The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) is an educational organisation established in 1977 to encourage improved standards of beverage service by sommeliers, particularly in wine and food pairing. From the court's inception through 2018, a worldwide total of 274 people have earned its Master Sommelier diploma, the highest level.
History
Organisations of wine professionals in England date to the 12th century, when the Worshipful Company of Vintners is believed to have been established. It gained a royal charter in 1364; although its control over the wine industry was gradually loosened by deregulation, the company continued to have considerable influence within it. In 1953, the first six Masters of Wine were granted that title after passing an exam given by the company, and became heads of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) established two years later.
The first Masters came from many different professions, but none worked in the service industry. Since the wine industry depended on knowledgeable service professionals to sell its products, they needed a way to train and recognize superior wine knowledge in that industry. It was also a way to rebuild the sommelier profession in the UK, which had dwindled since World War II.
The first Master Sommelier examination was held in the United Kingdom in 1969; the Court of Master Sommeliers was established in 1977 as an international examining body for sommeliers. It was set up under the supervision of the Vintners Company, the IMW, The British Hotels & Restaurants Association, The Wine & Spirit Association of Great Britain, and The Wholesale Tobacco Trade Association.
In 1984, Fred Dame was the first person ever to pass all three parts of the Master Sommelier examination at once, which is called "winning the Krug Cup".
In 1986 the first Master Sommelier exams were held in the United States. The American chapter of the CMS was established under the name Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, and also conducts exams and workshops in Canada.
2018 cheating scandal
In October 2018, the CMS invalidated the results of the tasting portion of the exam given a month earlier and rescinded the MS title from 23 of the 24 who had been awarded it, a record number of successful candidates, including the first one in six years to win the Krug Cup, given to Master Sommeliers who pass the entire exam on their first attempt, five weeks after the exam after Reggie Narito, a board member of the Court and proctor for the exam, gave at least one candidate information about the wines to be tasted and identified.
The board revoked Narito's title and expelled him from the organization, although it has never confirmed doing so. All those thus affected would be able to retake the exam the following year at no charge, with the exception of the two other email recipients, who would have to wait another five years.
The affected candidates challenged the board's decision, pointing to a hasty and secretive investigation, but were unable to persuade the board to reverse it. Several of them passed the tasting portion again in the next year, before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the exams; others gave up, including one the Court sued unsuccessfully over his continued use of the title.
2020 sexual harassment controversy
In October 2020, The New York Times revealed a pattern of sexual harassment among members of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. In response, the body made a statement in support of those who spoke up, though it omitted mention of increased transparency or investigations. Public feedback to the response was negative. In November, the court issued an apology to the women named in the article in the Times. It also announced the suspensions of seven of its Master Sommeliers pending further investigation, and the resignation of another Master Sommelier. Those suspended include Fred Dame, a co-founder of the group, and Geoff Kruth, founder of GuildSomm. The organization then held new elections for its board and replaced Chairman Devon Broglie with Emily Wines.
Education and certification
The court has four stages of certification that grow in depth and complexity with each stage. Those who achieve a particular stage are awarded a certificate and badge on the same day as the exam.