After attending the Carlo Porta Institute in Milan, Matteo undertakes different work experiences abroad, including those of Commis Sommelier at the Waterside Inn Restaurant in London and at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. Then he arrives at Il Vino d’Enrico Bernardo, also in Paris, where he remained for 6 years.
Matteo worked abroad for 8 years and recently returned to Italy, our question is therefore the following: how do you see Sommellerie in our country?
“Palazzo Parigi, in Milan, is in fact the first real experience for me in Italy at a working level, and I must say that the expectations were different … I find that in a country like ours, so rich in culture, history, tradition and love for wine and the pleasure of the table, it is really a pity that the sommelier does not find his space 100% in hotel and restaurant facilities. I say this because, analyzing my everyday work and listening to my Italian colleagues, I think that the figure of the sommelier has yet to be truly understood, both by the employer and by most of the customers. The importance of having a professional must be exploited to the maximum but for the true value that the sommelier can bring to the company.
Too often we are seen as “chameleon” figures who have to cover multiple roles, such as the room manager, the hotel manager or even the barman, but I believe that in reality the sommelier is a role in itself that can complete the latter but certainly not completely replace them. The work of a sommelier is a profession, an art that is cultivated day by day with so much passion, and improvised courses and a knowledge base cannot be enough, actually doing a different job, to define oneself as professionals.
But this is a message that only we Italian sommeliers can get through by putting conviction, perseverance and professionalism every day in what we do day after day.”