Being a sommelier isn’t all about tasting glass after glass of wine – however it is a perk of the job. 

For Benoit Nadeau, the career is a non-stop learning process and a way to spend his work day doing what he loves at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre. 

Benoit recently started as the Sawridge’s sommelier, and the job has a lot more to it than one might imagine. Yes, Benoit gets to sample wine and pick exactly which bottle goes with each dish the chefs turn out – but he also gets to spend time with guests to pick a wine they will enjoy, work on menus and develop a new wine list for the hotel’s restaurants. 

Being a sommelier is not for everyone. A perfect candidate must have a palette to detect the subtle ingredients and tastes in a wine – and the drive to spend years in school, and never stop learning once you’re finished. 

“I love smelling flavour,” Benoit says. 

Benoit began the process in 1998, and has been working as a sommelier since 2003. He was born in Quebec, but has most recently lived in Whistler, B.C. before making the move to Jasper to join the Sawridge team. There are many different courses available to a sommelier, and many different paths they can choose once the formal schooling is done. They can work in the food and beverage industry, at a wine store, in the wine industry or as wine reps. Benoit chose to work in the food and beverage industry, to work with the customers that enjoy the wine after it has been cellared and brought to the table. Benoit’s favourite part of the job is the interaction with customers. He believes that when working with wine, “having the food involved is very important.”

The job at the Sawridge involves creating perfect wine pairings and wine buying. Benoit is currently working on a new wine list for the hotel that will give guests the best value for their money. He works closely with the chefs to know exactly what is coming out of the kitchen, so that he can bring the perfect bottle out of the wine cellar. 

The wine industry is constantly changing – no two vintages are exactly the same – so Benoit is currently working towards a course on wine chemistry. 

“That’s where the wine world is right now,” he says. “I’m just trying to be updated in the wine world right now. It’s a lot of work.”

The course could be completed in four years, but Benoit has a family and a job to keep him busy, so he is working on it when he can.

“I love my job so I might as well keep doing that on the side,” he says. 

But it’s work that Benoit is happy to complete, and as the vintages change each year, so does a sommelier. Things like weather can affect a crop of grapes, and reflect in the taste of the wine. Certain types of wine go in and out of style; it’s the job of a sommelier to keep up. 

“You have to follow trends,” Benoit says. “I’m going to be done learning when I die.”

As for what’s trending in wine right now, Benoit says it varies depending on where you are, but he is seeing a lot of wine-lovers looking for more bang for their buck. 

“People are looking for money value – that’s what the trend is now,” he says. 

The wine world has changed as information has become more available on the web. Benoit says people have become more informed over the past 20 years on wine. 

“It’s like buying a car. If you don’t know anything you might get ripped off.”

Knowing what you like, and a little about what makes a great glass of wine can help avoid disappointment and even the not-so-fun headache after enjoying a bottle. 

Benoit’s favourite wines are sparkling champagnes, especially those with a red and white grape mixed. 

“It’s most expensive, but I think it’s worth it,” he says, adding that it can be served with juice to make a mimosa and can be served before or after dinner. “I do like my champagne.”

When selecting the perfect glass for a guest, Benoit makes sure he doesn’t push what he wants on them.

“I try to push them out of the box – [but] I have to listen to people.”

Instead he listens to what the guest likes, and does his best to suggest something they will really enjoy within their budget. 

“I do like a mad formula,” he says, on how he figures out what to uncork. “A lot of people that do my job tell people what they like.”

For those hoping to try some different wines, the Sawridge is now offering a Chef’s Table on Thursdays, which was developed by head chef Jeff Hicks and Benoit. The two have developed a great relationship, according to Benoit, which is reflected at the dinner. 

“I love his food, I like my wine,” Benoit says. 

When having wine with dinner, Benoit says the drink should complement but not overpower the food. 

“If we do a wine pairing it has to be all about the food,” he says. 

Benoit is building a new wine list that will help guests get more value for their hard earned dollars at the Sawridge. The regular list will see some changes as well as he gets further into his new position.  

How to find the perfect bottle of wine

When trying out a new wine, sommelier Benoit Nadeau has a few great tips for the wine connoisseur, or the apartment-dwelling folk. 

He suggests taking the time to smell the wine before tasting it. If the wine is young, make sure to decant it to allow oxygen to bring out the flavour. Wine that hasn’t spent as much time in a cellar will have a more alcoholic taste than older wines. 

“The alcohol is way prominent and the flavour is hiding,” Benoit says. 

One important aspect that many wouldn’t think could make a difference, is selecting the proper glass. 

“Every grape has its own glass,” Benoit says. He points to a recent blind tasting done by some of the top sommeliers in the world. The same wine was served to the judges but in different glasses – all thought they were different varieties. 

Recently vineyards have been switching to screw-top wine bottles, ditching the old-school cork. Benoit says the change was brought on to save the consumer money. A cork can cost a dollar, which is tacked onto the price.

“Would you rather pay $3 more for a bottle with a cork?” Benoit asks. 

For sommeliers, the change meant less time to chat with guests while working the corkscrew, but Benoit is happy to see wines become more affordable as the wine industry evolves. Another plus is that corked bottles can go bad, and often a case of wine will have at least one off bottle. 

“I’ve never seen a bad screw-top,” Benoit says. “It’s an assurance of quality.”

There are many different types of red grapes such as merlot, shiraz, zinfandel, malbec; and whites like chardonnay, pinot gris, gewurztraminer and Riesling. Benoit suggests trying a blended wine that mixes two grape varieties. 

“It brings two times the flavour,” he says. Learning what each different grape tastes like can help you figure out what blends to try. 

Champagnes are usually made with three different grapes, which makes the flavour all the more complex. Benoit says it’s easy to create a wine with a single grape, but mixing three unique flavours is a challenge. 

“I call it the ‘uni-grape,’” he jokes. 

How old a wine is does not necessarily make the wine better tasting for all people – it’s up to personal preference. 

“For me, I like my wines aged a couple of years,” Benoit says. 

When buying a wine to cellar it, Benoit says you should never cheap out, but instead spend at least $40 for each bottle. Store it laid down on its side so that the cork can stay moist, or it will crack and dry, in a cool dark basement. If like many Jasperites, you live in an apartment or shared residence without a proper basement, Benoit says the bottom of a dark closet on the floor will do. Make sure you buy in quantity too, to truly discover how old you like your wines. 

“If you want to age wine never buy one bottle, buy a case,” he says. Crack a bottle open every six months or so and try it out. 

If you have a wine fridge, or are interested in one, Benoit suggests shelling out what it takes to get a decent one, because cheaper wine fridges can pre-age wines with the motor’s vibrations. Some fridges have a red and white side to keep both to their proper temperatures. For reds, they should be served at room temperature. Whites can be served out of the household fridge. 

For apartment dwellers, Benoit has a handy place to put your whites: “You can remove the drawer for the vegetables and it will be fine,” he laughs. 

Wines that are too cold will create condensation in the bottle and can change the wine. Use a decanter and the wine will be ready to drink in about four minutes.