I am looking for any pointers for the cms certified sommelier exam.Was the vibe that much more intense than level 1? Just took the intro and was wondering if all of that material should be mastered first...or could one get by by being "pretty good" with the julyan book. Currently work in fine dining as a sommelier.

Hopefully an MS will chime in here but from the ones I've talked to over the years my basic assumption is that each level is not only harder but can be exponentially harder than the previous.

Thanks for the only reply. I would like to hear more than just an assumption if anybody out there is reading.

newsomm,

I took the Certified Sommelier test last April and I am currently on the waiting list for this fall's Advanced test. The CS test is a lot harder than the Intro, but that really depends on your knowledge level as well. Here are a few sample questions from the CS test that I took:

A wine labeled Smaragd is from which area in which country?

Name the only Third Growth Bordeaux from Saint-Estèphe.

In which country is Constantia?

The town of Graach is in which Anbaugebiet?

Which region of Italy is the Bordolino DOC located in?

There are some multiple choice, some matching, with the majority fill in the blank.

The blind tasting was easy for me, as I had a New Zealand Sauv Blanc and a Chianti.

The service portion was nerve-racking, but not too hard. Open a bottle of bubbly, answer some questions from a MS (What is the base liquor for a mojito? What is Pineau des Charantes? Recommend a fortified wine NOT from Portugal.)
While I was serving my sparlking, the girl behind me dropped her entire tray of glasses on to the wood floor. Made me almost mess up.

Get Julyan's book, and blind taste all the time. Any specific questions, email me at caymus28 at hotmail dot com.

Additionally, it should be noted that you just show up and take a test; there is no lecture at all.

Cheers!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: caymus28,