<< Home || Projects || Events ||
Subscribe ||
||
Monday, December 11, 2006
Defintion: The Sommelier
"A sommelier (pronounced /sɔməˈlje/ or suh-mal-'yAy), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all facets of wine service. The role is more specialised and informed than that of a wine waiter." -Wikipedia
When will such a thing exist in coffee? A culinary professional on par with a Chef de Cuisine. The first proclaimed tea sommelier happened only around a decade ago. Will such a title apply to a coffee professional in the near future? Someone to help tweak every little flavor from each varietal. A trained professional who understands all aspects of production well enough to be considered a master.
How far away from this are we in coffee?
There are great barista working with a single blend, but few work with enough different espresso/coffees to build a good understanding of different roast styles, origins, and varied extraction methods. Many of the most elite have only ever worked with one roaster consistently and would be hard pressed to adjust to or even simply accept different styles to get the most form a coffee.
Especially as all these new Cup of Excellence coffees come out and change the true specialty market, how can we as consumers keep up without someone to help us get the most from these coffees?
The Coffee Sommelier, the pro who can speak with conviction and passion about flavors in the cup and then serve it with skill.
It's a nice concept. ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 4:35 PM
"A sommelier (pronounced /sɔməˈlje/ or suh-mal-'yAy), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all facets of wine service. The role is more specialised and informed than that of a wine waiter." -Wikipedia
When will such a thing exist in coffee? A culinary professional on par with a Chef de Cuisine. The first proclaimed tea sommelier happened only around a decade ago. Will such a title apply to a coffee professional in the near future? Someone to help tweak every little flavor from each varietal. A trained professional who understands all aspects of production well enough to be considered a master.
How far away from this are we in coffee?
There are great barista working with a single blend, but few work with enough different espresso/coffees to build a good understanding of different roast styles, origins, and varied extraction methods. Many of the most elite have only ever worked with one roaster consistently and would be hard pressed to adjust to or even simply accept different styles to get the most form a coffee.
Especially as all these new Cup of Excellence coffees come out and change the true specialty market, how can we as consumers keep up without someone to help us get the most from these coffees?
The Coffee Sommelier, the pro who can speak with conviction and passion about flavors in the cup and then serve it with skill.
It's a nice concept. ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 4:35 PM
Comments:
<< Home
To some extent, this beyond the "3rd wave" thinking of what barista is. I am seeing a bit more of these new breed of barista from recent competetions. Just take a look at the last few WBC champions and realize how far they have gone.
To be a "master" you will have to have knowledge from seed to cup, even if you don't actively participate in many of the roles in the production chain.
And to expand on this, the Nordic Barista Cup has the right idea of what competetion is - actively invovle the barista in all aspect of coffee making (well, as much as he/she could that is).
Exciting times...
To be a "master" you will have to have knowledge from seed to cup, even if you don't actively participate in many of the roles in the production chain.
And to expand on this, the Nordic Barista Cup has the right idea of what competetion is - actively invovle the barista in all aspect of coffee making (well, as much as he/she could that is).
Exciting times...
I think it's difficult, as you mention, in regards to the barista in terms of espresso, but not impossible. In terms of pressed or drip coffee ... I think it's highly attainable. In fact, I look forward to it in the restaurant setting ... not with dinner pairings as some suggest - I personaly think that's absurd - but in relation to dessert pairings or coffee alone after a meal.
I think the "sommelier" concept for the barista is just one more ill-conceived wine analogy trying to poorly shoehorn itself in the world of coffee. That people are holding cuppings as some sort of surrogate for wine tastings is sad enough.
Coffee isn't wine. Let's stop trying to treat it that way. I love espresso and all. But I'm not going to pair 9 cups of the stuff to accompany my dinner at The French Laundry. (I like a great cigar once in a -- rare -- while, but I'm not going to pair one with each course either.)
Coffee isn't wine. Let's stop trying to treat it that way. I love espresso and all. But I'm not going to pair 9 cups of the stuff to accompany my dinner at The French Laundry. (I like a great cigar once in a -- rare -- while, but I'm not going to pair one with each course either.)
