For the first time in its history, the renowned Court of Master Sommeliers is holding its examination outside of Great Britain and the USA - in Austria. The Master Sommelier Diploma, which will be awarded in August at the Stift Klosterneuburg, is considered the highest distinction for sommeliers.
With the aim of offering a wine qualification for restaurateurs comparable to the "Master of Wine" (MW), the London-based Court of Master Sommeliers has been organising the Master Sommelier Diploma since 1977. Since then, attaining the title of "Master Sommelier" has been regarded as the highest distinction for sommeliers worldwide. 249 people have completed the demanding Master Sommelier training to date.
For the first time in its over 40-year history, the Court is now holding an examination outside of Great Britain and the USA. On August 19 and 20, 16 international candidates will take the dual examination at the Stift Klosterneuburg: First they have to correctly analyse and describe six wines from all over the world in a blind tasting, followed by the oral theory examination with questions on the entire sommelier knowledge repertoire. Only those who meet the standards of the examination will be chosen as Master Sommelier by the examination committee, which itself consists exclusively of Master Sommeliers.
(uka)