Review: 'Somm': Wine, men and one brutal test

(LATimes) - Jason Wise's glib but engaging documentary follows four guys who expend extraordinary effort to pass the master sommelier exam.

Note to self after watching "Somm": That nice person who helps you decide what wine to choose at an upscale restaurant just might be a little bit crazy.

That is one of the messages of this glib but ultimately engaging documentary about the folks who not only become sommeliers but also expend the extraordinary effort necessary to become master sommeliers by passing an exam so rigorous it makes grown men weep.

As written and directed by Jason Wise, "Somm" follows four individuals as they prepare to take the test that fewer than 200 people have passed in the more than 40 years since it was first given in the U.K.

The exam has three parts, all flowing from the basic job of the sommelier, which is to help patrons match the wine they choose to the food they've selected. It is, a winemaker says, a bit like being a racetrack tout. Buying any bottle is a wager, and these folks assist people in placing their bets.

Section 1 of the test is theory, which mandates all kinds of specialized wine knowledge. Section 2 is service, and it involves figuring how to deal with the most obnoxious customers imaginable. Section 3 is the real killer: a blind tasting where six wines have to be specifically identified by taste and smell alone.