I suppose you think the Cup of Excellence is a waste of time also because coffee is just coffee.
Pairing something that is an appetite suppressant with a meal is kinda odd, BUT that doesn't have anything to do with the need for baristas who knows everything from seed to cup.
Pairing something that is an appetite suppressant with a meal is kinda odd, BUT that doesn't have anything to do with the need for baristas who knows everything from seed to cup.
I've had interesting experiences with a variety of Cup of Excellence greens. And I will agree that there is a growing need to have a trained expert who can bridge the gap between consumer knowledge about varietals and the specialized varieties becoming all the more available. There are a handful of good cafés in my area that are serving an option of blends and single origin options for shots -- for example.
But the 'sommelier' concept is flawed in its attempt to emulate the wine world by name. Perhaps more to coffee's detriment, consumers will have expectations set all wrong based on their wine experiences with a title offered along those lines.
A barista knowing everything from bean to cup is my ideal, but it's not really practical other than to a superficial degree, really. Even in the wine world, there is a vast knowledge gap between the vineyard manager, the winemaker, and ultimately the person serving wine as an expert (i.e., the literal sommelier) in some tasteful restaurant. For example, a number of wineries bring in yet a third consultant to act as a sort of 'ombudsman' to get the winemaker and the vineyard manager to agree on the day of harvest -- since they often conflict.
A sommelier plays no role in any of this "grape to glass" issue. Which is probably the level of involvement we should expect from baristas in the bean-to-cup arena. Knowledge and awareness is where it will, and practically should, end for the barista.
Thus, I would keep a bit of the bean-to-cup idealism out of any sommelier-equivalency discussions for coffee consumers.
But the 'sommelier' concept is flawed in its attempt to emulate the wine world by name. Perhaps more to coffee's detriment, consumers will have expectations set all wrong based on their wine experiences with a title offered along those lines.
A barista knowing everything from bean to cup is my ideal, but it's not really practical other than to a superficial degree, really. Even in the wine world, there is a vast knowledge gap between the vineyard manager, the winemaker, and ultimately the person serving wine as an expert (i.e., the literal sommelier) in some tasteful restaurant. For example, a number of wineries bring in yet a third consultant to act as a sort of 'ombudsman' to get the winemaker and the vineyard manager to agree on the day of harvest -- since they often conflict.
A sommelier plays no role in any of this "grape to glass" issue. Which is probably the level of involvement we should expect from baristas in the bean-to-cup arena. Knowledge and awareness is where it will, and practically should, end for the barista.
Thus, I would keep a bit of the bean-to-cup idealism out of any sommelier-equivalency discussions for coffee consumers.
Sabados article on the barista's role
A lot in there I just don't get because it just implies we have conquered so much and that all is left is to conquer technique/consistency. Whether machines can replace a baristas technique doesn't matter to me. I think you have to have someone there to taste it, know what's going on, and relate/sell it to the consumer. Whether they push a button or get their hands dirty... All the talk of air of authenticity is more for the rock star barista stereotypes and I hope he is not overlooking the ability of a few good barista to drive the bottom line of a shop. I have always seen this sommelier as a 'sales person' position and that's what I push with the concept but again, there are no shops to point to where you could say, like that...
If you read the last few paragraphs of the Sabados article, you pick up his reference to 'sommelier' which I got a chuckle out of.
Post a Comment
A lot in there I just don't get because it just implies we have conquered so much and that all is left is to conquer technique/consistency. Whether machines can replace a baristas technique doesn't matter to me. I think you have to have someone there to taste it, know what's going on, and relate/sell it to the consumer. Whether they push a button or get their hands dirty... All the talk of air of authenticity is more for the rock star barista stereotypes and I hope he is not overlooking the ability of a few good barista to drive the bottom line of a shop. I have always seen this sommelier as a 'sales person' position and that's what I push with the concept but again, there are no shops to point to where you could say, like that...
If you read the last few paragraphs of the Sabados article, you pick up his reference to 'sommelier' which I got a chuckle out of.
<< Home
