Use this Sommelier job description template to attract candidates who can guide thoughtful wine choices, deliver precise table service, and keep a well-managed cellar. Adapt the wine-list breadth, purchasing authority, and service style to your restaurant or hospitality venue.

A Sommelier connects wine knowledge with guest hospitality and practical beverage operations. The role covers recommendations, wine presentation, pairing conversations, and the records that keep the list dependable. It complements the service and bar teams without assuming ownership of the entire restaurant or every beverage category.

A Sommelier makes wine service welcoming and dependable while protecting the quality and commercial health of the wine program. Their key responsibilities include:

• Recommending wines that reflect guests' preferences, food choices, and stated budgets without unnecessary pressure.

• Presenting and serving bottles with careful identification, appropriate glassware, and attention to condition and timing.

• Maintaining cellar organization and accurate stock records so listed wines are available and stored appropriately.

• Supporting wine-list updates and purchasing decisions within agreed pricing, budget, and approval boundaries.

• Teaching service colleagues how to describe wines accurately and handle common guest questions confidently.

Sommelier Job Description Template

We are looking for a Sommelier to create a confident, welcoming wine experience for our guests. You will combine sound wine knowledge with attentive listening, polished service, and careful cellar habits. Our ideal candidate can explain a recommendation simply and make guests comfortable regardless of their wine experience or spending level.

In this role, you will prepare the wine station, support table service, monitor bottle availability, and keep cellar records current. You will collaborate with chefs, restaurant managers, servers, and suppliers to maintain a relevant wine list, resolve service problems, and help colleagues understand new selections.

Sommelier Roles and Responsibilities

Wine service depends on preparation as much as tableside knowledge. Responsibilities connect the guest's request with the condition, availability, and accurate recording of each bottle:

• Review reservations, menu changes, and wine availability before service, highlighting substitutions and special arrangements to the team.

• Ask concise questions about taste, budget, and occasion before offering suitable options from the current list.

• Explain wine style and food compatibility in accessible language, respecting guest preferences rather than enforcing rigid pairing rules.

• Confirm the chosen wine and vintage, present the bottle, and follow the venue's appropriate opening and service procedures.

• Check wine condition and respond tactfully to concerns, involving a manager when replacement or pricing decisions exceed authority.

• Coordinate pouring and replenishment with the floor team so wine service supports the pace of the meal.

• Maintain appropriate storage and service conditions, reporting equipment faults or temperature concerns promptly.

• Receive and check wine deliveries against authorized orders, recording discrepancies, damage, and vintage changes.

• Maintain organized cellar locations and accurate stock movements, investigating differences between physical counts and records.

• Support list revisions, by-the-glass planning, and supplier discussions within agreed purchasing and pricing responsibilities.

• Deliver brief staff training on new wines, confident descriptions, service standards, and responsible guest interactions.

• Follow applicable age-verification and responsible-service requirements, escalating concerns through the venue's established process.

Sommelier Requirements and Qualifications

Candidates need hospitality judgment as well as product knowledge. The level of wine expertise should match the venue's list and service expectations. Useful qualifications include:

• Experience delivering wine service in a restaurant, hotel, wine bar, or comparable guest-facing environment.

• Working knowledge of major wine styles, regions, grape varieties, and factors that affect flavor and condition.

• Skill discussing food and wine pairings while accommodating guest taste, budget, and non-alcoholic preferences.

• Proficiency with bottle presentation, appropriate glassware, and service techniques relevant to the venue.

• Familiarity with cellar organization, receiving records, stock rotation, and physical inventory checks.

• Practical numeracy for bottle costs, pour quantities, stock discrepancies, and authorized pricing calculations.

• Clear communication that makes wine approachable and supports calm handling of guest concerns.

• Experience coordinating with kitchen and service colleagues during busy dining periods.

• Relevant wine education, professional development, or equivalent practical learning; certification where genuinely needed for the post.

• Eligibility and training to serve alcohol under applicable local requirements, plus availability for the stated hospitality schedule.

Who Does a Sommelier Report To?

The reporting line reflects the size of the wine program and the venue's operating structure. Typical reporting titles include:

• Head Sommelier

• Wine Director

• Beverage Manager

• Restaurant Manager

A smaller restaurant may give one Sommelier both service and cellar responsibilities. A larger venue may separate purchasing, cellar operations, and floor service. The role should have clear approval limits for purchases, guest recovery, and changes to the list.

How to Assess Sommelier Skills Effectively

Use a fictional menu and wine list, with safe demonstration materials. Do not require alcohol consumption; candidates can explain service and pairing decisions without drinking.

• Guest recommendation: Role-play a guest with a clear budget and uncertain preferences. Look for useful questions and respectful recommendations rather than a memorized sales pitch.

• Pairing explanation: Provide a dish description and several wines. Ask the candidate to explain a choice and offer an alternative for a different taste preference.

• Service demonstration: Use a training bottle to observe presentation, order confirmation, preparation, and communication with the table.

• Cellar discrepancy: Share a fictional stock record and delivery note. Ask how the candidate would investigate a missing bottle or unexpected vintage.

• Guest concern: Present a complaint about wine condition. Explore how the candidate would clarify the concern, preserve hospitality, and follow replacement authority.

• Staff briefing: Ask for a short introduction to a new by-the-glass wine, including a useful description, pairing idea, and accurate service information.

How to Detect AI Cheating When Hiring a Sommelier

Wine terminology alone does not demonstrate hospitality, cellar discipline, or the ability to adapt a recommendation. AI-generated answers and real-time help may conceal weak product understanding or an inability to respond naturally when a guest changes their preferences.

Sherlock AI helps recruiters detect AI-assisted cheating during Sommelier interviews. It can surface potential AI answering tools, deepfakes, impersonation, and suspicious screen activity. Recruiters should consider these signals alongside the interview context rather than treating them as definitive findings.

Use exercises such as explaining a pairing, reviewing a cellar discrepancy, or responding to a guest concern. The exercises evaluate wine-service judgment, while Sherlock helps identify potential cheating signals during the interview.

Screen Sommelier Interviews for AI-Assisted Cheating

Ask candidates to explain a recommendation, then change the budget or dish and invite a revised answer. Genuine knowledge should support flexible, guest-centered reasoning. Explore Sherlock AI to support interview integrity while your team reviews service expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Sommelier do?

A Sommelier helps guests choose and enjoy wine while supporting the operations behind the wine list. Daily work may include table service, cellar checks, receiving deliveries, and staff briefings. Purchasing responsibility depends on the venue and the role's seniority.

How is a Sommelier different from a Bartender?

This role centers on wine selection, pairing, service, and cellar stewardship. A Bartender usually concentrates on bar service and drink preparation. The jobs may collaborate closely, but knowledge of wine does not automatically imply responsibility for cocktail production or bar management.

Does a Sommelier need a particular certification?

There is no single certification required for every Sommelier position. Wine qualifications can demonstrate learning, but employers should also evaluate service experience and practical knowledge. Any mandatory alcohol-service credentials depend on local rules and the work assigned.

What makes a good wine recommendation?

It fits the guest's preferences, food, and budget, and is explained without intimidation. A strong Sommelier offers clear options and accepts a guest's choice. Selling the most expensive bottle is not a substitute for understanding what the table wants.

Should the role include non-alcoholic options?

Where the venue offers them, the Sommelier should help guests navigate those choices respectfully. The depth of responsibility depends on the beverage program. Guests should not need to justify declining alcohol, and suitable alternatives should receive thoughtful service.

How does the Sommelier work with the kitchen?

The Sommelier learns about ingredients, preparation, and menu changes to make relevant pairing suggestions. Conversations with chefs also help prepare tasting menus and special events. Recommendations should remain responsive to the guest, not simply repeat a fixed pairing script.

What should hiring teams prioritize in interviews?

Prioritize accurate explanations, attentive hospitality, sound service habits, and practical stock control. A candidate's response to a changed preference or an unavailable bottle often reveals more than obscure wine trivia. The exercise should reflect the venue's actual list and guests.