Curious About SommNinja? Find Out Why It's Essential for Every Sommelier
Get a discount when you register SommNinJa using code SOMMDIGI20
SommNinja is an online platform to help sommeliers deepen their wine knowledge. This tool is especially useful for sommeliers at any level, emphasizing the continuous need for study and learning in the wine field.
In today's digital age, there are ample opportunities to study wine, but the challenge often lies in consistently finding the time to study. SommNinja addresses this by offering a flexible and efficient way to learn.
The platform is structured around flashcard-based questions and answers covering various wine-related topics. These questions vary in difficulty, catering to sommeliers preparing for exams at different levels.
This method allows for targeted learning, making it easier to grasp complex concepts without excessive studying.
We also had the opportunity to speak with Julie Dupouy, the founder of SommNinja. She provided insights into the platform's creation and how it's tailored to support sommeliers’ educational journey. By registering with SommNinja, sommeliers can enhance their knowledge consistently and manageably, making it a valuable resource for anyone serious about advancing in the wine industry.
Who is Julie Dupouy?
Julie Dupouy
Julie Dupouy's journey into the world of wine began in South West France, where she qualified as a sommelier in 2003. Her early career involved gaining experience in a prestigious, classical restaurant before she moved to Ireland in 2004.
This move was driven by her desire to improve her English and broaden her knowledge of international wines. Her time in Ireland has been marked by collaborations with some of the country's finest chefs and involvement in exciting projects.
Julie's passion for wine led her to compete in both national and international sommelier competitions, a pursuit that allowed her to continuously challenge herself and enhance her expertise in the dynamic wine industry.
Her dedication and skill earned her three victories in the Irish national competition, and she achieved third place at the ASI World Sommelier Championships in Mendoza, Argentina, in 2016.
Beyond wine, Julie has a keen interest in a variety of high-quality beverages. She has completed the WSET Diploma, achieved the WSET Level 3 qualification in Sake, and studied at the London Tea Academy. Her broad beverage knowledge complements her wine expertise.
Currently, Julie runs Down2Wine, where she serves as a sommelier-consultant and wine educator. This role enables her to engage in various projects, reflecting her diverse interests and expertise in the beverage industry. Her experiences and achievements have undoubtedly played a significant role in shaping the vision and development of the SommNinja platform.
What sparked the idea for SommNinja, and how did you envision its impact on sommeliers’ education and professional growth?
When I decided to retire from competing in 2019, I had thousands of flashcards in shoe boxes that I had created and studied with over my 10 years as a competitor. I felt that instead of putting them away in the attic or throwing them out, there was something useful that I could do with them. It took me so many hours to build this database of information that I thought it would be a good idea to make it available to anyone interested. I hoped this way would make high-quality, condensed, and filtered information available more readily to students and help some of them prepare for exams and competitions.
With a vast database of over 10,000 questions, how did you approach creating and curating educational content for SommNinja?
I source the information from various websites in 3 languages I can understand - Spanish, French, and English. I use official, reliable websites to update the questions as often as possible, following the new trends, law updates, etc.
When I first created the database, I created a big table listing all countries and wine-producing regions worldwide. I researched each of them in detail and made a card of every piece of information I thought was relevant and should know. For content for topics other than wines, I bought many books and studied in London for subjects such as beer, tea, and sake.
How does SommNinja cater to sommeliers at different career levels, from novices to seasoned professionals?
The platform offers 4 levels of difficulty. At the beginner level, the questions are 100% multiple choice questions and are focusing on what I believe are the foundation of knowledge for each topic. It is a good level for wine enthusiasts looking to have fun, hospitality staff wanting to learn wine basics, and young students dreaming of working in the wine industry. Moving on to the Intermediate level, there is a mix of multiple-choice and flash cards style questions.
At this point, it is good to start learning to study and memorize things without extra help. Like starting to walk with one crutch instead of two". With the Advanced and Expert Levels, it is 100% flash card questions. At this level, students are preparing for more difficult exams, and the multiple-choice template would not be very helpful to them.
Could you share how user feedback has shaped the evolution of SommNinja and any particular success stories that highlight its impact?
It has been fantastic to witness the success of many of our users. I regularly receive messages and emails from people thanking me for help as they pass their Court of Sommelier exam at various levels. I was also super happy to see that in the last ASI world championship, most semi-finalists were users of SommNinja and that all finalists were.
At the start, the platform did not have a multiple-question template for the beginner level, and I realized that we were excluding many students by making things too difficult. I must admit that when you are used to studying for International competitions, it is easy to forget how little you know at the beginner level. Despite my best efforts to create a beginner level, which I thought was appropriate, I soon realized it was not useful enough for young students. So we changed this.
Since the launch of the new platform, I have also decided to decrease the subscription prices to translate the fact that the app stores are not taking their share any more. I am also offering 4 levels of subscriptions instead of 2 to try to make things more inclusive price-wise for everyone interested in using the app.
One feature that has always been very important to me is the query button on every question and answer on the platform. I answer each query personally, and it helps me create a connection with the users, personalize the platform as much as possible, and, of course, keep the information as accurate as possible.
What were some main hurdles in developing SommNinja, and how did you overcome them?
The technical part of the development has been the most challenging part, for sure. It took me 6 teams of developers and 3 entire platform redevelopments to get where we are today.
The app stores were making things very complicated, too, with updates that were regularly creating bugs; unfortunately, not all of them could be fixed. I decided to move to a web platform and leave the app stores behind. It has been tough, and I have learned a lot. I felt like giving up a few times, but thankfully, the positive messages from my members and the feeling of being useful to the Somm community kept me going.
Are there specific features or tools within SommNinja that are especially beneficial for sommeliers preparing for competitions or certifications?
SommNinja offers 15 topics, including wine, spirits, tea, cocktails, and more. For the "big" topics, such as wine, you can filter by continent, region, and sub-regions, allowing you to focus on specific areas. For each answer given, you can assess how well you knew it and, later on, come back to study only cards you did not know or partially knew in the case of long answers.
SommNinja also allows you to study totally randomly, which I feel is one of the most important features. The brain is funny—sometimes, you think you know an answer when asked within a specific context, but try answering that question in the middle of dozens of other questions from other topics, and it is not that easy anymore. It is like brain gymnastics, and SommNinja helps you become fitter!
How does SommNinja engage with the global sommelier community, and are there plans for community-building features or events?
SommNinja is pretty active on Social media, posting about industry news, quizzes, topic features, motivation quotes, etc. We also feature sommeliers and wine people on our social media.We also have some partnerships with wine schools and sommelier associations. There are no plans for events now, but a community-building feature is part of what I have in mind for future developments.
In conclusion, SommNinja is an invaluable resource for sommeliers aiming to elevate their wine knowledge. Its comprehensive and flexible learning approach makes it worth exploring for anyone serious about advancing in the wine industry. A special thanks to Julie Dupouy for her insights and contribution to this innovative platform. We encourage sommeliers to try SommNinja for a year and experience the significant boost in wine knowledge it offers. Please note that this article contains affiliate links supporting our content while offering valuable resources.
