The official Court of Master Sommeliers study portal for our students.
Our Sommelier book and our syllabus notes, made digital.
Prepared for Introductory and Certified candidates of the Court.
8 chapters · 112 sections to read · one book
What is it?
The Court of Master Sommeliers
We have built a digital platform with AI that brings our latest Sommelier book together with our syllabus.
It gives our candidates the tools to understand wine better and to prepare for the Certified Sommelier examination.
Who it is for
Introductory
Begin here. The book is the syllabus, and the presentations mark exactly what is expected of you at this level.
Certified
The heart of the portal. Every chapter, every term and every quiz is set for the Certified standard.
Advanced
Come back to sharpen. Terms and pronunciation are the quickest things to lose, and the fastest to recover.
What is inside
Six tools, every one built on the Court’s own text. Each panel below is the real thing, not a picture of it.
Read the book
Every page of the book as an article. Read it chapter by chapter, exactly as printed.
Eight chapters
Sales & Service for the Wine Professional, 6th editionPresentations
Every chapter as a presentation, marked to your level — Introductory and Certified, from our syllabus and the book merged together.
Spain · What to Know
What to Know · 7 slides. The Introductory and Certified decks for every region are inside the portal.
Pronunciation
Every wine term said out loud, in its own language. Easy to find, and easy to add your favourites.
Press it — that is a native speaker, not a robot.
69 words · showing 24
Quiz
Test yourself against the text, so you arrive at the exam ready. The questions come from our latest book.
Macération carbonique is a technique used to
Glossary
Every term in the book, in one place.
- acetobacter
- bacteria that converts ethanol into acetic acid in the presence of oxygen, causing wine spoilage and vinegar aromas.
- assemblage
- the blending of separate base wines or lots into a final blend, notably in Champagne and Bordeaux.
- body
- the weight of wine in the mouth due to its alcohol, sugar content, tannins and other physical components. These factors stem from the grape variety, winemaking, vintage and geographical origin. Wines from hot climates tend to have more body than those from cooler latitudes.
- canopy management
- techniques used to control vine growth, including leaf removal and shoot positioning, to optimise sunlight exposure and air circulation.
- corked
- an aroma indicative of a fault caused by TCA present in the cork, giving the wine aromas of damp cardboard or cellar with muted flavours.
- dosage (liqueur d’expédition)
- the small addition of wine and sugar after disgorgement that sets a sparkling wine’s final sweetness level, from brut nature to doux.
- elegant
- stylish balance and refined quality.
- fine
- all-embracing expression of superior quality.
- fortified wine
- wine to which a distilled spirit, usually grape spirit, has been added to increase alcohol content and stability.
- grape spirit
- distilled alcohol made from grapes and used in wine fortification or to halt the fermentation process.
- heavy
- over-endowed with alcohol and extracts; overly full-bodied.
- lees
- the dead yeasts, stalks, pips, pulp and other solids that settle during fermentation.
- malolactic fermentation
- a secondary, bacterial conversion of sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, lowering perceived acidity and adding texture; near-universal in red wines and used selectively in whites such as oaked Chardonnay.
- must weight
- the concentration of sugar in grape juice, indicating potential alcohol; measured in degrees Brix, Oechsle or Baumé depending on country.
- organic viticulture
- grape growing without synthetic chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides, focusing on natural vineyard management.
- piquant
- a fresh and mouthwatering acidity; a desirable trait in some wines.
- racking
- the transfer of wine from one container to another, leaving the sediment behind.
- rough
- a coarse, edgy wine of dubious quality.
- Sekt
- German sparkling wine.
- soft
- tannins and acidity perfectly balanced.
- stalky
- reminiscent of the smell of damp twigs; can arise from over-prolonged contact with grape stalks during vinification.
- TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole)
- the chemical compound responsible for cork taint, giving wine aromas of damp cardboard and a muted palate. (See corked)
- variety (grape)
- a specific type of grape within a single species (commonly Vitis vinifera), such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.
- vin doux naturel
- a naturally sweet fortified wine made by stopping fermentation with added grape spirit.
24 of the 146 terms in the book. The rest are inside the portal.
Maps
The wine regions — and we keep adding more.
6 plates of 51, spread across the book. The rest are inside the portal.
The book, and the man who wrote it
Sommelier — formerly Sales & Service for the Wine Professional — is the work of Brian K Julyan, MS, and has run to six editions across four decades. It has been the handbook for sommeliers in training since 1988, and remains the text the Court teaches from.
The portal carries the sixth edition in full. The paperback is still published, and many candidates keep both — the book on the pass, the portal in the pocket.
About the book
The same book, six times, across four decades.
1988
2003
2008
2012
2020
2026
Pricing
One membership. Everything in it opens at once, and stays open for as long as you hold a place.
- The book in fullAll 8 chapters, 112 sections — the sixth edition, unabridged
- 149 syllabus decksThe Court’s own presentations, section by section
- 578 quiz questionsEvery one written from the book, with the reasoning
- 1,985 names, spokenHear every appellation, grape and producer said properly
- 146 glossary termsThe vocabulary of the trade, defined
- 51 wine mapsEvery region the syllabus asks you to know
- The deductive tasting gridPractise the Court’s format, with its own vocabulary
- Your progress, keptBookmarks, notes and where you left off, on every device
- Stop whenever you likeTwo clicks from your account. You keep the term you have paid for.
- 14 days to change your mindFull refund if the portal is not for you — see refunds.
- A failed card does not lock you out14 days stay open while your bank is asked again.
Both terms renew automatically so access does not lapse mid-study. Prices are in pounds sterling and include any tax due; payment is taken by Stripe, and the Court never sees your card details. Full membership details.
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