How to Use the Sommelier One-to-One Template

Why structured sommelier one-to-ones matter

Your sommelier is a specialist in a generalist environment. They bring deep expertise that most of the management team doesn't share, which creates a unique dynamic — they often feel intellectually isolated, commercially constrained, and underappreciated for the revenue they generate. When they're thriving, wine sales climb, guests have memorable experiences, and the floor team sells more confidently. When they're disengaged, the list goes stale, recommendations become routine, and your wine programme becomes a missed commercial opportunity.

The challenge is that sommeliers are driven by craft and passion more than most hospitality roles. They care deeply about the wine programme and take it personally when they lack budget, support, or creative freedom. Without intentional one-to-ones, you'll miss their frustrations until they accept an offer from a restaurant that gives them more autonomy.

This template structures your conversations around the areas that matter most: wine programme performance, supplier relationships, team collaboration, career development, and creative satisfaction. Each section builds on the last: preparation gives you context, their agenda shows you what's on their mind, and the discussion sections work through role performance, relationships, development, and support.

Preparation

Complete these steps before each meeting to ensure a focused and productive conversation. Arriving prepared shows your sommelier that you take their role and their time seriously.

Review notes from previous one-to-one — Pull up the notes from your last session. What actions did you commit to? What did they commit to? If you promised to review the wine budget or approve a new supplier, check whether you followed through. Sommeliers are detail-oriented people — they remember what was agreed.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Pull wine sales figures: total wine revenue, wine as a percentage of total revenue, by-the-glass sales, and average wine spend per cover. Check for guest feedback mentioning wine service or recommendations. This takes five minutes and gives you specific talking points instead of asking "How's the wine going?"

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed during service. Were they engaging with guests at the table? Were the floor team recommending wine confidently? Did you notice any stock issues or service delays? Write down two or three specific observations before the meeting.

Send agenda prompt to employee ahead of time — Message them that morning: "Any wine or guest issues I should know about before we catch up?" Sommeliers think constantly about their programme — give them permission to bring their real concerns. If they respond with "all good," try: "What's selling well this week? What's not moving?"

Customisation tips:

• Fortnightly meetings work well for established sommeliers. Weekly during their first three months or during list development periods
• 20 minutes is enough for a regular check-in. Allow longer when discussing list changes, budget, or supplier reviews
• Meet away from the cellar and the floor — a neutral space encourages reflection rather than operational updates
• If your sommelier also manages other beverage programmes (cocktails, spirits), check in on those too, but keep wine as the primary focus

Their Agenda

Start every one-to-one by asking: "What's been on your mind?" Record whatever they raise before covering your own items.

If they immediately launch into wine-specific details — a new producer they've discovered, a supplier issue, a guest who challenged their recommendation — listen carefully. These details reveal what excites and frustrates them. If they say "nothing," try: "What's the most interesting wine conversation you've had with a guest this week?" Sommeliers light up when asked about their craft.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't jump to solutions or share your perspective yet. This section is about understanding their world.

If you have items to cover — budget decisions, menu changes, upcoming events — mention them at the start so they know it's coming, then let them go first: "I want to discuss the autumn list changeover before we finish, but first — what do you need to talk about?"

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't simplify wine-specific language — "the Burgundy allocation is a problem because the negociant is cutting our case quantity" captures reality better than "discussed supplier issues."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how the wine programme is performing and how your sommelier is managing it. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"How's the current list performing? Any sections selling well or badly that I should know about?"

This reveals whether your sommelier is actively managing the list commercially, not just curating it aesthetically. A good sommelier knows which wines are moving, which are sitting, and why. They should be able to tell you that the by-the-glass Albari\u00f1o is outselling everything because it's the right price and style, while the premium Burgundy section hasn't moved because the waiters don't understand it.

What good answers sound like:

• References specific wines and sections with sales context
• Identifies reasons behind performance — pricing, positioning, staff knowledge, seasonal trends
• Has plans to address underperformance rather than just reporting it

What to do with the answer: If sections are underperforming, discuss whether it's a pricing issue, a training issue, or a list composition issue. If everything is performing well, explore whether there are opportunities to push further — a new by-the-glass programme, a food-and-wine pairing promotion, or a premium wine evening.

"How are the supplier relationships working? Anyone who's been particularly good or difficult lately?"

Supplier management is a significant part of the sommelier role. Good supplier relationships mean access to allocations, competitive pricing, staff training support, and first offers on new wines. Bad relationships mean missed deliveries, price increases, and lost access. This question surfaces whether they're managing those relationships proactively.

