Why I Decided To Become A Sommelier

“Tell me everything you know about cognac,” she said.

It was a call from one of my friends that’s also in the hospitality industry. She was using the quarantine and lack of time behind the bar to brush up on education. I seemed like a good resource because of the years that I spent working with Martell.

While I do know quite a bit about cognac, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in the least. Frankly, I find some of the nerdy science parts hard to remember. Instead, what drew me to spirits are the stories of why certain things came to be and how cultures drink throughout the world. It’s why I can take for hours about the history of punch, but recalling distillation processes gives me a headache.

It’s this love of story that’s made me fall in love with wine in a way that I didn’t really expect. I’d been drinking wine for years but never paid much attention beyond red or white. Once I decided to dive in, I was completely captured by the role that wine has played in the world. So much of history can be understood through wine. So while I now have an appreciation and understanding of terroir, I’m much more enamored with the role it’s played on culture and how it enhances food.

As I continue studying in preparation for my Level 2 test, I’ll share my journey and discoveries here.