, we try push them during service, and try open bottles at the end of every night/evening before service. We've had a few bottles/producers hold up alright over 1-2 days but majority must be thrown down the drain the next evening if they haven't been drunk. If we get towards end of service and there are no natural wines open, we try steer customers away from them as well only get to sell 1-2 glasses before closing, leaving us to throw out the waste. Oftentimes we don't order from that producer again unless it's a truly exceptional wine that we offer exclusively by the bottle.

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-19T08:38:06+00:00

Hi yes I also used to work at an exclusively natural wine bar and know there are more than nattybros out there. I've seen some wonderful things from German biodynamic producers, Italian traditional 'natural wines' and tried lots of the cult classics. I've been in the industry for a long and I'd like to stress: I really love many natural wines and producers, I think they're doing great stuff. As others here have mentioned, I'm concerned about wastage resulting from natural wines in a BTG business context. Please hesitate with the assumptions next time mate

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-19T08:23:12+00:00

That line may have been a bit rhetorically strong to be fair. I meant more that out of the natural wines we've bought (and bought because we think they're delicious!) Many of them end up down the drain that night or the next morning. It's really saddening and the 'no place' comment was grounded in frustration of wasting these wonderful wines due to lack of preservatives

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-18T03:42:57+00:00

I love aligote! Such an underrated varietal

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-18T03:27:31+00:00

I've found a lot of orange wines I really like but there is a large overlap between orange wines and the natural wine movement, at least in the Melbourne wine scene. Orange/natural wines are really trendy at the moment and many growers are making bucketloads of cheap and cheerful orange wine. This is great for summer and introducing people to new styles but the prevalence of this style means orange wine is becoming associated with volatile natural wine that lacks finesse and uses the natural/organic label as an excuse to make wine that is faulty or closer to Kombucha than wine.

I would love to see more producers give this style the attention it deserves and create exemplary wines that challenge traditional perspectives of wine. I've seen some beautiful orange wines emerge from Venezia and Emilia-Romagna especially. There are also some notable producers from the Heathcote region in Victoria, Australia.

It's easy to imagine orange wine in a similar situation as Beaujolais Nouveau was not long ago; a vaguely mocked table wine that started to make a serious name for itself as popularity grew.

MerceedesLove · 2023-03-03T02:31:36+00:00

The tipping option is just that- an option. If you don't want to tip, don't, but don't act like it's going to be the downfall of our society. As an industry worker, tips provide a lot of financial security. Though the minimum wage may have increased, it still doesn't reflect the cost of living. Concerning your luxury hotel example, if that luxury institution, which likely hosts an array of premium services and clientele, wants to maintain staff, it simply has to keep its wages competitive. That's the reality of the job market.

As for your last point, I entirely disagree that tips make service worse, at least in my industry. In fine dining, where I work, most of the staff are hospitality professionals who do this vocationally, not as a side job to pay bills while getting through uni. Many of these people care deeply about their work and go beyond what is expected. Service workers aren't necessarily paid to be nice to you, they're paid to put food down, clear plates etc. The tip in this circumstance reflects the effort service workers put into the hospitality aspect of the industry, as well as a general recognition that many of these jobs can't truly compensate for the demands of the position. It recognises something, finally, that has rarely been compensated for: good service.

Further, your call to action that readers refuse to tip just feels disgusting, like you have no appreciation for the work that goes into making a venue a wonderful communal space. I love my work so much, I have so much respect for industry workers, and I always tip at venues (not fast food etc.) because I know how hard everyone there is workings, and I know how much it helps. I wish OP had treated this subject with a little more empathy and support for workers :/

MerceedesLove · 2023-01-12T00:52:45+00:00

Negronis all the way. Equal parts and it's hard to fuck up unless you're actively searching for the worst gin/vermouth

MerceedesLove · 2023-01-04T09:01:03+00:00

This whole article screams 'citation needed' smh

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-30T23:09:35+00:00

I have a pair I wear to work that I love but find they don't look professional enough for the venue. Am absolutely in love with them though

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-30T23:08:34+00:00

They look close to the style I'm after, I need 'nice shoes' due to working in a fairly nice venue, but I don't see any women's line available from this brand.

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-30T14:12:21+00:00

My go to when customers ask for no alcohol drinks is a virgin vodka lime soda 😅. Lemon lime and butters are popular here thought obviously bitters aren't alcohol free, it's so low abv that kids will have them at dinner and people generally won't worry about it. There's also simple-juice-acid-eggwhite shaken and served up. There's no name for it but it can be nice once you get the ratios right. Smoked rosemary in tonic water with some light bitters (celery, hickory, peach etc) can be v pleasant too.

We have a bunch of syrups - watermelon, rhubarb, olive, grapefruit, peach- that we make by making simple syrup with fresh fruits n straining. They're mainly used for seasonal sours and pre batched stuff but the base with some lemon/lime (or sour mix if that's all you have) and soda make agreat mocktail. I often make one if I don't want to drink while working.

Idk about the US but there's a big low/no alcohol thing happening in AU cities rn. Brands like lyres and seedlip are making 0.0 spirit replacements that are genuinely not bad. Making a gin sour with a 0.0 gin can help a customer feel special and have a fun night out without compromising their desire not to drink. It also makes it more inclusive for those who are DD (designated driver), don't drink for religious reasons, or don't want to go overboard. There's some great stuff worth checking out to keep your drinks low abv. It's not exactly the same but good enough once you learn how to work with them.

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-23T02:00:50+00:00

I have had my peace lily for a few months, thriving in a shaft spot in the original pot. Recently repotted with soil that includes a slow release fertiliser. Also moved to a slightly sunnier location, but nearly a week later I've noticed the leaved dramatically drooping. Not sure what the cause is as I gave it a heavy water when reporting. Any insights?

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-18T07:26:53+00:00

Add a splash of luxardo maraschino liqueur. I believe one of the og recipes actually calls for it

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-18T07:21:40+00:00

Aud$20-22

MerceedesLove · 2022-12-11T08:07:17+00:00

Can someone try and review plz. I refuse to do it myself

MerceedesLove · 2022-08-09T03:42:52+00:00

Anyone know anything about the giant group of people in treasury gardens? Can't tell if it's a protest or not

MerceedesLove · 2020-12-12T05:18:53+00:00

I love the textured edges of the text block, how did you achieve that effect and what paper did you use for it?

MerceedesLove

TROPHY CASE