What Is a Master Sommelier? And How to Become One

Determine clarity, brightness, concentration, color, hue, rim variation, stain, viscosity, gas and sediment. Is it delicate or powerful? Is that a hint of forest floor or potting soil? What’s the alcohol content? Was it finished in a cool, warm or medium climate?

This is just a small sample of questions wine experts have to answer to identify 6 unique wines and pass the Master Sommelier Exam. Only 230 people on the planet have earned the title – so what does it take to pass what’s arguably the world’s most difficult test?

The Tattooed Heretic of Wine and Whiskey, Richard Betts [Tim Ferriss]
Tim Ferriss
Podcast (2 hours 40 minutes)
“Richard’s also done a lot of wild experiments, gotten a lot of tattoos, and almost been shot in Mexico. He also passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Masters Exam on his first attempt, becoming the ninth person in history ever to do so…”

Sex and the Sommelier: Make Way for Women [Bloomberg]
Elin McCoy
Article (6 minutes)
“Less than 15 percent of the master sommeliers in the world are women. But times are changing…”

World’s Toughest Test? The Master Sommelier Diploma Exam [Forbes]
Katie Kelly Bell
Article (3 minutes)
“Recently the Court of Master Sommeliers welcomed four new members; A mighty number when you consider the grueling fact that only 200 people have passed since the exam’s inception 40 years ago in the UK…”

Glasses Through the Eyes of a Sommelier [Wall Street Journal]
Lettie Teague
Article (3 minutes)
“Mr. Eckert described the features of the Italian-made glass, most notably a titanium reinforced stem which makes it 140% stronger…”

There Are Only 229 Master Sommeliers in the World — Here’s How One 27-Year-Old Worked His Way into this Exclusive Club [Business Insider]
Jacquelyn Smith
Article (5 minutes)
“Mason, now a wine director at Danny Meyer’s New York pizzeria Marta, says he began this journey when he was 21 years old. But really, it started even earlier…”

Unusual Jobs That Pay Surprisingly Well [Forbes]
Jacquelyn Smith
Article (2 minutes)
“We all know that radiologists and CEOs make good money. But it’s also possible to pull in more than six figures as an airplane repo man or a master sommelier…”