Do you have what it takes to become a sommelier?

If you painstakingly choose your wine to pair perfectly with your food or you can name at least five major winemakers in the country, then maybe you have what it takes to be a good sommelier. Erica Taylor, vice-chairperson of the South African Sommeliers' Association

- Nichelle Steyn.

Wine bars, high-end restaurants, special caterers, hotels and vineyards call in the help of sommeliers to help bridge the knowledge gap between customers and winemakers. The main task of a sommelier is to enhance the customer's experience with wine, by helping them make the perfect wine pairing.

So how does someone become a sommelier? As with becoming a winemaker, time, effort and gaining an accredited industry-recognised certificate, completed at an industry-recognised institution, are required to be a qualified sommelier.

In the day-to-day life of a sommelier, they will be making expert recommendations on wine and food pairing, explain where each bottle of wine originates from and why it is a suitable pairing mate with the customer's food.

This means that you need to have broad knowledge of the wine industry, the history of different types of wines, and the techniques producers use to make the specific wines.

You may even be hired to work with a chef to design a wine and food pairing menu.

According to the South African Sommeliers' Association (SASA), a sommelier is considered a professional viticulturalist in the catering sector. It is a person with their feet in both worlds, who can expertly recommend and serve wine at a professional level.