The State of Sommelier Education for 2023

Introduction

In the world of wine, sommeliers are the gatekeepers of taste, with their expert knowledge and finely tuned palates shaping what we sip and savor. But how are these wine professionals trained, certified, and evaluated? SOMM, a leading authority on sommelier education, has released its annual review of sommelier education with insights from top sommeliers, wine educators, and winemakers nationwide.

In 2023, SOMM received an overwhelming response from America’s top wine professionals, with 1148 experts serving as sommelier judges for the report. This comprehensive and rare view of the sommelier trade in the 21st century reveals some surprising trends and challenges.

Sommelier Certification and Employment

Our judges are from a cross-section of the wine trade. Most work as either sommeliers or beverage managers (Over 46%). However, over 20% are restaurant owners, and nearly 7% are professional winemakers or winery owners. The rest are consultants, wine school owners, and sommelier students.

The Top Three Sommelier Programs

The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) has been the dominant sommelier certification agency for two decades, but its reign may be in jeopardy. In 2023, CMS remains the preferred sommelier program with over 35% of respondents, but the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is gaining ground with an over 29% preference ranking. The National Wine School comes in third with a 17.5% market share.

Other sommelier programs, such as the International Wine Guild, the North American Sommelier Association, and the International Sommelier Guild, combined control less than 18% of the market.

The End of Trade Organizations?

Interestingly, when asked what type of certification they prefer, most respondents (over 47%) favored a federally accredited program, while the least favored certification was from a trade organization. This is a significant result since the two largest sommelier agencies, WSET and CMS, are trade organizations. As of this writing, there is no federally accredited sommelier certification.

The Elephant in the Room

For the first time, SOMM asked our judges whether their opinion of the Court of Master Sommeliers had been affected by recent negative reporting aimed at the Court. While most judges admitted those reports had impacted their view of CMS, over 30% of respondents stated that the reports of racism and unfair grading had no effect whatsoever.

Why Get a Sommelier Certification?

The report also highlights the motivations behind embarking on a sommelier education. Nearly 36% of respondents said validation of wine knowledge was their main motivator, followed by enhanced credibility (25%) and competitive advantage in the job market (26%). Statistically, zero respondents said there was a limited or no benefit to sommelier certification.

The Sommelier Survey 2023

With nearly two thousand sommeliers involved, this is the largest survey ever done on the sommelier field. The following is the complete, unfiltered results. Feel free to leave your observations and questions in the comment section below.

Overall, the SOMM report provides a unique and insightful view into the world of sommeliers, their education, and certification. As the wine industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether CMS will maintain its dominance or whether challengers like WSET will continue to gain traction.

Press Release

SOMM Releases Annual Review of Sommelier Education, Revealing Surprising Trends and Challenges in the 21st Century

New York, NY – SOMM, a leading authority on sommelier education, has released its annual review of sommelier education, featuring insights from top sommeliers, wine educators, and winemakers nationwide. The comprehensive and rare view of the sommelier trade in the 21st century reveals some surprising trends and challenges.

In 2023, SOMM received an overwhelming response from America’s top wine professionals, with 1148 experts serving as sommelier judges for the report. Our judges are from a cross-section of the wine trade. Most work as either sommeliers or beverage managers (Over 46%). However, over 20% are restaurant owners, and nearly 7% are professional winemakers or winery owners. The rest are consultants, wine school owners, and sommelier students.

The report reveals that the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) has been the dominant sommelier certification agency for two decades, but its reign may be in jeopardy. In 2023, CMS remains the preferred sommelier program with over 35% of respondents, but the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is gaining ground with an over 29% preference ranking. The National Wine School comes in third with a 17.5% market share. Other sommelier programs, such as the International Wine Guild, the North American Sommelier Association, and the International Sommelier Guild, combined control less than 18% of the market.

Interestingly, when asked what type of certification they prefer, most respondents (over 47%) favored a federally accredited program, while the least favored certification was from a trade organization. This is a significant result since the two largest sommelier agencies, WSET and CMS, are trade organizations. As of this writing, there is no federally accredited sommelier certification.

For the first time, SOMM asked our judges whether their opinion of the Court of Master Sommeliers had been affected by recent negative reporting aimed at the Court. While most judges admitted those reports had impacted their view of CMS, over 30% of respondents stated that the reports of racism and unfair grading had no effect whatsoever.

The report also highlights the motivations behind embarking on a sommelier education. Nearly 36% of respondents said validation of wine knowledge was their main motivator, followed by enhanced credibility (25%) and competitive advantage in the job market (26%). Statistically, zero respondents said there was a limited or no benefit to sommelier certification.

The SOMM report provides a unique and insightful view into the world of sommeliers, their education, and certification. With nearly two thousand sommeliers involved, this is the largest survey ever done on the sommelier field. As the wine industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether CMS will maintain its dominance or whether challengers like WSET will continue to gain traction.

The complete, unfiltered results of the SOMM report are available for review.