One exercise in the Court’s business training sets out a sommelier team for a prestigious restaurant: a head sommelier, assistant heads, sommeliers, commis sommeliers and bartenders. The Court’s four levels of certification sit alongside that climb, and its career pathway helps people choose the right education for the job they want.
This article walks the pathway in order. It is written for anyone deciding where to begin, and for working sommeliers wondering what the next level asks of them.
01Two routes into the trade
The Court’s career pathway was built with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the Institute of Masters of Wine. Its purpose is practical: to help people entering the wine trade choose their education according to the career they have in mind.
It separates the two most common options. The first is the on-trade, meaning restaurants and hotels, where you might work as a sommelier or a wine buyer. The second is the off-trade, where the roles include sales representative and retail buyer. The Court’s programmes are relevant to people working in restaurants, hotels, clubs and wine or cocktail bars, and its certifications emphasise formal service in a fine-dining setting.
02Four levels, one after another
The Court offers four levels of certification, and each one must be passed before the next can be attempted. All four are built on the same core skills: wine theory, deductive tasting and practical service. Every programme requires significant study before you arrive.
