They did a piece on T.V. last night about a new position at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park, NYC. The position is "Water Sommelier" (he claims to be the first in the world) and he recommends different types of water to complement each course of the meal. It actually seemed like a Saturday Night Live skit as the interviewer pretended she could discern the differences between the waters. The whole thing seemed like a joke to me. I say ENOUGH! Give me a glass of tap and cut the B.S.

And the tap water in NYC is really good too!
I wonder if that is on his list~

There's a reason why "The Emperor's New Clothes" is such an enduring tale.

Well...then there are the oxygen bars, popular in some parts of the world, although I have never heard of an "oxygen sommelier". I personally think there should be a "tea sommelier" at the Ritz to advise one at tea time.

There was a piece on this guy in the New York Times when the hotel first opened a few months ago. It is a bit ludicrous, but not necessarily a bad call. Given the hotel's location, most of the people staying there will be on expense accounts and don't care what the water will costs. Also, it has been determined that bottled water is the fastest growing segment (and one of the most profitable) in the restaurant/hotel industry. This is an innovative way to help promote such sales.

ttt

I've seen this at some other fancy restaurants. The Sommelier displays the bottle to the diners like it is a bottle of wine. And the diners seem to take it seriously...like it really matters. Too funny.

So does someone take a sip,swish it around in their mouth then nod to the sommelier?
Or if it isn't good-do they spit it out?

What type if training is required for such a highly specialized and sensitive position?

I think I'm going to puke.

At some parts of the world we have been to, what I need is someone to tell me that the water is not direct from a polluted river - after that, anything else is fine. This seems to be something for people with way too much time and money on their hands.

It may seem like a joke but there is a very real economic benefit to this. A recent Wall Street Journal article talked about the emphasis to push bottled water, instead of tap, in restaurants because of the margin in the product.

The markup on bottled water can be fairly high. Restuarants are using bottled water to help offset the decline they have seen in average spending levels due to cutbacks in corporate travel budgets.

The article mentioned that distributors are even paying bonuses to waiters for hitting sales targets.

While the economic benefit is understandable. I do think the idea of a "water sommelier" sounds like a SNL skit. Then again, I laughed 6 years ago when I saw a "water list" while visting LA.

The joke is on us, the consumers. A "water list" and "Water Sommelier" would soon be history if the dining public showed a little spine and asked for tap water. However, peer pressure and conspicuous consumption have apparently won out, and created this artificial (and highly profitable) dining "need".

I agree. This bottled water craze is the height of pretention. I always ask for tap water, even when they only give you a choice of 3 bottled waters. I just say "plain tap water is fine" Why spend $ 6.00 on water when you get put it towards better wine?