How to become a sommelier

Date: October 13, 2010

First thing, don’t be intimidated or dissuaded. Second, don’t get confused. A person doesn’t have to be a certified  Sommelier to pour a glass of Pinot Noir from Sonoma or tell anyone that the 2002 vintage was a top-notch year. However, there’s a level of prestige to wear on one’s jacket and to be a certified Sommelier, and even higher to be acclaimed a Master Sommelier with an MS behind one’s name. It would also be a disservice to neglect the Master of Wine (MW) category as well, a certification indicating a high mastery of wine knowledge.

What’s the difference between the two certifications of MS and MW? Think of it as the MW being more academic and learning more wine theory and less about service, whereas an MS also delves into more practical education and takes a hands-on approach regarding the wine business, beverage management, and wine knowledge. Never fear, both the Institute of Masters of Wine (MoW) and Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) require a significant amount of tastings to pass their programs and know wines. Either way, if you pass the final examination, you will be acknowledged as a peerless expert of wine. In fact, the number of MS and MW Sommeliers worldwide are a rare breed, with 247 Master of Wine holders and only 124 Master Sommeliers floating around the world.

Both organizations originated in Great Britain, with the Institute of Masters of Wine starting in 1953, with The Court of Master Sommeliers holding their first exam in 1969. Debate amongst yourselves about which is the better “M” to hold. Both require extensive study and time to achieve, with no guarantee of succeeding. Both institutes hold educational seminars and examinations locally in worldwide locations. Both also require that students have a background in the wine industry. There’s a four-step program for the CMS program, culminating in the MS certification. The MW program has a hefty syllabus that takes about two years to plow through. Still, each program only awards a handful of MW or MS certifications each year.

Source: http://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_to_Become_a_Sommelier

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices.  Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world.  As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years.  Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

For more information, email Wine@Yats-International.com or visit http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.