Why the demand for sommeliers in Russia has increased – Rossiyskaya Gazeta

Few people have strict work experience requirements: 60 percent of employers are willing to hire candidates with up to three years of experience, and almost a third are able to employ newcomers. At the same time, among the vacancies there are also those that can cause a slight shock. Thus, the job offer for a dog food taster that appeared in Novosibirsk caused a stir on the Internet. They offer a salary of 270 thousand rubles per month plus bonuses. The taster must try between 10 and 30 brands a day, both their own products and competing foods. Additionally, your responsibilities include recording video reviews with tastings and demonstrative comments, collecting taste, color and smell reports. As the director of the company, Anton Myagkov, explained to RG, there are no specialists of this type in Russia (although there are similar positions abroad), so the Novosibirsk producers are looking for a person with experience in tasting work in other countries. areas. According to Myagkov, the food is absolutely safe for humans and the high salary is offered not because of its harmful nature, but precisely because of the uniqueness of the profession.

But, of course, the vast majority of tasters’ jobs are related to wine. The growing demand for sommeliers indicates the development of wine culture in Russia, says Alena Lapina, a representative of this profession from Stavropol. The number of wine schools in the country is growing, and if before the profession could be considered rare and to get it you had to go to Moscow or St. Petersburg, now the courses are even taught online. “The organizers work remotely with local suppliers and can coordinate the delivery of certain wine samples to students in the regions,” said Lapina, “but the sommeliers themselves must pay for these courses. The cost of online training ranges between 15 and 20 thousand rubles”. “A full four-month course in the best schools will cost more than 200,000. The education can be paid for by a restaurant where a sommelier works, but it is clear what level such an establishment should have.” Thus, one of the most famous schools is now conducting a course that will result in a diploma approved by the International Association of Sommeliers, but it will cost 240 thousand.

For Eldar Makhmudov, bar manager of a Sochi restaurant, the management of his establishment pays for online courses worth 80,000 rubles: “But in our courses, only 10 percent study to improve their qualifications, the rest – for themselves. themselves. As a rule, sommeliers earn between 100,000 rubles, depending on the place of work.”

In addition, demand for cavistas, specialists who sell alcohol in specialized stores, is growing. “Nowadays it is increasingly difficult to surprise a customer,” says Alexandra Fomenko, owner of a wine store in the Krasnodar Territory. “Sommeliers and cavistas must have a good knowledge of the technology of making the drink, the chemical composition and aromas and tastes, the history of wine making. A trend that is difficult, but still “I came to the south of the country, creating a culture of wine consumption. “You can’t do it without a sommelier.”

The number of wine schools in the country is growing, courses are even taught online, so it is no longer necessary to go to Moscow or St. Petersburg.

In a large restaurant, income from wine reaches up to 40 percent, so a lot depends on the work of a good specialist. In addition to the wine lists, the sommelier also creates food and wine pairings, that is, he decides which dish goes with which wine on the menu.

According to Alena Lapina, now in the regions of Russia it is very difficult to find a good experienced sommelier. “In Stavropol you can only appoint a couple of people who meet high criteria. In small towns, they usually train a waiter or other employee, who then fills this position part-time,” the specialist added. At the same time, he complains that no one supervises the sommeliers in small towns and that the associations working in the wine regions do not pay attention to them. Although several training seminars are held in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar under the auspices of such associations, in other cities there are none, so the difference in the quality of specialists is increasing. That is why regions need master classes from recognized professionals.

Sommelier Tips

As Alena Lapina points out, you can still find a bottle of good wine for less than a thousand rubles: “The first thing to pay attention to is the country and region of origin. For example, New Zealand wines of the sauvignon blanc variety They can be economical.” We also safely recommend the Russian ones, because their quality has increased a lot, there is something to be proud of.” In turn, Eldar Makhmudov believes that today on the shelves it is difficult to find decent French and Italian wines at this price: “It is better to look for products of the New World: Argentina, Chile. “These countries make good, affordable wines with good value for money.”

At the same time, several experts point out that it is better to buy inexpensive wines that are no more than two or three years old. Only premium drinks aged in oak barrels improve over the years. And in the cheap ones, after a few years the flavor becomes less intense. “You have to pay attention to the vintage in any price category. However, if you buy a non-aged regional varietal wine in the supermarket, but from the 2010 harvest, it will no longer have any value,” explains Lapina.