School for Sommelier
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School for Sommelier
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that School for Sommelier is a twenty-minute-long documentary special about the steps it takes to become a Master Sommelier (the highest status rank among professional fine wine experts). Featuring interviews both from a Master Sommelier hopeful and from someone who has already passed the test, the special is highly educational with regards to the steps it takes to qualify for and then pass the Master Sommelier test. This is a test for which it's necessary to know about all kinds of subjects relating to the experience of consuming fine wine, including history, geography, chemistry, and more. Because of this, there are some positive messages about perseverance and the admirable act of working and studying as hard as you can to attain a certain goal. However, its focused subject matter might concern some parents who don't want their kids learning to celebrate even the "classier" side of alcohol consumption.
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What's the Story?
SCHOOL FOR SOMMELIER begins its twenty-minute runtime by stating several facts about the difficulty of becoming a Master Sommelier (e.g. only around 230 people, or 5% of qualifiers, have passed the Master Sommelier exam in the last forty years) before proceeding to provide information about the steps and knowledge necessary for the job. The majority of that information comes by way of two interviews: one with someone who is already a Master Sommelier, and one with an Advanced Sommelier rank (one rank lower than Master Sommelier) who is preparing for the test to become a Master Sommelier. Intercut with these interviews are several shots of beautiful vistas, vineyards, and the fine material settings of wine tasting groups.
Is It Any Good?
Throughout School for Sommelier, two interview subjects share two different points of view about what it takes to become a Master Sommelier (the highest status rank among professional fine wine experts). After the viewer hears both from someone who wants to become a Master Sommelier and from someone who has already become a Master Sommelier, he/she should have a higher appreciation for the specific area of expertise along with a general admiration for the extraordinary amount of work it takes to pass the Master Sommelier test.
The latter themes are really what make this documentary special shine, because any viewer can both relate to and be inspired by the hard work that the interview subjects have put in on the path towards attaining their goal. The audio and visuals are of high quality as well, presenting rich earthy subjects like grapes on the vine gracefully and at opportune moments between interview segments. The lofty wine-related subjects pervade School for Sommelier such that it might seem random or significantly not relatable for general viewers, but it's hard to imagine that anyone would choose to watch this if they were not already interested in wine to some degree before pressing Play. In the end, School for Sommelier succeeds at the narrow and simple educational goals it sets out for itself, and should feel like worthwhile light viewing for any already-interested parties.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the years of hard work and multi-subject study that it takes to pass the Master Sommelier test. In what ways is this process similar to and/or different from schoolwork?
Why are there so many documentary specials like this one about specific subject matter? What do you gain from watching educational documentary specials about certain subjects like wine that you can't get from reading about those subjects?
Are there any goals similar to the Master Sommelier test that you're working towards in your life? With its discussion about the common feelings of anxiety and insecurity on the way towards attaining your goals, what lessons does School for Sommelier have that are applicable for you in addition to people who want to become Master Sommeliers?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 1, 2020
- Network: HBO Max
- Genre: Educational
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: October 5, 2021
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