What good answers sound like:

• Differentiates between suppliers with specific examples
• Identifies suppliers who add value beyond just delivering wine
• Has strategies for managing difficult suppliers

What to do with the answer: If a supplier is causing problems, discuss whether to switch or negotiate. If a supplier is excellent, explore how to deepen the relationship. Support your sommelier in supplier negotiations — they may need your commercial authority to get the best terms.

"Walk me through how you decide what to recommend to a guest. What's your approach?"

This reveals their service philosophy — whether they're selling what the restaurant needs them to sell, or what they personally prefer. The best sommeliers read the guest: budget, occasion, preferences, and adventurousness. They guide rather than dictate, and they balance commercial awareness with genuine hospitality.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes a guest-centred approach that considers budget and occasion
• Balances personal passion with commercial reality
• Adapts their style to different guest types

What to do with the answer: If their approach is too commercially driven (always pushing the most expensive wine), discuss guest trust and repeat business. If it's too passion-driven (recommending obscure wines that guests don't enjoy), discuss commercial accountability. The best recommendations serve both the guest and the business.

"How's the cellar? Any storage or inventory issues I should know about?"

Cellar management is the operational backbone of the wine programme. This question surfaces whether stock levels are right, whether storage conditions are maintained, whether wastage is controlled, and whether the physical management of wine is handled properly. A sommelier who knows their cellar inside out is managing well. One who hesitates or seems vague may be overwhelmed.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about stock levels, recent deliveries, and any issues
• Aware of wines approaching their drinking window or at risk of spoilage
• Has a system for stock rotation and inventory management

What to do with the answer: If there are storage issues (temperature, space, organisation), address them — poor storage destroys wine and wastes money. If inventory management is slipping, discuss whether they need better systems or more time dedicated to cellar work.

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on list performance, supplier dynamics, and cellar management. Note specific wines or sections they mentioned — these details are valuable for performance reviews and for tracking commercial trends.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface how your sommelier works with the wider team — the floor staff, the kitchen, and the wine industry.

"How's the floor team doing with wine service? Are they selling wine properly, or is it all down to you?"

A sommelier who sells all the wine personally is a talented individual. A sommelier who trains the floor team to sell wine is a transformative asset. This question reveals whether they're building capability in the wider team or holding all the wine knowledge themselves.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about the team's current capability with specific examples
• Has ideas for training or supporting the floor team
• Recognises that their success depends on the whole team, not just their own tables

What to do with the answer: If the floor team isn't selling wine, discuss a training programme — short pre-service tastings, wine-of-the-week cards, or buddy shifts with the sommelier. If the team is selling well, acknowledge the sommelier's contribution to that result.

"How's your relationship with the kitchen? Are you getting the collaboration you need on pairings and menu development?"

The sommelier-chef relationship directly affects the guest experience. When it works, food and wine complement each other beautifully, new dishes inspire new wine selections, and the menu tells a cohesive story. When it doesn't, the wine list exists in isolation from the kitchen's vision.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about the quality of collaboration — tastings together, menu input, pairing discussions
• Identifies opportunities for deeper integration
• Manages any friction constructively rather than complaining

What to do with the answer: If the relationship is strong, encourage more collaboration — joint tasting events, paired menu specials, supplier visits together. If there's friction, explore whether it's personality-based or structural (schedules don't align, no formal tasting process) and help bridge the gap.

"When there's a difficult guest - someone who challenges your recommendations or knows more than average - how does that go?"

Knowledgeable guests test a sommelier's confidence and expertise. A guest who brings their own wine knowledge — or who actively disagrees with recommendations — can feel like a professional challenge. This question reveals how your sommelier handles that pressure and whether they see it as a threat or an opportunity.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes specific situations with honest reflection
• Shows genuine curiosity about knowledgeable guests rather than defensiveness
• Turns challenging encounters into positive guest experiences

What to do with the answer: If they handle knowledgeable guests well, acknowledge it as a genuine skill. If they become defensive or intimidated, work on confidence — role-play difficult scenarios, discuss how to say "I don't know, let me find out" gracefully, and remind them that even the most knowledgeable guest wants a good experience, not a competition.

"Who in the industry are you learning from right now? Any mentors or peers you're connected with?"

Sommeliers are part of a professional community. Their growth depends on connections — mentors, peer sommeliers, producers, and industry events. A sommelier who's connected is learning, motivated, and less likely to feel isolated. One who's disconnected may be stagnating.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific people, events, or communities they're engaged with
• Shows active pursuit of learning beyond the restaurant
• Connects industry relationships to their development

What to do with the answer: Support their connections. If they want to attend a tasting event, find the budget. If they have a mentor, encourage the relationship. If they're disconnected, help them find community — introduce them to peers in your network or support membership of professional organisations.

