30 Occupational Outlook Quarterly.Summer 2003

Wherever he goes at work, Shayn Bjornholm

carries 15,000 bottles of wine. Not the

physical bottles, of course; that would hardly

be practical. But as a sommelier, Shayn does carry around

a usable knowledge of the 1,350 selections—15,000

bottles in all—composing the restaurant’s wine cellar.

A sommelier (soh-mel-YEA) is skilled in the art of

matching wine with food to augment the food’s flavor.

With their specialized training and fine-tuned palates,

sommeliers serve as restaurants’ wine experts and share

this expertise with restaurant guests. “My job is to

demystify wine,” says Shayn, “while still honoring what a

fantastic food pairing it is.”

At Seattle’s Canlis Restaurant, Shayn’s first goal in

offering his assistance to guests is to put them at ease. He

might initiate conversation without mentioning wine,

chatting instead about topics like the weather or the

guests’ interests. After establishing a rapport, he eases the

discussion toward what the guests will be eating for

dinner. The talk gradually shifts from food to wine.

Still, before suggesting a wine to complement their menu

choices, Shayn seeks input from the guests. He asks about

the kinds of wine they enjoy, what their favorites are, and

whether they want something that is similar to—or different

from—those preferences to accompany their meal. He also

asks whether they have in mind a price range.

Based on information that the guests provide, Shayn

proposes three selections at various price levels. And,

much to the surprise of some wary diners, his suggestions

won’t strain their budget. “I undershoot,” he says. “When

guests ask for a $100 bottle, for example, I may go for one

that’s $85. Never, ever, ever, do I try to up-sell.”

Shayn can suggest complementary wines from various

price ranges because he knows what’s on the menu and

in the restaurant’s wine cellar. That’s because consulting

with the chef and stocking the cellar are another realm of

the sommelier. Shayn reflects on the restaurant’s menu,

by Kathleen Green

Kathleen Green is managing editor of the OOQ, (202) 691-5717.

You’re a what?

Sommelier

30 Occupational Outlook Quarterly.Summer 2003
Occupational Outlook Quarterly.Summer 2003 31

which changes seasonally, when deciding what to buy.

But he updates the 54-page wine list weekly because of

rapidly changing inventory.

Public relations, marketing, and education related to

wine are part of a sommelier’s job, too. Among Shayn’s

activities in this arena are wine-tasting dinners that he

coordinates. Each dinner showcases wine from a different

domestic or international region. “They’re hard work, but

a lot of fun,” Shayn says of the dinners. “Tasting is just a

blast for me.”

Tasting wine is, obviously, an essential part of whetting

the sensitive palate that a sommelier needs to differentiate

among the many nuances of wine. While much of that

ability may be innate, however, some is the result of

training. Several organizations offer programs that lead to

sommelier or wine-related certification. Instruction

usually includes courses in grape varieties and characteristics, wine production, sensory evaluation, food and wine

pairings, and service techniques. Because tasting wine, an

alcoholic beverage, is required during training, program

participants must be of legal drinking age.

Other than the age requirement, there are no prerequisites in the United States for becoming a sommelier.

But, realistically, a sommelier without credentials is not

likely to find a job. Shayn has a sommelier diploma from

the International Sommelier Guild, an organization for

which he now teaches. He also has a higher certificate

from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and recently

passed the advanced-level examination from the Court of

Master Sommeliers.

The Court of Master Sommeliers’ advanced exam is

the intermediate stage of a three-level process for becoming a Master Sommelier. The title of Master Sommelier is

an elite designation held by only 112 sommeliers worldwide, including 56 in the United States. According to the

Court of Master Sommeliers, earnings vary widely—

from about $28,000 for a sommelier with limited experience to $80,000 to $160,000 for a Master Sommelier.

But because there are no restrictions on assuming the

general title of sommelier, there are no other reliable

employment or earnings data available. The Bureau of

Labor Statistics does not

collect data on sommeliers.

Shayn developed an

interest in wine and fine

dining after earning a

bachelor’s degree from the

University of Virginia.

Gaining experience in restaurants, he recognized the

importance of enjoying the work as a career instead of

merely doing a job. “You have to love the art of dining,”

he says. “You have to believe there’s a grace and an art to

it.”

By the time he moved into restaurant management,

Shayn concluded that his job would have to focus on

wine if he wanted to continue in the restaurant business.

He pursued sommelier training and worked under an

experienced sommelier at Canlis Restaurant before

assuming the top job there. In 2002, Shayn was named

Sommelier of the Year by the Washington Wine Commission and the Seattle Times Company. “This is a really,

really fun job,” he says. “It’s really fun to get out there on

the floor and get people excited about wine.”

Providing sommelier services and selling wine on the

restaurant’s floor account for about 35 percent of his

work, Shayn estimates. Tasks related to stocking the cellar,

such as ordering, purchasing, and inventory upkeep, take

up another 35 percent. Marketing and public relations

duties, including teaching, fill the remaining portion.

Except for his classroom teaching, Shayn spends most

of his working hours at the restaurant. Sommeliers are

employed primarily in high-end restaurants, which

provide a comfortable job setting. Whether out on the

floor or stocking the cellar, however, sommeliers work

hard and are on their feet most of the time. If you’re a

morning person, cautions Shayn, you’ll have to either

reset your body clock or consider another line of work.

“Make sure you like to work at night. It affects your

entire life,” he says. “You’re not going to find a daytime

sommelier job. It just doesn’t exist.”

For Shayn, the tedium of receiving and recording

shipments is the worst part of the job. But having basic

computer skills, including knowing how to set up and

read spreadsheets, makes it more manageable. Some

business knowledge—for determining cost-related issues

such as pricing and profit margins—also is helpful. Shayn

cites people skills, an empathic nature, and an excellent

palate as being important as well.

The most rewarding part of a sommelier’s job combines those last qualities. “When I see that light go on in

guests’ eyes when they like something I’ve recommended,

especially when they’re skeptical—that’s phenomenal,”

says Shayn, “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe

wine is the ultimate pairing with food.”

Photos of Shayn Bjornholm

and restaurant wine cellar by Matt Dahlgren Occupational Outlook Quarterly.Summer 2003 31