Swedish-born Josephine Gutentoft, sommelier at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl in the Western Cape, has always had a love affair with good food, good company – and great wine.

How did you get into your chosen line of work?

I started working in restaurants at the age of 18 and worked my way up from these simple types of restaurants to fine dining. I also started realizing that there are different types of wines and that there is a lot to learn about this. One day, I was told about a university that did a degree in culinary arts. I thought this might be interesting, since I would be able to stay in my field of work. I applied and got in and had three amazing years during which I truly fell in love with the art of combining food and wine.

What do you love most about your current job?

I love the fact that I work in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but most of all I love the fact that I get to work with my big passion: wine. We have an excellent kitchen and I get to combine the fantastic dishes the chefs create with the huge selection of wines from our list. I also love to work with people and to share my passion with our guests, and to hopefully give them an experience above all else.

What impact do women have in your field/world?

The restaurant industry is male-dominated when it comes to higher positions and when it comes to the sommelier profession it is even worse – there are hardly any women! I believe that to get the best result in any field of work it is important to have a mixture of men and women, since we tend to think differently from one another and can complement each other. In my profession it is a well-known fact that women have a better sense of smell than men!

What challenges do you feel women face in the workplace?

Unfortunately, I still feel quite often that as a woman you need to perform better than men. The industry is not always forgiving – you need to be on top of things and stay focused. Men are often biased towards women – this is not always the case, but I do experience that as a young woman, men will look at me and think “What does she know?”. It has also happened numerous times that I have a meeting with someone I haven’t met before and they look at me like as if to say “Who are you?”. I had an appointment with the Head sommelier. Never judge a book by its cover!

Does any particular woman stand out to you as a brilliant leader? Why?

There are plenty of brilliant leaders that are women, I see it every day. I do however believe that is not so important for women to stand out as great leaders – it is the result that counts! I have worked with some fantastic female head chefs that really lead their kitchen by being good role models, working very hard, and having a humble attitude.

What unique value do you think a woman brings to the workplace?

I believe women are a lot more open-minded and willing to discuss things to get to the best results. We normally think a decision through to ensure that we have made the right decision. I believe in communicating a lot in the work place – women tend to be better at this.

What advice would you give someone starting out in their life/career?

Be humble, loyal and work hard – we don’t get things for free in life. If you really want something in life, you have to work hard for it but always remain honest to yourself. These days we don’t have the same kind of expectations on us when it comes to family and those things – we can choose how we want to live our life and what is right for us. I have never been someone to plan my career – I simply believe that we must be brave and take the opportunities that come our way.

What has been the hardest lesson you have learnt in business?

This is a difficult question, but I must say that when you work with people there will be disappointments at times There is no way to avoid this, and I guess it is the hardest lesson in life as well...

What is the secret of your success?

I am a hard and loyal worker, but most of all I really love what I do. Working long hours in a restaurant with a smile on one’s face is not always easy, so without really loving what I do I could never do it. So I guess the love and the passion for wine, food and people is the secret.

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