Court of Master Sommeliers
Definition - What does Court of Master Sommeliers mean?
Court of Master Sommeliers was established in 1977 and is the premier testing association for Sommeliers in the world. It was established in order to encourage higher standards in the service industry in both restaurants and hotels.
Court of Master Sommelier courses are given in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
WineFrog explains Court of Master Sommeliers
The Court of Master Sommeliers was one of the first and foremost bodies implemented to teach wine professionals about wine service and the general aspects of wine.
Courses are instructed in different levels. A first level course includes the details about winemaking, the history of wine and varietal specifics. It also introduces wine tasting analysis. Further levels include more specifics and history pertaining to specific wine regions, their wine and the regulations by which they are allowed to make their wine according to governmental standards, like the AOC and DOC regulations of France and Italy respectively. Individuals who wish to continue their education in the Court of Master Sommeliers will also study cigars, fine tea, caviar, cheese, bottled water from around the world, coffee, whisky and other distilled spirits.
To reach the highest level of a Master Sommelier, one must dedicate years to their study and hone their skills in the analysis of wine via their senses of smell and taste, the history of wine and the various classic regions. The pass rate among those who take the final Master's test is around 5%. Currently, there are over 150 Master Sommeliers globally.
