This guide answers common questions about working as a sommelier, earning wine credentials, and choosing a training path. For detailed information, follow the links to SOMM’s certification, career, and wine school guides.
Traditionally, a sommelier manages the wine cellar and trains restaurant staff in wine service. A surprisingly large percentage of sommeliers have moved into other fields in the food and wine trades. Sommelier certification has become the de facto credentials for many wine-centric jobs. For more information: What is a Sommelier?
The most common pronunciation in the USA is suh-muhl-YAY, while a number of insiders pronounce it suh-muhl-e-YAY. The stress is on the YAY, which rhymes with DAY. To avoid sounding like a rube, steer clear of pronouncing it as som-uh-leer. For more information: What is a Sommelier?
The primary job of a sommelier is to ensure the beverage program meets the restaurant’s financial targets. This is done by managing inventory, reducing shrinkage, developing a compelling beverage program, and properly training staff. Tasting wine is a small part of the entire job.
The traditional home of sommeliers is in the restaurant. In the 21st century, sommeliers work everywhere from wine schools to wineries. Many now work for wine importers, private estates, auction houses, and as consultants.
Anyone who manages a wine list at a restaurant or hotel can call themselves a sommelier. That is their occupational title. On the other hand, anyone who has earned their level three sommelier certification can also call themselves a sommelier; that is their academic title.
There are two paths to becoming a sommelier. The first is to work as a sommelier at a restaurant or hotel. The second is to earn a level three sommelier credential. Either is a valid way to become a sommelier, especially now that the job of a restaurant sommelier is vastly different from the career options available to someone with a sommelier credential.
One sommelier certifying body that requires restaurant experience for its highest levels of certification is the Court of Master Sommeliers. Neither the Wine & Spirit Education Trust nor the National Wine School require restaurant experience.
There are two paths to become a sommelier: work in the restaurant trade or earn your sommelier credential. The former has an unknowable timeframe, as it depends on a high degree of skill, personality, and luck. The latter is easier to estimate: earning your level three sommelier certification can take between two and six months.
No. Most small towns need a wine professional, and online sommelier programs are widely available in the United States. Most rural jobs for sommeliers are in restaurants, wine shops, and wine distribution. The major downside is if you opt for a sommelier credential that requires you to travel to take exams. Both WSET and CMS require extensive travel to take their exams.
As a restaurant sommelier, you will need leadership skills, stamina, and math skills. Hauling cases of wine and working the restaurant floor for six hours is physically demanding. Working with suppliers, patrons, and the staff requires a deft type of leadership. Finally, inventory control and revenue management are key parts of the job.
There are no licensing requirements to work as a sommelier, and many sommeliers have no credentials. These are restaurant servers who worked their way up into a sommelier position, or through a relationship with the restaurant management. The certification route is more straightforward, although some certifications, such as CMS, require restaurant employment for higher-level credentials. For more information: Sommelier Certification 101
Each sommelier certification agency uses different labels, so SOMM has developed a universal classification system: Level One through Level Five Sommelier. A Level Three Sommelier is the baseline for professional sommelier certification. Level Four is an Advanced Sommelier, and Level Five is a Master-Ranked Sommelier. For more information, please check out Sommelier Certification 101
There are three sommelier certification agencies that offer a full spectrum of credentials that could qualify as the best. The most famous is the Court of Master Sommeliers; the second is the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (which technically offers Wine Qualifications, not sommelier certifications); and the third is the National Wine School, which is the only US-based sommelier credentialing agency. For details, please review the Top Sommelier Courses page.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) does not technically offer sommelier credentials. Instead, it offers wine qualifications. However, a WSET qualification is widely respected in the restaurant industry and is considered an equivalent to a sommelier credential.
You can become a sommelier online with a few caveats. Of the three major sommelier credentialing agencies, two (WSET and NWS) allow the student to take wine classes online. However, WSET requires students to take exams at a qualified APP for proctoring. NWS allows students to take both classes and exams online. For more information, please review our Online Sommelier Program guide.
Costs for sommelier certification vary widely. This is because wine schools are allowed to set program prices independently. Plus, some programs (specifically CMS) have hidden costs that can quadruple the listed price. As a rule, a Level One program should cost between $300 and $500, and a Level Three sommelier credential should cost at least $1,500. For a detailed cost comparison, please see our Sommelier Certification 101 guide.
Sommelier exams at Level One are typically easy, with NWS possibly being the most intensive. Most students can reach Level Three programs, which are challenging but doable. By Level Four, the difficulty increases astronomically for both WSET and CMS. As an example, CMS has a historic pass rate of less than 25% for its Level Four exam; its Level 5 program has a pass rate of lower than 8%. NWS does not post its pass rate for these programs, but they are believed to be around 85%
The best sommelier school is the one that offers wine courses that both challenge you and also inspire you. If you don’t feel like you are part of something special, then you are probably in the wrong classroom. The actual credential matters less than your experience as a student. For a great sommelier school near you, we recommend reviewing the Wine School Database.
Sommeliers earn a wide range of incomes; in top restaurants, you can expect a high end of $90k. In other sectors, the income can be much higher. For instance, a wine sales representative with a sommelier credential can easily make six figures within a year. Other positions that often require a sommelier credential, like wine instructor or wine buyer, can also pay six-figure salaries.
Becoming a sommelier is worth the time and money investment only if you know what you want from the experience. Is it for a creative and empowering educational experience? Is it to gain an advantage in the workforce? Is it to start a new career, or build your own company? For any of these reasons, earning a sommelier credential is worth it.
For a complete overview, see our guide to becoming a sommelier.