A database to highlight and serve the Sommeliers that live and work in North Carolina. The data contained on this site is purely a voluntary list of the Sommeliers who have chosen to include themselves. It is by no means a complete or definitive list. It is, however, for those who have chosen to be included, a website/database where one can share and promote their current work status and choose whether they want to be contacted for consulting and/or other work opportunities.
What is a Sommelier?
A term that has a lot of different meanings depending on who you speak with. The word is mostly unknown among lay persons who are not actually Sommeliers themselves. Most actual Sommeliers, in my opinion, would have a fairly common definition of the word and they tend to have a better understanding of the wine industry terms used and what they mean. Most should also have a fair amount of humility when it comes to the use of the title and when it is applicable. I particularly like this definition that can be found online:
A sommelier or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing.
Hudin, Miquel. “What’s a Sommelier?”. Hudin.com
For the purposes of North Carolina Sommeliers we will use this definition but to qualify the “trained and knowledgeable” part of the definition we will require that all Sommeliers listed on this site achieve either a Level 2 “Certified Sommelier” with the Court of Master Sommeliers or a Level 3 Award in Wines with the Wine & Spirit Educational Trust (WSET).
Are You a Sommelier?
If you fit within our definition of a Sommelier and you live and/or work in the North Carolina Wine Industry then please check out the “Add Me” page for more information. We would love to have you included in our database, help to promote your current project(s), and serve you in other ways. There are no fees or catches to be listed on our site other than you have to be a Sommelier per the definition listed above.
Not a Sommelier?
If you are not a Sommelier then this site is for you too. There are several ways a “Non Somm” can benefit from this website/database:
- Support our North Carolina Sommeliers! All of the listings, at a minimum, will have the Somms listed with their current project(s). This is typically going to be where they currently work and it might be a restaurant, a winery, a bottle shop, or other public establishment that you can visit. Go out and support these establishments! If you are at a restaurant where a Somm is working, ask for them and if they are available, get their opinion on what you should be ordering with your meal. Sommeliers are very passionate about wine and love to “talk shop” if they are able to.
- If you are an employer and the Sommelier has made it so that they can be contacted, contact them if you have a job opportunity that requires their skillset.
- Some Sommeliers will freelance and are available for short-term project based work or assignments. This could be something as simple as helping with a food pairing or something more complex like the development of a complex wine list. If it is wine related and the Sommelier is available to contact, then reach out with your request and get their opinion.
If you do contact a Sommelier listed in our database then please keep things professional and initially brief. If more information is needed then they will request it from you. Also note that not all Sommeliers have made themselves available for contact. If that is the case then there is nothing we can do to get around that. We are bound to honor their requests and will not circumvent it for any reason.