Anna Vasseur holds a diploma as a sommelier and has worked in the restaurant business since she was 17 years’ old. Within food, she has been involved with most of it; from McDonalds, “it was a very good school”, to top restaurants such as Mooncake, Gässlingen, Bon LLoc, Guldkanten and Per Lei. It was in MoonCake that her interest in wine really took off, and Anna Vasseur trained as a sommelier at Restaurangakademin.

Being a sommelier is more than an interest, it’s a lifestyle

“Being a sommelier is more than an interest, it’s a lifestyle,” explains Anna Vasseur when we meet at her current workplace, Tranan restaurant at Odenplan in Stockholm. I devote a lot of time, money and energy in developing and travelling all year round to various vineyards.

“What I find most inspiring at the moment are sustainable production methods, high quality and, perhaps above all, the people. The people who work with the wines, grow it, give the wine a story, it is the basis of everything. Without history, the wine is dead to me, I want a clear origin. Wine is not business, not initially in any case.

That sounds fantastic! Why don’t all restaurants serve this sort of wine these days?

“In more and more farms all over Europe, a grassroots movement has sprung up, a resistance movement with winegrowers that produce what has come to be called Natural Wines,” explains Anna enthusiastically. These wine producers go a step further than organic and biodynamic wines and try to eliminate all chemicals and pesticides from all phases of production. For about four years, a discussion has flared up in the wine world in Sweden about the quality and taste of these wines. A discussion with a lot of feeling and polarisation by mainly well established middle-aged men who are opposing the new production methods with the environment and other conscious thought. Some have even left and have said that the restaurants serving those wines deserve to go bankrupt.

“I don’t see any problems with differing opinions on the taste of the wines, wine is ultimately a matter of taste, but the fact that it has become such a hateful debate is sad. I can’t understand hatred, this is not about a war, but wine, something that should be enjoyed and loved.

We will describe how the conditions look for men and women in the industry and Anna thinks that the restaurant world in general is evenly distributed between genders, however, the men often hold positions with more power, such as owners and Food and Beverage Managers.

“There is more of a macho culture in the sommelier industry than in the restaurant world in general, there are guys who do not count on the girls, do not take us as seriously as the men. There is strong research showing that women have more smell and taste receptors than men, which should give us better prerequisites for becoming sommeliers.

A clear example where the division of gender is visible, is in competitive contexts, where there is an overrepresentation of men. Competitions for sommeliers are organised, something Anna has never really understood the point of.

“Men have a greater need for measuring themselves against others and competing than women. I have no need to compare the size of my penis with someone else, if you know what I mean.

Even when it comes to the issue of family, the difference in gender roles becomes apparent.

“When a woman starts to become sufficiently experienced to take part in competitions or make a name for themselves, they have reached an age where many would like to have children. And as the woman in the family, it most often falls on her to be at home.

Anna would like the girls in the industry to stick together more and have each other’s backs, something the men can be very good at.

don’t be afraid to share your knowledge!

“Many women think they have to out compete each other, but the reverse is actually true. Support each other, we only have things to gain and don’t be afraid to share your knowledge!

For five years, Anna Vasseur has worked at Tranan on Odenplan in Stockholm and likes the fact that it is a restaurant with a high throughput of people, speed and excitement and every opportunity to make a difference. She was employed for her knowledge of wine, when the owner recognised the need for a good wine list, and she now trains the staff and tries to inspire them to inspire Tranan’s guests.

“Inspiring others is one of the benefits of working at Tranan, there are so many different people and it is so much fun when the guests ask and embrace what I have to say. It has happened that they return from a holiday and talk about their trip to a vineyard that I have told them about.

When I ask what I as a layperson can do to deepen my interest in wine, Anna says that I should,

“Go to a restaurant that has a decent wine list and then ask the staff. They will probably only be too happy to help. Dare to ask questions and tell them what you like. If you find something that is to your taste, you can always ask who the importer is and then see if it is possible to order from Systembolaget. Otherwise call the importer, they often have salespeople who deal with private individuals and through them, you can get great wines for under SEK 200 per bottle.

We meet one afternoon in early December and I am curious about what Anna would like to eat and drink this evening if she could choose anything?

“White truffles from Alba are in season and taste good with parmesan and homemade pasta. With that I would drink an old Barolo. I could also imagine a dish of sweetbreads with wine from Loire, almost any wine from there.

If you would like to know more about natural wines, you can learn more at www.morethanorganic.com

Photo: Amy Schöning