Exploring the Wine Industry

Michael Normart
4 min readFeb 8, 2024

Here is my New Journey in becoming a sommelier #273

In Blog 271, I delved into strategies for Stress Relief in daily life. Now, let’s embark on a journey through the wine industry.

Reflecting on my 18 years, 10 months, and 18 days in my last job, I experienced both the best and worst moments. Amidst 48 job rejections, I pondered if it was ageism or simply the need for a change. One thing is for sure, I have a lot of knowledge to share in those experiences, so how can I do this and enjoy myself in the process. After some reflection, It really became a choice between staying on the same path or opt for something different.

Change of Course

Opting for a new path, I enrolled in the Certified Sommelier course at the National Wine School. Unsure about working in a restaurant, my goal was to acquire extensive knowledge for potential opportunities beyond the culinary domain, such as wine buying or reviews.

The path to becoming a Sommelier involves Introductory, Certified, Advanced, and Master levels. I chose Certified, a 7-week course with three levels. The initial stage covered regions and grape varieties, followed by a deeper dive into wine tasting, including blind tasting in level two. The third level explores major vinicultural regions, terroir, and winemaking styles.

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