Capture the team dynamics discussed, kitchen collaboration quality, and industry connections. Note training needs for the floor team and any guest-handling development for the sommelier.

Growth and Development

These questions explore career aspirations and professional development. Sommeliers have distinctive career paths — understanding their direction helps you invest wisely.

"Do you see yourself staying in sommelier roles long-term, or moving toward wine buying, consultancy, or something else?"

Sommeliers have varied career options: head sommelier, wine director, buyer for a group or distributor, independent consultant, wine education, or even winemaking. Knowing their direction shapes how you develop and retain them. A future wine director needs commercial and leadership exposure. A future consultant needs breadth and reputation-building.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about direction rather than vague about ambition
• Realistic about timelines and what's needed
• Shows they've thought about their path in the wine industry

What to do with the answer: If they want to grow within your organisation, show them the path. If they want to move into buying or consultancy eventually, help them build the skills now — you'll get their best work while they're with you.

"What certification or study are you pursuing right now? Where are you in your wine education?"

Wine education is central to a sommelier's identity. Whether it's WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, or informal study, knowing where they are and where they're heading helps you support them meaningfully. A sommelier who's studying is engaged. One who's stopped may be stagnating or feeling unsupported.

What good answers sound like:

• Clear about current study or certification plans
• Specific about timelines and what support they need
• Connects education to their role and career goals

What to do with the answer: Support their study. If they need exam fees, time off for study, or access to wines for tasting practice, these are investments in your wine programme, not just personal development. Budget for it.

"If you could attend any wine event, visit any region, or taste with any producer this year, what would it be?"

This reveals what excites them professionally. The answer tells you about their passion areas, their development priorities, and what would make them feel genuinely invested in. A sommelier who lights up describing a dream trip to the Northern Rh\u00f4ne is telling you where their heart is.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific with genuine enthusiasm
• Connects the experience to their professional development
• Shows ambition and passion for wine beyond the day job

What to do with the answer: Try to make it happen. Even partial steps matter — if they want to visit Burgundy, perhaps a UK-based Burgundy masterclass is achievable this year. Supporting their professional passion is the single most effective retention tool for a sommelier.

"Where do you see yourself in three years? Here, somewhere else, doing something different?"

The honest answer to this question is the most valuable piece of information in the entire one-to-one. Sommeliers change roles frequently — the average tenure is shorter than most hospitality positions because opportunities and ambition pull them forward. Knowing their timeline lets you plan accordingly.

What good answers sound like:

• Genuine honesty rather than what they think you want to hear
• Specific enough to be actionable
• Willing to have the conversation openly

What to do with the answer: Don't react emotionally to any answer. If they want to stay, show them the growth path. If they want to move on eventually, make their time valuable — you'll get their best work and build a reputation as someone who develops talent.

Record their career direction, certification progress, and aspirational experiences. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan meaningful development investment.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch frustration, constraint, and unmet needs. Sommeliers experience unique pressures — creative tension with commercial reality, isolation from colleagues who don't share their expertise, and frustration when their vision is constrained.

"What's the single most frustrating thing about running this wine programme? If you could fix one thing by next month, what would it be?"

This cuts through professional politeness to their top priority. Sommeliers are often frustrated by budget constraints, lack of creative freedom, floor staff who don't sell wine, or kitchen teams who don't collaborate. Whatever they name is the thing most likely to push them toward a different opportunity.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and potentially fixable
• Trusts you enough to be genuinely honest
• Differentiates between what's frustrating and what's a dealbreaker

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If it's budget, discuss what's possible. If it's collaboration, facilitate conversations with the kitchen or floor team. Speed of response matters.

"Do you have enough budget and authority to build the list you want? Where do you feel constrained?"

Budget and creative authority are the two things sommeliers care about most after their salary. A sommelier with adequate budget and freedom builds a list they're proud of — which means they sell it with passion. A constrained sommelier builds a list they're indifferent to — which means guests notice.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about where budget or authority falls short
• Proposes realistic solutions rather than just complaining
• Understands the commercial context alongside their creative ambition

What to do with the answer: If the budget is genuinely insufficient, review it. If it's adequate but they want more, discuss the commercial case — can they demonstrate that increased investment would drive returns? Help them think commercially about their creative vision.

