1. Would you please introduce yourself to our readers? (with picture of Arno Steguweit)

I am 36 and married, with two children and have been a certified professional Sommelier since 2004, receiving my diploma in Germany. I have been active in the profession for more than a decade, working for some of the top Michelin awarded restaurants – such as the Hotel Adlon in Berlin and the 3* Michelin Hotel Traube Tonbach in the Black Forest.
 

Since 2010 l have supported the development of the online wine trade in my home country and, in 2011, l was elected as a member of the German Sommelier examination board. In 2012 l became the representative of the German Sommelier Union, representing the eastern part of the country.

2. We learned that your initial career path was business economics, then you opted to work in the hospitality industry and became a Master Professional/Head Sommelier. So what in this industry attracts you?
 

I enjoy working in an industry which changes every day and where each challenge is different. We are working with people in a very important area of their lives – leisure time. So it is important to be a good host to give our guests the maximum pleasure.

Wine is a philosophy, not a business and it is certainly not a 9-5 career. With different vintages every year we are continually surprised and excited by what each new season brings.
 

3. In your opinion, what makes a good sommelier?

A good Sommelier must be a perfect host and is in control of the enjoyment and well-being of his or her guests. We are the ‘bridge’ between the activities of the kitchen and the service at table. We need a complete knowledge of our food and wine, including the ingredients and preparation.

But a Sommelier must be a psychologist too, anticipating the requirements of our guests and helping them in their choices, making them feel at ease and confident in their decisions. This goes beyond price or personal preference, so there are different ways to approach the end result. The challenge is to find the right path and best combination for each individual.
 

4.Being a wine sommelier is a new profession in China, let alone water sommelier. What are the similarities and differences?

A good Sommelier must know about all drinks. While wine is our specialisation and has almost infinite variety – which changes every year – he or she must be able to help in whatever area the consumer requires.

A water Sommelier is no different. He or she is still assisting the guest to get the best experience from a good choice of water. It is an important element at the dinner table. Over an extended dinner it can help to refresh the palate, neutralising some flavours as well as offering well-being.

Water can influence the whole dinner, especially red wines, negatively if chosen wrong. A guest will be able to drink more wine by keeping to the rule: 1 glass of water along with 1 glass of wine.
　

5. As a Sommelier, you must encounter many different kinds of consumers, with different preferences, tastes, etc. How do you communicate with them and offer the best service?

Every guest is different and it is necessary to have as much knowledge as possible to meet their needs. It is important to talk with guests to find out about their expectations and how they want to experience the food and wine.

While there are common selections, we can also offer unusual combinations - which seems odd in first place – but which might prove to be outstanding when tried together. Once again being a psychologist is most important. A Sommelier need to enjoy the game of critical judgement and combining or challenging established habits.

6. Do you think consumers have a prejudice over wines sealed with aluminium closures? How to choose?

Probably many people do have a prejudice about wines with aluminium closures, but I strongly believe that they judge that way, because they don’t know better.

The percentage of spoiled wines, sealed with a natural cork seems to be steadily increasing and can result in some odd quality issues. Personally, I believe the percentage of wines affected in this way is increasing to almost 10% per cent. That is complete loss for the consumer and supplier.
 

There is still the myth that wines develop under a cork because they can breathe. That’s simply is false! Wine can’t breathe and they are not supposed to breathe! Otherwise the seal is not properly closing the bottle.
 

The aluminium closure is clean and free of properties that hamper the quality of the wines. They are in line with our modern techniques, doing the same job, but even better!

Also they offer a couple of additional benefits.

The wines still develop well, because the filling oxygen is also contained. The wines stay fresh and crisp longer and a bottle can be easily closed after taking just a certain amount, leaving some for drinking later.

Last but not least no wine maker can make excuses for his mistakes in the wine behind a seal, because screw caps don’t influence the product. So if a consumer is not delighted with his purchase, he might question the wine producer and not blame the seal.