sommelier

noun

som·​me·​lier ˌsə-məl-ˈyā 

plural sommeliers ˌsə-məl-ˈyā(z) 

: a waiter in a restaurant who has charge of wines and their service : a wine steward

Examples of sommelier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One is the darling of sommeliers and spicy food lovers; the other is brunch’s best friend. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Hundreds of restaurant owners, chefs, bakers, sommeliers — along with foodies and industry watchers — will gather at 6 p.m. at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center to find out. —Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 25 June 2025

The wine pairings, however, are expertly curated, since NetJets has a sommelier partnership with Andy Chabot at Blackberry Farm, the famed Tennessee foodie resort. —Robert Frank, CNBC, 20 June 2025

Michael Klinger, an advanced sommelier (level three) and the wine director at Supperland, and Mitchell Sayers, a WSET level three sommelier and a private wine experience curator, share a wealth of knowledge to consider while shopping for champagne glasses below. —Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French soumelier official charged with transportation of supplies, from Old French, pack animal driver, probably alteration of *sommerier, from somier pack animal, from Medieval Latin saugmarius, from Late Latin sagma packsaddle — more at sumpter

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

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