"How's the list as a reflection of your vision? What percentage of it is truly what you want versus inherited or imposed?"

This reveals their creative satisfaction. A sommelier who owns their list is invested. One who inherited a list they didn't choose — and hasn't been allowed to change it — is managing someone else's programme, which erodes passion and engagement over time.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about how much of the list reflects their vision
• Has specific changes they'd like to make with clear reasoning
• Balances personal vision with commercial reality

What to do with the answer: Support their vision within commercial boundaries. If they want to overhaul the list, discuss a phased approach that manages cost and guest impact. If they feel they have no creative input, that's an urgent issue — give them ownership and watch engagement transform.

"Is there anything you need from me that you're not getting?"

This is the most important question in the section. It directly asks whether you're supporting their role properly. Whatever they say, write it down. Then do it or explain why you can't — within 48 hours, not at the next one-to-one.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and actionable ("I need you to approve the new supplier by Friday" rather than "more support")
• Trusts you enough to ask for something
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well alongside the gap

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. If you make commitments and don't follow through, trust disappears and future one-to-ones become surface-level.

Record frustrations, budget concerns, creative autonomy issues, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests they're losing passion for the programme — this is the primary retention risk for sommeliers.

Engagement Indicators

These are observational indicators you assess based on what you've seen, not questions you ask directly. Tick each indicator that's genuinely present. Anything you can't tick is worth exploring — either in this meeting or through closer observation before the next one.

Continuing to suggest new wines and ideas for the list — Is your sommelier still bringing new wines, new producers, and new ideas to you? A sommelier who stops suggesting changes has either been told "no" too many times or has lost their creative investment. The list should be a living document that reflects their ongoing exploration.

Showing enthusiasm and sparkle with guests — Are they still engaging guests with genuine passion, or has wine service become transactional? A sommelier who lights up when describing a wine to a guest is engaged. One who mechanically offers the list and waits for a choice has disconnected from the craft.

Actively maintaining and curating the list — Are they managing stock levels, removing wines that aren't performing, rotating by-the-glass selections, and keeping the list current? Active curation is a sign of ownership. A neglected list — out-of-stock wines, outdated descriptions, stale by-the-glass options — signals disengagement.

Accepting training opportunities and development — Are they pursuing certifications, attending tastings, and seeking learning? Or have they plateaued and stopped investing in their own growth? Sommeliers who stop learning have often decided their future lies elsewhere.

Focused on developing own wine programme — Are they building something they're proud of, or just maintaining what exists? A sommelier who talks about "the programme" with ownership and ambition is invested. One who talks about "the list" as something they manage for you has mentally detached.

Engaging with guests and team rather than hiding in admin — Are they present on the floor during service, or do they spend too much time in the cellar or at their desk? Wine service happens at the table. A sommelier who retreats from guest contact is either overwhelmed or disengaged.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, this sommelier needs urgent attention — the combination of creative dissatisfaction and disconnection from guests is a strong predictor of departure.

Actions and Follow-Up

At the end of every one-to-one, summarise what you've both agreed to do. Say it out loud before you finish:

"So by next time I'm going to: [your actions]. And you're going to: [their actions]. Is that right?"

Then send a brief message confirming: "From today: I'm sorting [X] + [Y]. You're working on [Z]. Chat next [day] at [time]."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Approve new supplier by Friday")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Present autumn list proposal by month end")
• Any items to escalate to your director or owner
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. Sommeliers are used to having their requests deprioritised because wine isn't understood by most management teams. If you promise a budget review and deliver it, you'll earn loyalty that lasts. If you forget, they'll conclude their programme isn't valued.

Session Notes

Record your overall impressions from the conversation: patterns you're noticing, changes in their engagement or creative energy, anything you want to revisit in future sessions.

This is also where you note how your approach should adapt:

• First 90 days: 80% listening, 20% guiding. Focus on understanding their vision and what they need to deliver it.
• Established relationship: Push into commercial territory. Wine GP, sales targets, team training programmes, and list strategy.
• When things are going well: Support their professional development — certifications, tastings, industry events, supplier visits.
• When things are struggling: Increase frequency, explore creative satisfaction, check whether budget or authority constraints are causing disengagement.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of your working relationship — invaluable for performance reviews and for understanding what keeps your sommelier invested.

What's next

Once you've established regular one-to-ones, the conversations you have will feed directly into formal performance reviews. See our guide on Sommelier performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

• Check out our Sommelier onboarding guide if you're supporting someone in their first 90 days
• See our Sommelier interview guide for how to assess candidates before they join