Steve Gonzalez, Assistant Manager of Morton’s The Steakhouse in Hackensack, has been certified as a First Level Sommelier. The honor is the first step in becoming a Grand Master Sommelier which involves completion of a total of five levels. Earning a certification typically requires a combination of education and course work, examinations and industry experience. Moving on to more advanced levels can take many years of hard work. To obtain the first level recognition, Gonzalez studied four separate books and prepared for six months for the exam.

Gonzalez, a resident of Midland Park, has worked for Morton’s since 2002 and started his career as a server, was promoted to captain, and became assistant manager in 2008. He is currently studying for the second level exam. When asked about his favorite wine, Gonzalez said “I love anything from the Cot du Rhone region of France and often recommend that guests try a Burgundy from France. For those who enjoy a white wine, I recommend a chardonnay; from Napa, particularly a wine from Chateau Montelena Winery.”

The Master Sommelier designation is perhaps the best known credential for sommeliers. It is quite difficult to reach this level of proficiency as it requires literally hundreds of hours of study and work experience.

Morton’s The Steakhouse continues to raise the bar in the areas of beverage service and wine expertise. In 2007 the restaurant group began a company-wide initiative for all managers who run Morton’s wine programs at their restaurants nationwide to pass the Master Sommelier “Introductory Sommelier Course.” This is the first of four tiers of education and testing conducted by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

“Our guests are very knowledgeable and educated in the areas of wine and spirits. They expect the best from our staff in regards to our understanding of this area of our business,” said Tyler Field, Vice President of Wine and Spirits for Morton’s The Steakhouse. “At Morton’s, wine and spirits sales make up 29 percent of our total sales, and as a recipient of the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine for all 76 of our restaurants, we pride ourselves on our competitive industry knowledge.”

Founded in1969, The Court of Master Sommeliers is the premier governing body for Sommeliers and Wine Service professionals around the world. Over the two-day intensive Introductory Sommelier Course, candidates receive instruction in production processes and attributes to a variety of spirits, beer and cigars, as well as education about the major wine growing regions of the world and methods of blind tasting. According to the Court of Master Sommeliers, those candidates who successfully complete the Introductory Sommelier Course will be adept at discussing, buying and serving a comprehensive range of alcoholic beverages with confidence and skill.

The Hackensack location of Morton’s has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for the past six years. The restaurant carriers several well-known wines from California vineyards including Jordan, Cake bread, Charles Krug, Caymus, and Opus One. The inventory includes over 4,000 bottles from the US, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chili, Argentina and South Africa. Two of the rarest bottles on hand include a 1996 Chateau Cheval Blanc 1st Grand Cru Classic and a 1995 Chateau Lafite Rothschild valued at over $1,300.

Morton’s The Steakhouse is located at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack.