I read an article the other day in one of the major wine publications about the rift between wine industry professionals who think that a certification in wine (from the Court of Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, etc.) is important, and those who think that a good sommelier is someone who does a good job selling wine, putting together a wine list, and organizing a wine program.
Here's my two cents.
A certification is a valuable tool, but real life experience is far more important, and a certification is becoming less and less important. That last part is probably the most controversial, but I'll explain why below.
Changing Technology
With the advent of the internet, smart phones, etc., information, about wine or just about anything else, is easier than ever to come by. It is much easier to teach yourself what you need to know about wine than it ever was before. It is also much easier to find "obscure" information about a particular wine, vineyard, region, grape, or vintage, than ever before. If someone asks you a question, and you don't know the answer, it is much easier to look it up now than it was ten years ago.
Changing Consumer Tastes
Wine tastes have changed. Most of the certifications are based on the classics, or at least cover them in more depth than the less highly regarded (over time) wines. These certification programs have become a bit outdated, and, more so, someone who may have been an expert five years ago when they took their exam, may not know about wine varieties which are popular now.
Changing the Standard of Great Wine
This fits with the above. I think that people, both inside the industry, and across the bar, have different standards of what makes a great wine or a great wine list now than they used to. The First Growths, the original Meritage blends, etc. will always have a place in high end restaurants and retail stores. But the availability of hard to find, small production wines, with really unique flavors, is the standard a lot of people use to judge a wine list now. They also look for wines which are affordable enough to drink on a regular basis, not just on special occasions. I think this comes from several places. One, the wine industry got a bit too snobby for its own good. Even former wine critics acknowledge that wine became something exclusive or intimidating. Second, as craft spirits, beer, and cocktails have become more popular, wine has more competition. Instead of your options at a nice steakhouse being an Absolut martini, a Miller Lite, or a nice Bordeaux wine, there are now a myriad of options across all three categories. The wine industry can't afford to make only jug wine and $100+ bottles of wine anymore. The mid-range has become increasingly important to their economic survival. So has the idea of creating unique, fun, and interesting wines, over those that hit the mark on a set of criteria based on the varietal or regional standards set to classify wines.
Changing the Way People Talk About Wine
With the last two points is the fact that people are looking at wine lists and asking different questions. As wine has begun to come off of its pedestal, and as the internet has made at least basic wine knowledge more accessible to the average consumer than ever, people are comfortable really talking about wine. People are asking about where it was made, who made it, and the flavor profile. And they're not always using "fancy" words. People don't talk about tannin, "perceived dryness," or "residual sugar." They talk about big, fruity, bold, etc. They talk about their personal tastes, even when that might not be the textbook description of a varietal. They want a wine that is right for them, not a wine someone says is the best.
Changing the Culinary Landscape
Fine dining, and, just as importantly, upscale dining, has changed a lot. First of all, as I have claimed with wine, the mid-range has become increasingly important in restaurants. "Polished casual," "gastropub," "modern, upscale," etc. are now a huge part of the market. Second, "fusion" cuisine, whether labeled as such or not, has become more popular. The emphasis is now on putting a chef's own twist on traditional recipes, not on perfecting those recipes themselves. Finally, small plates, shareables, and non-coursed dinners are now quite popular. What this means is two things, in my opinion, for wine.
First of all, the "traditional" pairings, which anyone serving wine, and especially a som, would have been expected to know by heart 10 or 15 years ago, are not as important. A steakhouse likely provides their own twist on a steak, and their wine list should do the same.
Second, the definition of "food friendly" has changed. Food friendly used to mean something that is just a knock down, jaw droppingly perfect pairing with certain types of food. Bold, tannic, full bodied red wine and steak is one option that immediately comes to mind.
Now, as cuisine becomes more varied, and as the likelihood that rather than start light, go heavy, and then go sweet, a diner will have some light options, some savory, and some sweet in front of them all at the same time increases, "food friendly" wine takes on another meaning entirely. Rather than something bold enough to really jive with one particular dish, it is wine which has enough flavor and/or body to stand up to the heaviest of dishes, but is not so bold as to overpower any one dish. It is wine with enough layers and complexity to bring out different flavors in each dish, as well as to change with each bite of a different dish.
In my mind, this is best illustrated with reds. I see a shift away from big, bold cabernets and cabernet blends. At the same time, pinot noir, especially from the central coast, is becoming much more popular with food. With the bold, fruit flavors of American grapes, but the finesse and earthy undertones that come from Burgundian winemaking techniques, these wines go great with light meat or bolder fish (salmon/pinot is a classic pairing). They also have enough bold fruit flavor and alcohol to stand up to red meat, but enough smoothness and light enough tannins to not be offensive even with a light salad or appetizer. And their cherry flavors go well with chocolate, or with a fruitier, less rich dessert. In my mind, if I want to order a wine I know will mesh with my food, before even looking at the menu, a Central Coast pinot is a safe bet.
Changing Service Standards
As the "fine dining" world becomes less formal, and more upscale casual, with no dress code, and a more casual, comfortable raport built between staff and guests, the rules of wine service change. I feel like there used to be two ways to serve wine. In a "family" restaurant, or "casual" restaurant, you would get a bottle of wine opened and placed with the cork back in it in the middle of the table, along with the glasses. In a "fine dining" restaurant, whether Italina, French, or a steak house, wine service was stuffy and ceremonial, and always done by someone with a lot of practice who hit every point of service. Now, in the majority of restaurants, it's somewhere in between. Decanters and candles aren't always around. Cradles aren't used. Coasters aren't always used for the cork and the bottle. Sometimes a server forgets a servillete. But the bottle is still presented, tasted, and then poured, with the host getting the last glass. Every restaurant has its own standard of how casual is too casual, and exactly which steps of wine service are most essential. This makes the service training part of certifications less relevant or important.
Increasing Variety in the Wine World
This is probably not actually true, but more of a factor, at least in the restaurant world, of all of the above factors combining. The reality is, however, that wine lists now feature varietals, and especially particular wines, that a consumer likely hasn't seen before. Even an experienced server, bartender, or sommelier can come into a new restaurant and have never seen or tasted many of the wines on a list. This means that proper training on a particular wine list, rather than generic training, becomes more important than ever.
So What Value Does a Certification Have?
Keep in mind a few things that may surprise you. I do think the same general conversation could be had about formal certification in both the spirit and beer world, where I hold certifications. I also do plan on taking at least one level of the Sommelier exam, although I've been saying that, and "studying" for six years.
I think that the importance of a certification is less than what it used to be. I do, however, think they still are useful in several ways. First, the last point above works both ways. Yes, it is important to learn your own wine list, rather than generic information. At the same time, it is helpful both in training staff, and speaking to guests, to have a universal "language" to talk about those things in. Even above, when talking about Central Coast pinot, I used the word "Burgundian." While you don't need to take a sommelier exam to know what that means, it is helpful. When you talk about new world, old world, earthy, fruit forward, etc. The difference between a "fruit forward" wine and a "sweet" wine is another example, although sometimes wine professionals and experts need to understand that communicating effectively is more important than knowing the "right" answer, particularly when speaking to a consumer.
Second, with the increasing approachability of wine, and the increasing availability of wine knowledge, these certifications show a certain level of dedication. They show that someone spent a significant amount of time and money learning about wine. They didn't attend a wine tasting dinner somewhere, decide they loved wine, and quit their job to become a sommelier, bartender, server, or "wine expert" on a whim. They show a dedication and persistence in their pursuit of knowledge that might convince me that this is not a passing trend for them, but something they are truly passionate about.
Third, everyone has different styles of learning, and honestly, some people are stupider than others, or stupider when it comes to certain subjects. You can hire someone with a great personality, who is eager to learn, and loves wine, thinking you can teach them what they need to know. Some people, though, just won't catch on. Whether it is that their palate doesn't pick up on wine, or their brain can't translate descriptive words into tastes or vice versa, some people just don't seem to get it. Hiring someone with a sommelier certification tells you that they have not only a certain level of intelligence, but the right type of intelligence, to effectively learn about, teach about, talk about, and sell wine.
Fourth, it is a great way of testing yourself. This is why I want my sommelier certification, and why got my level one cicerone and my CSS certifications. It's one thing to go about your professional life assuming that due to your experience and research you know more than Joe the Plumber about a topic. It's another thing, both when looking for jobs, and evaluating yourself, to be able to say you got a certification. In the course of studying for and taking the exam, you're likely to learn a lot. You're also likely to know, even before seeing how you did on the exam, that there are certain areas that you don't know as much about as others. It's a great way to see what the "industry standard" for a particular knowledge area is, and where you excel and where you could use some work.
Basically, I think these certifications have a place, and a role to play, but they're not essential. Being a Sommelier and being a sommelier are certainly not mutually exclusive, but one doesn't make the other. A great sommelier can have little formal training on wine, but know their wine list like the back of their hand, and, just as importantly, know how to get information by questioning a guest without making them uncomfortable. On the other hand, a Sommelier with a certification could know everything about wine, and still not have the skills to put that knowledge to use on the floor.
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