SerpApi.Org
From taste and mineral content to mouthfeel, here’s what a water sommelier evaluates and whether their expertise could benefit your home.
Given water’s essential role in our daily lives, it should come as no surprise that there are professions focused solely on water, including water treatment, distribution, testing, and even tasting. If you know what a wine sommelier does, then it’s likely that you have a decent guess as to the purpose of a water sommelier, though these jobs differ in some ways beyond the obvious difference between wine and water.
We spoke to two water sommeliers to find out exactly what they do and how they can benefit your home’s water supply. Discover what they had to say below.
Meet the Experts
- Mike Sale is a home water systems expert and water sommelier with Delta Faucet, a manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, faucets, and shower systems.
- Anastasia Chovan is a certified water sommelier for Vivreau, a premium water dispenser and filter brand.
What Is a Water Sommelier?
Before you can fully understand the benefit of having a water sommelier at your disposal, it’s essential to know what a water sommelier actually is. “A water sommelier is someone who has gone through training to better understand all of the inputs that contribute to the taste of water,” says Mike Sale, home water systems expert and water sommelier for Delta Faucet.
These experts are trained to recognize and classify water tastes, understand the complexities of drinking water, and identify differences in minerals, flavor, and mouthfeel. Additionally, water sommeliers are trained to identify the causes of differences and educate others about water and its composition.
Related: The Biggest Wine Icks, According to Sommeliers
More Than Just Luxury Hospitality
While the title suggests a certain level of luxury, such as that you might experience at a high-end restaurant or hotel, water sommeliers are just as effective in a residential setting, helping you better understand your water.
“With this knowledge, we can help people find a water they think tastes great or even help tailor water for tasks like cooking or a perfect cup of coffee. Some fellow sommeliers followed their passion as a restaurateur, chef, college professor, or even a geologist. I was chasing greater consumer understanding around the space of taste as it relates to water quality treatment,” says Sale.
What Water Sommeliers Evaluate
Water sommeliers don’t just study the water’s composition; they are also trained to taste it and can detect differences in minerals, flavor, and mouthfeel. Anastasia Chovan, a certified water sommelier for Vivreau, explains that water sommeliers evaluate water based on the following characteristics.
- Mineral content: This is used to identify and differentiate between different minerals in water, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and chlorides, to name a few.
- Mouthfeel: This is how water feels in the mouth and helps identify minerals, as some are heavy.
- Flavor and taste: These can be affected by minerals, organic matter in the water, and disinfectants, such as chlorine.
This knowledge enables a water sommelier to taste tap water and help you identify the right water filtration system to curate the perfect water for your home, so you can make more informed choices about your water supply.
Related: I Tested My Home's Tap Water and Was Horrified by the Results
Why Water Taste and Quality Vary
The taste and quality of your water could differ significantly from that of your neighbors. “Water is an absolutely amazing element that absorbs so much on its journey. This process is called osmosis. This can be a wonderful experience when water picks up minerals like calcium or magnesium, or even natural carbonation, but it can also be a problem when water picks up man-made elements like lead or chemicals that aren’t safe for human consumption,” says Sale.
It should also be noted that the water’s source can be a major factor in overall taste and quality. If the main source is from groundwater, then there is a higher chance of it picking up various elements. Chovan adds, “Water is also seasonal, so water in the summer will taste different than water in the winter.”
Related: 5 Signs Your Home (and You) Could Benefit from an Iron Filter
How to Improve Home Water Taste and Quality
A wide range of options is available to improve the taste and quality of your home water supply.
“The simplest tool a homeowner needs in their kitchen is a water pitcher with a built-in filter. There are many variations—from basic water pitchers from Costco to in-house reverse osmosis systems—depending on your water condition,” says Chovan.
Another option to improve your home’s water is an undersink system that filters water right at the tap. “I would always recommend a remineralizer that can be installed in-line to add healthful minerals back into the water for better taste,” Sale says.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you as the homeowner, but evaluating your current water supply is a good place to start figuring out the next steps.
Tips to Evaluate Your Water and Make Lifestyle Upgrades
“The best way to evaluate your water is to check in with your local water utility website, where all the information lives on where your water comes from and how it is treated. Some even provide at-home water test kits,” explains Chovan.
You can then use this information to make an informed decision about which water filtration system will best suit your needs. In some circumstances, you may only need a simple water pitcher with a built-in filter, while in others, you may find it best to invest in a whole-home water filtration system.
Beyond the filtration systems, you can also look for water sources outside the home. “From an environmental perspective, I mostly avoid bottled water. You can get the same level of quality with an undersink filtration system and save money over the cost of bottled water,” notes Sale.
However, if you do choose to purchase bottled water for a different taste, scan the labels and look for terms like “natural spring” or “natural mineral water” to differentiate it from purified bottled water you can make at home with a decent filter.
Related: Why Does My Water Smell? 20 Potential Causes of Stinky Odors
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens
