SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR:
Rengarajan Rengasamy, Armani Hotel Dubai
What are you most proud of in your career?
I am proud to be a sommelier with the first ever Armani Hotel, and with my recent award as Caterer Middle East’s top sommelier in 2011.
What is your advice for aspiring sommeliers?
A sommelier must be able to perform every job in the front of house and jump into all aspects of service when the team needs it. Remember, being a sommelier means working in the hospitality industry. This is very important; it does not matter where you work, you will always have something to learn.
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Train your palate — tasting wine professionally is not the same as drinking wine. In addition, be prepared to taste and to study the wine laws and the regions of wines — even the ones that you may not like.
Know your food — cook when you have the time. Smell everything. Taste everything you can. Try as many different foods as possible. Think about which wines would pair well with the foods that you are tasting and cooking.
Go to different restaurants often to dine and to observe the service. Make sure you study the menu, and study the wine list. Doing this will teach you about wine and food pairing — not the books.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
I would have my own restaurant, with a huge wine cellar and a great wine list.
How do you share your knowledge with the rest of the team?
This is through frequent trainings, tastings and style of working — I don’t really teach them but I show them how to learn.
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