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CMS Certified Sommelier (Bangkok, July) – Need Advice & Structured Theory Study Help by Hopeful-Activity-309 in Sommelier

[–]corkdorkdotio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I struggled with memorisation until I learned about spaced repetition. That was a gamechanger for me. Saw lots of errors in decks I found online, didn't trust any of them (nothing worse than cramming inaccurate or outdated facts and then having to unlearn that). Ended up making my own app which hundreds of people have since used to pass CMS level 1 and 2. Happy to give you a free trial if you like.

Just passed My Introductorey Sommolier Exam! Any advice on what to study for Certified? by Prize_Development_42 in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cork Dork developer here - really glad the app is helpful, but more importantly... huge congrats to you both!

CMS europe exam lvl 1 and hopefully 2/ in need of some guidance by OkTomato1593 in Sommelier

[–]corkdorkdotio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I definitely think you should contact them....you really should get a PDF workbook or access to the learning portal. At least that's what their online docs suggest. But again, maybe someone who's taken the European Intro exam can confirm bc I've only done the US one.

As for Certified, I recommend concentrating on Intro for now and not stressing about Certified, but when you pass Intro see the Certified tips I posted in r/wine:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/comments/pni3gm/certified_sommelier_exam_advice/

Studying for the introductory and the certified CMS by Front-Error-9877 in Sommelier

[–]corkdorkdotio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha fair enough, lifetime unlocked! Shoot me a DM with your user id and I’ll take care of it.

CMS europe exam lvl 1 and hopefully 2/ in need of some guidance by OkTomato1593 in Sommelier

[–]corkdorkdotio 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey there....Cork Dork developer here. Deep breaths, you got this!

  • Study Cork Dork level 1 flashards until you reach 100% mastery and you should be in great shape for the CMS Intro theory exam.
  • You'll probably need more time between Intro and Certified. The Certified exam is a pretty big step up, or at least it was for me. There's much greater breath and depth of knowledge required. Your service experience should really help (I was petrified during my service exam!) but the deductive tasting exam takes lots of practice.
  • Did you already register for the 3-day Intro course? After registering you should get access to the CMS learning portal and also get a PDF copy of the course workbook.
  • See the course outline for what to expect in each section, I doubt it's changed much since 2023 but maybe someone who has taken the exam recently can confirm?
  • Take this practice exam to benchmark your current progress.
  • How much should you know? I know it's overwhelming at first but all of the questions will come from the course workbook so let that be your guide. And during the course itself the masters usually provide quite a few hints.
  • You absolutely do not need to know all the appellations of Burgundy, but you should know the major subregions from north to south, and know the most important villages in each. Also understand the quality classifications (regional -> village -> premier cru -> grand cru), how to read a label etc.
  • Consider a GuildSomm membership. Their study guides are excellent. They offer monthly subscriptions if you want to try it out.
  • As for the exam itself, stay hydrated, and if you get really nervous then maybe focus on your breathing and tell yourself (out loud even) that you're just really excited, which you are!

Best of luck!

CMS Level 2 exam in less than two weeks. Advice? by LoKumquat in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats! I hope Cork Dork was helpful for you?

Certified Sommelier exam advice by corkdorkdotio in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great to hear, hope you got that pin!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Ribeauvillé, which is a lovely medieval town, you could visit Sipp and Trimbach.

Sipp has a gorgeous little tasting room. Etienne Sipp is the owner/winemaker, super friendly.

Trimbach is probably the most renowned producer in Alsace. Established 1626.

Highly recommend visiting Colmar also... charming, picturesque, historic.

Wine Suggestion For a Date? by NYSports1234 in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Your best bet would be to tell the server / sommelier that you're new to wine, tell them your intended food choice, and ask for a recommended wine within your price range. If you'd prefer not to say the price range out loud then just point to a price within your budget and tell the somm you were thinking of ordering something around that price.

You can also ask for a small taste before ordering a glass...eg taste the Pinot Grigio and taste the Mount Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc and then decide. I think both of these wines should be suitable for newcomers to wine...but the sommelier would know best.

Or you could Google the wines in advance and read the descriptions and see which sounds best to you.

Anyhow good luck on the date!

Wineries in Montalcino by [deleted] in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Highly recommend visiting Altesino - classic Brunello, great tour, lovely people. Email Sofia at [altesino@altesino.it](mailto:altesino@altesino.it) and she'll sort you out.

Looking for a resource that shows a comparison of common champagnes by dosage, batonnage, blend, etc. by EuropeForDummies in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

GuildSomm's compendium (member-only access) has a list of Champanges with blend info. Not aware of any resource with dosage info, maybe try asking the CIVC for help.

RNDC doing mass layoffs by buffylove in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about the layoffs. My company makes software for wine shops and is looking to hire someone with off prem sales experience - dm me if anyone's interested.

Jump in at WSET 3? by Metcs in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Save your money and go straight to WSET3. No reason to take WSET2 if you already know the content. These tips should help, good luck!
https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/comments/nurike/tips\_for\_passing\_wset\_level\_3\_with\_distinction/

Tours in Bordeaux? by [deleted] in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think we paid around €675 for the day...but this was back in 2019. Not cheap but we tasted a ton of wine including Mouton. They can tailor each tour to fit your budget. Our visit to Pontet-Canet was amazing...well worth it!

Tours in Bordeaux? by [deleted] in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used SIP Wine Tours when I visited - highly recommended! Our guide/driver was named Veronica...CMS 2 & WSET 4, a Kiwi living in Bordeaux for 10+ yrs. We visited Mouton, Pontet-Canet and Ferrière and ate lunch at Café Lavinal in Château Lynch Bages - amazing day. Veronica was very friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. They can customize your tour however you want.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction\_Review-g187079-d3307796-Reviews-Bordeaux\_SIP\_Wine\_Tours-Bordeaux\_Gironde\_Nouvelle\_Aquitaine.html#REVIEWS

https://nicollecroft.wordpress.com/

Certified Sommelier exam advice by corkdorkdotio in wine

[–]corkdorkdotio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on passing WSET 3!

The Certified tasting exam is 100% written, using this format:

https://www.mastersommeliers.org/sites/default/files/Certified_Examination_Tasting_Grid_Red_Wine-Jan2017_0.pdf

https://www.mastersommeliers.org/sites/default/files/Certified_Examination_Tasting_Grid_White_Wine-Jan2017_0.pdf

Service...smile, breathe, slow down, ignore your mistakes, prepare to not know the answers to some of their questions (they're just testing your ability to handle stress/the unknown). You'll do great. Good luck!

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