![]() Is it time to say goodbye to the Court of Master Sommeliers? With eminent sommeliers quitting under protest and a wide array of accusations being leveled at the certification body, it’s time to consider the evidence. We’ve lain out what people in the wine industry are saying about the Court of Master Sommelier – Americas (CMSA). These include issues around racism, sexual violence, cheating, and political bias.
We also offer alternatives if you decide to not support the Court. There are equally good sommelier certification bodies available, so you can earn your sommelier pin with an agency that better aligns with your personal beliefs.
The Court of Master Sommeliers has a Racism Problem![]() “In order to speak, you need to call me master”A Master Sommelier Examiner to Tahiirah HabibiTahiirah has recently published a heartbreaking recollection of blatant racism within the Court of Master Sommeliers. We strongly recommend you listen to how the Court of Master Sommeliers nearly destroyed her love of wine and then callously exploited her.
Such accusations have been lingering for a long time. Currently, less than 1% of all Master Sommeliers are black.
The Court of Master Sommeliers has a Sexual Violence ProblemIn that past several years, we have had countless articles and two bestselling books that outline a disturbing and deeply ingrained culture of sexual violence within the sommelier world.
In her book, James states that a restaurant owner raped her in the wine cellar. “I was young and insecure and thought that this was what women went through.” She is far from the only wine author to level deeply disturbing accusations. Bianca Bosker, the bestselling author of the book Cork Dork, recalled numerous examples of sexual violence and inappropriate behavior. She also pointed out that the restaurant industry accounts for more sexual harassment complaints than any other industry.
It doesn’t help that only 16% of all Master Sommeliers and only 14% of its board of directors are female. With women being the largest segment of wine consumers, it’s long past time for this to change.
We call on the court to bring in a board of directors that more accurately reflects the community they serve, and that must include women as well as black and indigenous people of color. The Court of Master Sommeliers has a Republican ProblemJust because a Master Sommelier is a Republican or is employed by one is not a cause to boycott the Court. Nor do we think it’s a problem if a Master Sommelier is a financial donors to the Republican party. Everyone has the right to their own beliefs. However, the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas (CMSA) is a nonprofit agency that claims to represent the industry as a whole. If they appear to be a politically partisan group, that is a severe conflict of interest. In our reporting, we discovered that the Board of Directors of the CMSA has a distinct Republican bias. Most of the board members are executives in businesses whose leadership donates heavily to right-wing causes. Currently, 7% of the board either donated to or worked for someone who donated to Democratic Causes. 14% donated to both parties, and a whopping 57% donated solely to Republicans. Dollar for dollar, the data is even worse. The money given to Democrats on average was less than $400, while the average donation to Republicans was over $10,000. We believe this lack of representation of differing political views is one of the systemic problems facing the Court. Republican Donors & The Master Sommeliers Board of Directors
Democratic Donors & The Master Sommeliers Board of Directors
Dual Donors & The Master Sommeliers Board of Directors
The Court Accepts Big Contributions from a Far-Right Political DonorThe Court of Master Sommeliers has deep financial ties to Barbara Banke, the far-right political donor. She funds the CMS scholarship program under the name of her wine company, the Jackson Family Wines Scholarship. We call on the court to sever ties with the Republican party and bring in a board of directors that more accurately reflects the communities they serve.
The Court of Master Sommeliers Has A Cheating ProblemIn 2018, a board member was caught giving answers to the Master Sommelier exam to one of his protegees. This blatant cheating was uncovered because the protegee had second thoughts and consulted a lawyer after taking the exam, and passing.
It is well-known that members of the board will tutor the very candidates they are supposed to be testing. This type of advocacy is part of the Master Sommelier culture. While on the surface this may seem innocuous, consider that this gives the beneficiaries (who are mostly male and white) a huge competitive advantage over other candidates. ![]() This cronyism goes far beyond giving an unfair advantage to certain people: it has clearly encouraged outright cheating. It was a fluke that the fraud was exposed, and we have no way to know how long such cheating has been going on: the Court continues to stonewall any outside investigation into the scandal. This is not the only issue with cronyism. Board members are also allowed to change the scores after the exam to benefit certain applicants.
After clearly stating that the board will change scores for some candidates, he backtracked and claimed they would only do so “to adjust for exam flaws”. After discussing this issue with multiple sommeliers who have conducted blind tasting exams, there seems to be no valid reason to ever change a grade after the exam has been conducted. The Court of Master Sommeliers has refused to comment on these serious issues, despite being widely reported on in the media. At this point, it is illogical to assume there was only one case of cheating, or that altering final scores is only done “to adjust for exam flaws.” It is entirely possible the premise of the Master Sommelier certification is a fabrication.
The Court of Master Sommeliers Has A Money ProblemThe Court is a nonprofit agency [501(c)(6)] under US law. In their filings with the IRS, it clearly shows that they make an average of five million dollars a year, almost all of it earned through entrance fees for sommelier exams. Where does that money go? According to the US government, nearly all that money goes to compensation and management expenses.
Having nearly 70% of a budget devoted to administration and expenses is a red flag, according to many nonprofit watchdogs.
While these red flags are problematic, the Court is also not fulfilling its obligations as a non-profit.
According to its own documentation, the CSMSA is not serving the common interests of the sommelier trade, as it is legally bound to. It is only spending money to benefit its board of directors and employees. In its filings for 2018, the CMSA spent exactly zero dollars to support the sommelier community. Alternatives to the Court of Master SommeliersDo you think it’s time to boycott the CMSA? There are several accreditation agencies in the wine trade that offer sommelier certification. They offer the exact same level of certification as the Court. You can check out a comparison chart of the three major wine trade certification bodies.
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