Hitting the bottle

'You're a sommelier? No way! What do you really do?' If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that, I'd be able to afford a bottle of 1982 Le Pin.

My calling to the corkscrew came when I was treated to my first dinner in a high-end French restaurant. It wasn't just the perfect food, service and movie-set atmosphere that made it such an unforgettable experience. I was awed that a wine list could be so much more substantial than a dinner menu.

I met my first sommelier that evening - an incredibly patient Frenchman who spent time at our table explaining what to expect when tasting the wines that were chosen with our dishes. It was a revelation to me that a sip of wine could have such an effect on what one was eating.

I was hooked. I signed up for a wine class soon afterwards, having decided that wine was much more interesting than studying law. My parents thought I was nuts and that I would return to my studies after having my 'wine' break. I am studying - but now, it's to be a master sommelier (MS).

To be an MS, one needs to have a solid background in the hospitality or wine industry. I started by attending wine classes and tastings, and asking lots of questions while working in my first job at a French bistro.

I met my first MS, Evan Goldstein (author of Perfect Pairings and Daring Pairings), more than six years ago, when I was working as a wine and food consultant. He inspired me with his depth of knowledge.