Article written by Yanna Delière
Climate, Gen Z, alcohol-free wines: what does tomorrow’s sommellerie hold for those who practise it today? Philippe Faure-Brac has his answers.
The rise of a sommellerie icon
To understand Philippe Faure-Brac’s spirit, you have to go back to when he was 24. In 1984, when wine in restaurants was still often relegated to second place behind the food, the young man from Marseille broke the mould by founding the Bistrot du Sommelier in Paris.
This place is not just a restaurant; it is a pioneering concept entirely focused on the future: for the first time, the menu is designed to showcase the bottles, not the other way round. By putting harmonious pairings and recognition of winegrowers back at the heart of the experience, he laid the foundations of modern sommellerie. Forty years later, this Parisian temple of wine remains the laboratory of his philosophy.
Crowned Best Sommelier of the World in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Philippe Faure-Brac has spent the last four decades in wine with his curiosity intact. His legitimacy to speak about how wine is adapting is beyond question. This expert pushed the boundaries of service by managing Air France’s “flying cellar” and becoming the official sommelier of Concorde until 2005. Serving wine at extreme altitudes and pressures gave him a unique understanding of the physics of taste and the fragility of a fine wine. Recently named Personality of the Year 2025 by La Revue du Vin de France, he remains the beacon to which the whole profession turns.
At the heart of institutions and teaching: building the future of the profession
If Philippe Faure-Brac is the ideal person to open this debate, it is also because of his political, institutional and educational commitment. Behind the scenes, he is one of the most active architects of the profession’s evolution. President of the UDSF (Union de la Sommellerie Française) from 2016 to 2023, he is now just as intensely involved at global level with the ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale), restructuring training and adapting competitions to today’s ecological realities.
This fierce determination to pass on knowledge and demystify wine is reflected in his strong media presence (Sud Radio, BFM TV) and in his writing. His reference work, « Accords Vins & Mets », is the literary extension of his hands-on philosophy: a valuable guide giving professionals and wine lovers alike simple, relaxed and resolutely modern keys to understanding. Who better than him to launch our reflection on tomorrow’s challenges?
Why this encounter?
Behind the scenes of my choice
My approach was born of a desire to test theory against the realities of the field. To understand the profound changes in the industry — between the climate emergency and new drinking habits — it seemed essential to call on authoritative expertise.
Philippe Faure-Brac embodies this cross-cutting vision: his unique career and global network offer an essential lens for deciphering today’s debates.
Through this interview, I want to share an overall vision with you, informed by the experience of a man who has watched the profession evolve and who continues to shape it every day.
The vineyard and the climate challenge
How can we help guests accept changing wine styles, and what role should sommeliers play with producers?
“The sommelier must be a mediator. Wines are changing — sometimes in alcohol level, ripeness or aromatic profile — and we need to be able to explain this without alarming or caricaturing. Our role is to help guests understand that wine is not a fixed product, but the expression of a living place facing new realities.
With producers, the sommelier also has a useful role: they can pass on feedback from the field, particularly on the quest for freshness, balance and drinkability. They must be at once a relay, an interpreter and a partner in reflection.”
Changing consumption
Is “No-Low” a passing trend or a lasting pillar of the future wine list?
“It’s clearly a lasting change. It responds to new behaviours: more measured drinking, attention to well-being, more varied uses at the table. However, not all offerings are yet equal in quality.
The sommelier’s role is therefore essential: it’s not about following a fashion, but about selecting rigorously. These drinks have their place if they offer a real response in terms of taste and gastronomy. Tomorrow’s list will need to be more open, but without giving up on quality.”
How can we keep wine an accessible pleasure rather than an intimidating luxury?
“First, we need to make wine easier to read and more welcoming. A good wine list shouldn’t impress; it should make you want to drink. That means more teaching, a good by-the-glass offering, advice tailored to the guest’s budget, and a less intimidating approach.
Economically, we’ll need more agile, better-built lists, with smart rotation and a real strategy for adding value. Wine must remain a pleasure to share, not become something that creates distance.”
The future of the profession and training
How do you see the sommelier’s role evolving?
“Tomorrow’s sommelier will need to be more well-rounded than ever. Of course, they will remain a man or woman of service, cellar and tasting. But they will also need to be a manager, a teacher, a storyteller and an expert in drinks in the broadest sense.
What seems essential to me is their ability to adapt. They will need to know how to speak to every audience, understand new habits and build trust.”
What is the best way to train effectively today?
“There’s no secret: you need solid foundations, a great deal of tasting and real hands-on experience. Theory is essential, but it replaces neither service nor contact with guests.
The best training combines rigour, experience and curiosity. Reading, tasting, comparing, visiting, listening to producers: that’s how you build real legitimacy. Sommellerie is a demanding profession, but also one of lasting passion.”
Final words
What message would you give to the next generation?
“I would tell a young person that sommellerie is a profession with a future because it brings together culture, taste, people and emotion. It’s a demanding profession, but an extraordinarily rich one.
You have to commit to it with humility, curiosity and perseverance. Being a sommelier isn’t just about talking about wine: it’s about passing on knowledge, serving and creating connections. And that’s precisely what I have always loved about this profession.”
In summary: the key takeaways from our interview
Philippe Faure-Brac does not give up. In the face of global warming, new drinking habits and young people’s disaffection with the profession, he holds to a simple, profound conviction: the sommelier is above all a translator — between the winegrower and the guest, between the complexity of wine and the emotion of the table.
Forty years after his first service, he shares one certainty with us: sommellerie will survive its crises if it stays true to that mission — putting pleasure and sharing at the heart of every encounter.