English 'sommelier' comes from French 'sommelier' (wine steward), from Old French 'sommerier' (pack-animal driver, provisions officer), from Late Latin 'sagmārius,' from Greek 'ságma' (pack-saddle) — tracing a social ascent from medieval mule driver to the trusted custodian of a fine restaurant's wine cellar.
A trained wine steward, typically employed in a fine restaurant, responsible for wine selection, storage, and service.
From French 'sommelier' (a wine steward), from Old French 'sommerier' (a pack-animal driver, an officer in charge of provisions), from 'sommier' (a pack animal, a beast of burden), from Late Latin 'sagmārius' (a pack-animal driver), from 'sagma' (a pack-saddle), from Greek 'ságma' (σάγμα, a pack-saddle, covering), from 'sáttein' (σάττειν, to pack, to load). The word's journey from 'pack-animal driver' to 'wine expert' passed through the medieval royal household, where the sommelier was the officer responsible for transporting and storing provisions. Key roots: ságma (Ancient Greek
A sommelier was originally a pack-mule driver. In medieval French royal households, the 'sommelier' was the servant responsible for loading provisions onto pack animals for transport. Because this role involved custody of the household's food and wine, it gradually evolved into a position of trust overseeing the wine cellar. The person who once loaded donkeys became the expert who decants Burgundy