Do you want to be a Master Sommelier? Fast-Track it in Italy for as little as €1044

Alma Wine Academy, which is part of the Alma Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, whose tagline on their web site is, “the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine,” claims you too can be a master sommelier.

As unbelievable as it sounds, this school, in collaboration with the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS), is offering a Master Sommelier Alma-AIS diploma. I was alerted to this by a blog post that Josko Gravner forwarded to me via Facebook, entitled, My Master Sommelier Thesis: "Josko Gravner's Ribolla gialla and the orange wines in the U.S. market." 



While this might be a good program in its way, people who get this diploma have not gone through the same grueling paces that many of the Master Sommeliers (and candidates) go through under the Court of Master Sommelier auspices.

My complaint with this is in offering young people career hopes via the “opportunity” to earn a Master Sommelier Diploma for as little as €1044.

This is not right - and someone at the CMS should reach out to this institution and offer them some "clarity."

written by Alfonso Cevola limited rights reserved On the Wine Trail in Italy

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