The first Certified Sommelier Examination was held in early December of 2005 at the California Grill at Disneyworld in Orlando. I was part of that first examining team, along with fellow MS’s Wayne Belding, Matt Citriglia, Doug Frost, and Keith Goldston. The group of us had written the original iterations of the exam. Back then—and now–the goals of the exam have always been the same:
- To provide the hospitality industry with a much-needed basic sommelier certification
- Introduce students to the CMS examination format
- Provide an intermediary step between the Introductory Course and the Advanced Course and Examination in the MS curriculum.
I initially wrote a post on advice to students taking the Certified Exam in early 2014 and then revised it in 2017. Since then, the exam has undergone numerous changes. I thought it might be useful to update the post for students taking the exam in the near future.
Disclaimer: The following is my personal advice to students who are taking the Certified Sommelier Examination. It does NOT, in any way, reflect the policies of the CSMA or its Board of Directors.
Certified Sommelier Examination
To begin, the exam has always consisted of three parts: tasting, theory, and service.
Tasting: a blind tasting of four wines–two whites and two reds—using a grid based on the MS Deductive Tasting Method. The grid and a list of testable grapes for white and red wines that could be used in the exam can be downloaded at the links below.
Theory: a 45-question exam combining multiple choice, short answer, and matching questions.
Service: sparkling wine service with questions about wine and other beverages that might be served during the course of a meal, as well as food and wine pairing. Other aspects of service could also be included.
In addition to the three-part format, the most important recent change to the exam is that all three portions are scored electronically, using password protected software on a dedicated secure website used by the CMSA. Students are required to use a personal laptop or iPad for the tasting and theory portions of the exam. With tasting, students have the option of filling out a provided paper grid before inputting their answers online. With theory, answers are input directly online. Results of the service exam are tracked by examiners and then graded online.
From here, I’d like to offer advice to students preparing to take the Certified Exam, especially those taking it for the first time.
Tasting examination
The tasting exam consists of a double blind tasting of two white wines and two red wines using a grid based on the Deductive Tasting Method. Again, students are given the option of filling out paper grids before inputting their answers online. Otherwise, the Certified tasting grid requires the student to identify information about a wine’s color, aromas and flavors, and the structural levels. Specifically, the levels of residual sugar, acidity, alcohol, phenolic bitterness for white wines, and tannin for red wines. Finally, the student is asked to provide a conclusion about the wines including the climate and country of origin, the grape variety or blend of grapes, the relative age of the wine, and a short description of how to sell the wine to a customer in a restaurant.
A good deal of practice is needed to become proficient at using the grid. The grid itself can be downloaded from the following page:
Also available for download is a list of testable white and red wines:
https://www.mastersommeliers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Certified-Sommelier-Level-Wines.pdf
An important piece of advice about the tasting exam is to be sure to fill in every line of the grid. In the exam, students are asked to recognize various elements in a wine, as well as their absence. So filling in a “no” answer for an aroma/flavor that’s missing in a wine is just as important as answering “yes,” for something that’s there. Again, do NOT leave any of the lines on the exam blank.
Otherwise, here is further advice in preparing for the tasting segment of the Certified Exam.
Color: know the major colors for white and red wines. Specifically, the difference between straw, yellow, and gold for white wines; and purple, ruby, and garnet for red wines.
Descriptors: Be as thorough as you can in identifying the fruit and any non-fruit in the wines. Often students will hone in on one or two flavor descriptors and leave out important pieces of information that could help identify the wine. Also, work on expanding descriptors for fruit and non-fruit. If anything, use the exam grid as a checklist, and look for all the categories of fruit and non-fruit that are listed.
Non-fruit: Pay close attention to the list of non-fruit descriptors as many will help identify the grape variety.
Structure: Be as precise as you can in calibrating the levels of acidity, alcohol, and tannin. Also, connect the dots between the structure and the fruit condition. For instance, tart fruit will be found in a wine with higher acidity. Likewise, high alcohol will be found in a wine with ripe or over-ripe fruit.
Oak vs. no oak: being able to assess the presence of oak in a wine is one of the most important aspects of basic tasting. Practice calibrating oak usage by tasting wine in pairs that show extremes. For example, tasting an unoaked Chablis next to a heavily oaked California Chardonnay.
Earth/mineral: use the same two previous wines–Chablis and California Chardonnay—to contrast earth/mineral vs none. For red wine, tasting a Chianti Classico and a Barossa Shiraz.
Climate: is reflected by the levels of alcohol and acidity as well as the ripeness of the fruit. Wines from warmer climates have higher alcohol and lower natural acidity vs. wines from cooler climates, which have moderate alcohol and higher acidity.
Varietal recognition: is the most challenging part of the Deductive Tasting Method and MS tasting exams. Lots of practice using the deductive grid is needed. I also recommend students put together a list of markers—common flavors and aromas—for classic grapes and wines, focusing on the list of testable wines.
Good resources for grape variety markers can be found on the Guild of Sommeliers website (guildsomm.com) as well as in my book, “Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine (https://timgaiser.com/tastingguide).
A final thought about tasting practice. Be sure you are working with a tasting group, as the dynamics of a good study group are important for learning and improvement, not to mention the camaraderie and shared experience.
Finally, I’ve written extensively about tasting and preparing for the MS tasting exams on my blog (timgaiser.com/blog). I’ve found that recognizing aromas and flavors in wine are based on memory. If memory is key, students can—and should—work with their personal memories of aromas, flavors, and even grape variety profiles apart from actually tasting wine. I strongly believe that working with one’s memories of wines is just as important as actually tasting.
