LINCOLN, Neb. — A local wine expert has joined elite ranks in the world of hospitality.

Matthew Bromberg, sommelier at Casa Bovina, recently earned his Level 3 certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, officially designating him an Advanced Sommelier. He is now one of only two restaurant-employed sommeliers in Nebraska to hold the distinction.

To achieve the certification, Bromberg underwent rigorous testing in wine theory, tasting and service, which included traveling to Phoenix to perform in front of master sommeliers. He said the process was the result of three years of preparation.

"You're tasting six glasses of wine and trying to tell them what you're tasting, and what the grape is and where it's from and what year it's from," Bromberg said. "And then the practical is both an exam of the business side of things, but also you open wine for master sommeliers and they ask you questions and put you in a service-based scenario."

Casa Bovina offers more than 540 wine selections, and Bromberg said his role is to recommend the perfect bottle based on each guest’s preferences.

"The whole point of doing this is not just to get a fancy new badge, it's to be better at my job. It's to get better at connecting with guests. To know more. To be able to help them."

The final step in the certification path is becoming a Master Sommelier, a title held by fewer than 200 people in the United States. Bromberg said he may pursue the title in the future but is currently focused on learning and making wine more accessible.

"I think there's an idea in wine that you can drink wine wrong, and I just want everyone to know you really can't," he said. "If you like a big bold red, and you want to have it even though you're having chicken, there's nothing wrong with that. If you only enjoy white wine and you're having steak then I can find you the white wine that can accompany your steak as well."