We asked several sommeliers, the great communicators of wine, which tool is essential in their work. Discover their interesting answers here.
The French word sommelier refers to a person who is an expert in wine, trained, well-informed, capable of recognizing the characteristics, defects and qualities of this liquid, as well as specializing in its service and in the pairing of food and wine. To celebrate these professionals and in commemoration of the creation of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale*, International Sommelier Day is celebrated every June 3rd.
We asked 3 sommeliers from Viña Concha y Toro which are the tools that cannot be missing when carrying out their work.
Two-stroke corkscrew
“What a sommelier can never lack is a corkscrew. It is a fundamental tool that is part of ourselves. A sommelier should always carry a corkscrew in his purse, pocket…wherever he goes, even when he is not working”, says Jazmín Adriazola, Sommelier of the Viña Concha y Toro Wine Shop. “I prefer the two-stroke corkscrew because it allows you to open the bottle very easily,” adds Massimo Leonori, Head Sommelier of Viña Concha y Toro.
Infrared thermometer
“The other thing I use a lot is an infrared thermometer that allows me to take the temperature directly in the liquid. I serve a drink, I put this thermometer on top that takes the temperature directly to the liquid so I know at what temperature I am serving it. Which is not the same as taking it from the bottle, because suddenly the bottle starts to cool down and the liquid is not at the same temperature as the glass outside”, explains Leonori. A thermometer is essential to control the service of wines that are best enjoyed chilled, such as Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc, or for reds that we do not want to be above room temperature, such as Marques de Casa Concha Pinot Noir.
Mise en place
“For a sommelier it is essential to have a mise en place (French term that means “everything in its place”) previously prepared, because there are all the tools ready for an excellent service. Everything one needs to work. What is that? The corkscrew, the previously cleaned glass, the polishing cloth (to clean glasses and the bottle), a decanter… all this is part of a mise en place. Because, for example, we do not get anything out of having a corkscrew, if we don’t have the glass to serve, says Dalva Sulzbacher Renner, Head of Service and Sommelier of the Wine Shop. The wines that benefit particularly well from this type of service are those fine wines such as Carmín de Peumo or Marqués de Casa Concha Heritage.
