David Lepe Motor World 2009. Many of these professionals are labeled elitist snob or less for those who do not know about wine. This is not the case with the Guatemalan Fernando Beteta successful sommelier based in Chicago, who seeks to bring his profession on a more friendly and trusting.

A sommelier is the wine connoisseur, and their duty is to suggest to customers of a restaurant wine for the occasion. Should handle a particular aspect of technical, human and psychological. Fernando Beteta of 32 years of age and born in Guatemala, is one of them.

He has studied in Europe since the 18 years and is proclaimed lover of European wines, the "Old World". "More than a job, be sommelier is a lifestyle," says the young expert, who now lives in Chicago, Illinois, and is manager Nomi restaurant, located at the luxurious Park Hyatt hotel, which has hosted figures such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. This place offers a wine list with more than 1500 labels and 10,000 bottles. Your program is worth half a million dollars and drive sales of three million per year.

Here, Fernando is responsible for purchasing, changes and fixes, as well as being responsible for the program Wine, which includes training for waiters, customer education classes, social activities and interactive. This year he visited Guatemala to receive, during the 2008 Food Fair, the Golden Fork Award for her professional excellence at international level. This award will be part of his collection of trophies and awards earned during his career. (See box: Successful international).   

Knowing the Old World 

His path towards specialization in food and beverage began as a child when he lived in La Antigua Guatemala. There he learned about the hospitality industry with his father, chef and owner of the restaurant La Fonda de La Calle Real. "Good service, warm atmosphere and good food is a recipe for success," explains Guatemala.

After high school, he traveled to Europe to begin their training at meals. In Florence, Italy, studied hotel and restaurant administration, following in the footsteps of his father. Over time he learned Italian, French and German core. His first formal training in wine was in the L'Ecole Hotelier in Lausanne, Switzerland. Upon completion of his studies he worked in Rome, Florence and Thailand. Before staying at Park Hyatt Chicago, he worked as manager at The Dining Room, Four Seasons Hotel. 

Friendly and professional 

In practice, a sommelier should be able to read and interpret the table if the visitors are in a reunion of work, at a dinner with friends and family or celebrating a business, to be able to suggest wines to suit the situation and food .

"I am a server and I have to know much about wine, cigarettes, cigars and drinks with alcohol, to perform a marriage of food and wine, and advise," said Beteta. For the large amount of theory involved in this profession, it is believed that a sommelier is an intellectual snob and elitist, who often make less than people who do not know much about the world of wine and gourmet.

"I know colleagues who are more stiff than a nougat Eve, because it tends to work with smoking and using elaborate language. I do not, I want to break that stereotype of being serious and knows everything, now try not to wear coat and tie and trying to talk a lot with the customer, to feel a friendly and joyful experience, "says, who adds that in recent years has seen an increase of female colleagues and younger people.

This lifestyle has led him to his personal space, outside of work, where every weekend buying three bottles of wine to taste and meets with friends and talk about your favorite topics: traveling, eating and learning languages. Living in Chicago is also part of the life of a Guatemalan who has taken the city to engage in cultural, arts and summer.

In addition to writing articles in magazines devoted to gourmet, each week shares his experiences on radio WLS 980 AM Chicago's Talk Station, in a segment devoted to wine. But not only drinks and food fill the life of Fernando, his girlfriend Ann Wangard is an essential part of it and plan to marry in La Antigua Guatemala next year. He also plays guitar. When friends used to play songs from the 90s. Rioja proud moment therefore that activities during the Fair Food took all their free minutes to talk and show pictures of their friends and meetings. "People think we have much knowledge, and hence we are boring, but they are wrong, if there is anything you know is having a good time," admits the sommelier.

International success  

Many colleagues refer to him as the "Wizz Kid" in reference to their knowledge about wine.

Three years, from 2005 to 2007, he was awarded the title of Best Young Sommelier by the prestigious Midwest organization L'Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Degustateurs Chaine Des Rôtisseurs.

The site gave Starchefs.com Star Sommelier Award for Rise in Chicago in 2007 and also won Silver Medal in the national competitions in the United States. That same year, the Wine & Spirits magazine chose him among the top five sommeliers in the United States, and the final competition was positioned in second place. A few months ago he was awarded the Golden Fork Award at the XII Fair Food in Guatemala.

 http://www.mundoymotor.com/No134_0007_12_2008/mym_1081111410222.htm