The Wine Steward is an educated wine professional specializing in every aspect of wine services and food matching with wine.
The Primary Objectives of a Wine Steward:
- The Wine Steward primary objective is to oversee procurement, storage, rotation and experts’ service regarding wines in fine restaurants.
- The Wine Steward primary objective is to develop lists of wine and delivery of wine service
- The Wine Steward primary objective is train other staff of restaurant about wine.
The Sommelier or Wine Steward works in procuring, storing, rotating and servicing of wine for costumers in a fine restaurant. The Wine Steward works together with the kitchen staff of the restaurant and they team up by exchanging ideas on matching foods and wine. Thus, anyone who wants to become a professional Sommelier must have understanding about blending foods with alcoholic beverages. The Wine Steward works on the floor of restaurant and do direct contact with customers. The Wine Steward is responsible for the taste preference as well as the budgeting factor for the customers.
A Wine Steward supervises the wine list, assisting in the maintenance of it for the restaurant. A Wine Steward gives suggestions about food matching so that it will be suitable to the chef’s dishes if needed. A Wine Steward is capable of discussing, buying and serving all kinds of wine. A Wine Steward is comfortable to talk with customers and capable of giving recommendations to fit the customers’ tastes. A Wine Steward has to impress customers without intimidating them. There are times that a Wine Steward travel for the job and part of it is to speak other languages. A Wine Steward are known to be organized in handling the wine cellar and sometime they help in the marketing and promotion aspect.
The Wine Steward knowledge requirements
- The Wine stewards must know almost all grapes, vineyards, regions and reds, whites and other kind of wines from all over the world.
- The Wine stewards must be knowledgeable in setting up a bar and organizing a wine cellar.
- The Wine stewards must have experience in tasting many various kinds in order to speak with sound knowledge and authority.
- The Wine stewards must be expert in “wine pairing” wherein matching wine with food in order to maximize the tastes.
- The Wine stewards must know selection, pouring and selling of wines. Finesse and charm are needed and Wine stewards must make the wine drinking experience for customers a delight they can never forget.
- The Wine stewards must describe the wine appropriately, check the wine’s label, and persuade the customer to smell the wine first before drinking it.
- The Wine stewards must encourage the customer to enjoy the wine in order to improve the wine sales of the establishment by showing professionalism.
- The Wine stewards must have certificate from a sommelier organization that will enable them to become proficient in the industry of wine.
