Sommelier au féminin
It’s 9pm on a Thursday evening and Bleu Nuit is in full swing. At the bend in the endless bar, guests are elbow-to-elbow sipping a glass of Sylvaner while munching on pizzetta, smoked burrata and guanciale. The wooden tables – unchanged through the ages of this institution – are all occupied; the decibels are rising, the atmosphere is building like mayonnaise and the fireworks are in full swing. In the midst of this joyous cocktail of life, which only a restaurant can provide, sommelier Marion Le Pen twirls from table to table in search of answers and wine advice. With a disconcerting naturalness and an already well-educated nose, she is the local reference when it comes to wine. It’s a role she assumes without question, an art she practises with passion, and a status no longer reserved exclusively for men. Welcome to the wonderful world of sommellerie, where women are queens.
Wine globetrotter
Initially attracted to the profession for its luxurious side, where tasting rhymes with ostentation and bottles with great houses, she has long since returned to the path of reason. “I didn’t come back for the same reasons as those that keep me here today”, she explains. From the United States to Australia, via New Zealand, the budding sommelier learned the ins and outs of a profession where respect for the land is essential and human know-how ancestral. “What I love about this job is being able to showcase the world of the farmer on a restaurant table. Whether it’s on a white tablecloth or not, only wine has the ability to link these two worlds.”
Through her Anglo-Saxon experiences, this talented sommelier has never felt she wasn’t put on an equal footing with her male colleagues. During her time in Australia, a brigade of seven sommeliers could contain up to five women. “On first contact, customers may be reticent at the sight of a young woman. The combination of youth and inexperience is often a sign of mistrust. You have to break the ice and the rest of the exchange is, in most cases, always very courteous.”
With a sommelier’s background in such prestigious establishments as the Hotel Negresco in Nice, chef Guy Savoy’s three-starred restaurant in Paris and the Table du Lausanne Palace, Sarah Pagès is leaving the spheres of haute gastronomie after more than ten years of loyal service. In March 2022, the young sommelier opened her vineyard boutique in the heart of the Olympic City.
Sensitivity & emotion
As happy and fulfilled as ever, she recalls her early days, when she was discovering a profession that was complex and apart, almost out of step with the rest of the dining room and kitchen. “I discovered an extraordinary world where there are no limits. Neither in terms of knowledge nor in terms of pairings. The taste combinations are infinite… I was immediately seduced.” There’s no doubt that working in Michelin-starred establishments is an undeniable training ground. These restaurants require knowledge and a daily rigor that stimulates the surpassing of oneself.
As Sarah selflessly climbs the sommelier ladder, she finds that men in the same profession are more quickly legitimized in their position. “I’m still convinced that a woman in a man’s profession has to work twice as hard to achieve the same recognition. It’s up to us to prove that we have added value and that we are excellent at what we do.” Sommellerie is no exception to the rule. And yet, while lines are changing, preconceived ideas remain. Sommelier women continue to make their mark in these still masculine environments. “It’s up to us to bring our sensibility to the table, with an approach that’s much more emotionally than technically oriented.
Passionate about bubbles
Charline Pichon, who works at theHôtel de Ville restaurantin Crissier, is one of a select group of unashamedly talented sommeliers. She’s been making wine from an early age, and remembers her grandparents making wine in their spare time. It’s hard for this unconditional champagne enthusiast to imagine doing anything else. “I immediately fell under the spell of this profession. There’s no such thing as a routine, whether you’re talking to the winemaker or the customer. Every meal is different and full of surprises.
Despite the complexity of her services at the start of her career, she has nevertheless noticed a noticeable change in the world of the grape. Charline recalls the moments of mistrust a guest might have towards her: “A person, regardless of gender, would ask to speak to a male sommelier. The customer might be confused when he realized that I was exclusively in charge of the wine list. By necessity, they had no choice but to talk to me.
As time goes by, mores soften to make way for benevolence towards sommeliers. Every day, Charline notices the admiration some people have for her profession. Even if certain stereotypes are still entrenched, she remains convinced that the best is yet to come and that sommellerie is more than ever a female profession. “The most precious thing is sharing. Everything else is of little importance when you’re lucky enough to be a sommelier.”
