As Tourism and Wine is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, it is necessary to provide its professionals with high levels of skills and specialization. The Postgraduate Course in Sommelier aims to specialize future professionals linked to wine in the contexts of marketing, hotel and restaurant trade and aims to qualify professionals in practice who ensure continuous and sustained improvement in wine management, wine advice and service.
The importance of the Sommelier's role in history and society has been recognized since ancient times. "This position was held by a great court official, whom the sovereigns held in high esteem and consideration" [Pereira, 2017:2].
Nowadays, the sommelier or sommelier is the professional who has privileged contact with the consumer in terms of advice and education/sharing knowledge, selecting the wine offer and aligning it with the gastronomic proposals in the "on trade" channel (hotels and restaurants). In recent years, the role of the sommelier/sommelier has become an essential part of the excellent service associated with luxury hotels and restaurants and haute cuisine.
The aim is to provide specialized technical knowledge so that students can face the realities of the sector, equipping them with operational and wine management skills. The Postgraduate Course in Sommelier has a multidisciplinary approach and is organized into one academic semester, with a total of eight curricular units, where the scientific areas of Hotel and Restaurant Management predominate.
