By Clyde Mooney
The Court of Master Sommeliers returns to Australia in April, featuring big local names alongside masters from the UK and New Zealand.
Since its inception in 1977, the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) has awarded only 206 candidates the ranking of Master Sommelier.
Australian wine distributor, Fine Wine Partners, is partnering with the CMS to offer the Introductory and Certified examinations in Sydney and Melbourne, which will be conducted by local masters Franck Moreau MS, of Merivale, and Michael Englemann MS, of Rockpool Bar & Grill, who will join Brian Julyan MS from the UK, CEO of the Worldwide Court of Master Sommeliers, and Cameron Douglas MS from New Zealand.
Enrolments are now open and Fine Wine Partners expect competition for the 50 places at each training facility to be hotly contested, in part due to the recent indie documentary ‘Somms’ that has brought to light the complexity of the profession.
The story follows four sommeliers preparing for their Masters examination – a process described by filmmaker Jason Wise as the "hardest test you’ve never heard of".