Education · 1 of 5
The path
No degree, no license. You work the floor and pass exams while you do it.
- 1
High school diploma
Grade 12
That is the only school requirement. Hospitality classes help but are not needed.
- 2
Get into a restaurant with a real wine list
6 to 18 months
Start as a busser, runner or server. You are learning service first and wine second, because a sommelier who cannot run a section is no use.
- 3
Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination
A few days
The first of four levels run by the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas. A short course and a written exam. You must be of legal drinking age.
- 4
Certified Sommelier Examination
Usually 1 to 2 years later
Theory, blind tasting and a service test where an examiner plays a difficult guest. This is the badge that gets you hired as a sommelier.
- 5
Advanced and Master
5 years and up
The Advanced Sommelier Course and Examination, then the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination. Years of study each, and most candidates never finish.