What In The Hell Is A Sommelier?!

At my tastings I encourage questions - and I get lots and lots of them. In my mind they're all valid (no really!) because to me, there's nothing worse than a "wine expert" that won't ask about what he doesn't know because he thinks he should already know. However, some questions are better than others. Hmm, dare I say more intriguing than others. At a recent wine dinner I was asked the greatest question yet...
I was blabbing on and on about quality to value ratios, and seeking out great wines for the price, and finding "hidden gems". Looking back now, I realize how cryptic that must sound. Sorta like a used car salesman saying "just trust me". But until this one night, no one had challenged me to elaborate.
"How do you know what a good wine is?"
I loved this question. I loved it for it's thoughtfulness and it's complexity. I loved it because the person that asked was completely unaware of how profound the question was. I had no idea how good the discussion that followed was going to get.
As I started rattling off a wines' quality criteria, someone in the crowd piped in "yeah, not to mention you like the stuff!"
They were wrong. Dead wrong. But it made for a great segue into the mind of a Sommelier.
I was immediately thrust back seven years ago, tasting and training with the Master Sommelier who became my mentor. There I was, with myriad wine flights in front me, the methods of deduction filling my mind, trying to be so professional. After the first flight was tasted and notes recorded, the question was asked - "which of those was a quality wine?"
I made the mistake of offering up my personal opinion once. Only once.
"Katie Finn, I don't give a good God damn what you think about this wine. This isn't about you. Now, pull your head outta your ass and analyze these wines like a professional."
It was both jarring and enlightening. That was the first time I really tasted wine. That was the first time I understood what it meant to be a Sommelier.
My job wasn't to drink wine like a consumer. My job was to do what the consumer can't. I needed to look at wine subjectively. Was it balanced? Were the flavors integrated? Was it seamless across the palate? Did it have a sense of place? Was it priced appropriately?
Whether I liked it or not was irrelevant. I wasn't the one buying it. All of a sudden I saw the bigger picture. There was someone out there that would like this wine... my job became deciphering whether or not it was worth what the producer was asking and if it made sense on this particular wine list.
Over the years, this concept of keeping my own personal preference away from my profession has become almost a joke between me and my friends. As we have all discovered, what I like will most certainly be the most unpopular wine at any gathering. It seems I have a real affinity for "stinky wine". Now, imagine if the only wine I ever placed on a wine list was wine that I liked? I'd better have a high corkage fee or I'd be out of business really fast. If you've ever been to one of my tastings you'll notice one common thread. Every wine I serve will be diametrically opposed to the last. If I start with a light fresh and crisp white, the next will be a full bodied, creamy oaked white. The method to the madness is simple - if all the wines drink in the same style and you don't like one - you aren't going to like any of them. Everyone's palate is different. Everyone has varying degrees of sensitivity to things like sweet, bitter and salty. My goal is to make everyone happy. Or at least not piss everyone off.
I was lucky. I learned from a Master who truly understands what this title represents. This position exists for people who love wine. It exists so the consumer doesn't get ripped off (ideally). We are matchmakers. We find the right wine for the right person. We save you time, money, and the frustration of another disappointing bottle. We offer up wildly new and exciting bottles from grapes you didn't even know exist. And we will happily give you your security blanket bottle of Cabernet.
I am lucky. I love what I do.
Now, sit back, relax, and just trust me.