Theory examination
The philosophy behind the CMSA theory curriculum is based on what a sommelier could be asked tableside by a guest about any beverage served in a restaurant. While emphasis is placed on wine, beer, spirits, sake, and aperitifs are also important. Regardless, geography is vital to a sommelier’s theory knowledge, and knowing where a wine or other beverage is produced is paramount to success in the MS program. For example, if a guest is asking about a vintage of Savennières “Clos de la Coulée de Serrant” from Nicholas Joly, the sommelier/student should know the following about the wine:
- It’s a dry white wine
- It’s made from the Chenin Blanc grape
- The Clos de la Coulée de Serrant vineyard is located in the Anjou region of France’s Loire Valley, specifically in the AOP of Savennières
- The Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is a single vineyard AOP
- Owner Nicholas Joly is one of the major proponents of biodynamic farming
In addition to geography, students need to study country and regional laws, classifications, terms about grape growing and winemaking, and major producers and vintages for important wines such at prestige cuvée Champagnes.
Service examination
The ethos of the MS title is about being a world-class sommelier. Service is also what sets the CMSA apart from other wine certification organizations. Service then is also an important part of the Certified Sommelier Examination.
Important note: I can’t emphasize enough how a student needs to have experience working on a restaurant floor to have any chance of success with the service exam. It’s also imperative that the student learn the MS service standards. The standards can be downloaded at the following page:
https://www.mastersommeliers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CMS-Hospitality-Service-Standards.pdf
Otherwise, the service portion of the Certified Exam is based on Champagne service. Here safety is key. There are any number of ways to open a bottle of sparkling wine incorrectly—even dangerously—but only one way to do it right. Here are some vital pointers to do just that.
General service points
- Remember to serve from the right and to always move around the table clockwise, even if just returning to the service station.
- Never reach across a guest’s space to place or clear glassware or serve wine–even if the chair is empty.
- PRACTICE CARRYING A TRAY. This is the one part of service that cannot be faked. If you don’t regularly work with a tray, lots of practice will be needed for an exam. Odds are you will be nervous. Practice!
Mise-en-place—setting up
- Fold two—and ONLY two—serviettes for service. One will be used for opening the bottle of sparkling wine and the other will be left on the bucket tableside if it’s used for service. In other words, don’t fold all the napkins on the service station.
- Always line the tray with an unfolded cloth napkin; no fancy origami folds as they result in an uneven surface on the tray almost guaranteeing you’ll lose glassware in a spectacular fashion.
- Place the glassware consistently at each cover. Placing a glass at the point of the knife is the most straightforward method.
- Place glassware starting with the host or the person to the host’s left.
- Place two under liners or coasters to the right of the host; one for the cork and the other for the bottle in case the host decides to keep it on the table.
Opening the bottle
- Watch where you’re pointing the bottle when opening. Never point the bottle at the table or anyone else in the vicinity. Also, don’t point the bottle at yourself. Any of the previous is dangerous and not good for your exam score.
- Always place a serviette over the top of the bottle when opening. Place a folded serviette over the top of the bottle when opening to prevent spilling any wine if the cork exits the bottle suddenly.
- Never take the top of your hand off the bottle when opening. This is utterly crucial to opening the bottle safely and properly. Loosen the cage ONLY after placing a folded serviette over the top of the bottle and then holding both serviette and bottle FIRMLY.
- After loosening the wire cage, slowly remove the cage and cork at the same time by twisting the bottom of the bottle back and forth. Remember, the cage is NEVER removed before the cork.
- Open the bottle as quietly as possible. This is formal wine service and not the end of a Formula 1 race. Opening a bottle of sparkling wine quietly is a matter of practice and repetition.
- Remove the cork from the cage and place the cage in your pocket. Then present the cork to the host on an underliner, which has been placed to the host’s right.
- Wipe the top and lip of the bottle with your serviette after you’ve presented the cork.
Serving the bottle
- Hold the bottle using a still wine grip. Do NOT hold the bottle with your thumb in the punt of the bottle when pouring. Holding the bottle this way does not provide enough control and stability, and the odds of dropping or losing control of the bottle increase significantly.
- After presenting the cork and wiping the top of the bottle, pour a 1-to-1.5 ounce taste for the host. Wait for them to approve the wine and then serve the table always moving in a clockwise direction. The host is always served last.
- Fill the glasses at least half-full. The maximum pour should not exceed an inch below the top of the glass.
- Fill the glasses one at a time with a maximum of two pours for each glass. Partial pouring or going around the table multiple times is not allowed.
- Make sure the pours are even.
- Gauge the pour level/amount based on glass size and number of glasses to be poured so you don’t run out of wine before serving the host.
Service exam theory
- Work on memorizing major cocktails, aperitifs, and after dinner spirits. Lists of all of the above are on the Guild site (guildsomm.com). Study cocktails and aperitifs by category, i.e., vodka cocktails, gin cocktails etc.
- Food and wine pairing: have specific wine recommendations with producer and vintage in mind. Make sure you can recommend more than one wine for a dish.
- Above all, know why your pairing works.Be able to explain why a wine works well with a specific dish.
General Service Advice
Taking care of the table is the bottom line. Even though you’re in an exam, remember that you are a sommelier and your job is to take care of the table—NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. In a real life service situation, you don’t have the luxury of freaking out, giving up on a table, or failing. Your job is to take care of the guest and give them great service. The exam is no different. Take care of the examiner(s) as you would any guest in your restaurant. To do so will translate into success.
A votre santé!
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