sommelier

[ suhm-uhl-yey; French saw-muh-lyey ]

noun

, plural som·me·liers [suhm-, uh, l-, yeyz, saw-m, uh, -, lyey].

1. a waiter, as in a club or restaurant, who is in charge of wines.

sommelier

/ ˈsʌməlˌjeɪ /

noun

1. a wine steward in a restaurant or hotel

Word History and Origins

Origin of sommelier¹

1920–25; < French, Middle French, dissimilated form of *sommerier, derivative of sommier one charged with arranging transportation, equivalent to somme burden (< Late Latin sagma horse load < Greek ságma covering, pack saddle) + -ier -ier ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of sommelier¹

French: butler, via Old French from Old Provençal saumalier pack-animal driver, from Late Latin sagma a packsaddle, from Greek

Example Sentences

A remote sommelier may even engage you through a video chat from your wine list.

From Washington Post

That search led Shanti down several paths, from serving and bartending, to getting certified as a sommelier, to staging in several of the country’s top kitchens.

From Ozy

Recently launched Virtual With Us hired unemployed sommeliers to conduct tastings for such companies as Johnson & Johnson—as well as for private birthday parties.

From Fortune

Noah Pais Bonaparte joined the staff as general manager and sommelier, and Rick Powanda came on board to run the newly built bar program.

From Washington Post

From there, she furthered her depth of knowledge as a sommelier at Straight Wharf Restaurant in Nantucket and the award-winning Husk Nashville before moving back out West to head the wine program for F10 Creative in Palm Springs.

From Fortune

A sommelier told me that his name for the family was “Rudinelli.”

From The Daily Beast

Over the last year I have dined with our Brown Bag Sommelier and he has prepared some tastings for our dining group.

From The Daily Beast

Sommelier Jordan Salcito on why these are the ultimate wine books.

From The Daily Beast

In the American sommelier community, until very recently, South African wines have remained largely an afterthought.

From The Daily Beast

You want the good stuff, and you want to sound like a sommelier when describing it to your hopelessly pedestrian company.

From The Daily Beast

He had a professional talk with the sommelier while waiting for the soup, then settled down to enjoy his meal.

From Project Gutenberg

A suave maître d'hôtel bent over us with suggestions for supper, and an attendant sommelier waited by his side.

From Project Gutenberg

She caught the hand with which he was signalling to the sommelier.

From Project Gutenberg

And when the sommelier attempted to help him with the wine, he was elbowed vigorously.

From Project Gutenberg