National Wine School
How to Become a Sommelier
Becoming a sommelier is a progression. You start with the fundamentals of wine, build professional tasting skills, and then study the major wine regions of the world.
At National Wine School, that progression is divided into three certification levels:
Level One → Level Two → Level Three → Core Sommelier
Complete all three levels, and you earn Core Sommelier certification. At that point, you are a sommelier. If you already know that is your goal, you can enroll in the complete Core Sommelier program and take all three levels as a single pathway.
Sommelier Certification Levels
Level One Sommelier
The Starting Point
Level One is where most students begin.
This course establishes the fundamentals you need before moving into professional wine study: how wine is made, how to taste it, the major grape varieties, wine service, and the principles of food and wine pairing.
45 clock hours • $300
Successful completion earns Level One Sommelier certification.
If you have never completed a formal sommelier or wine-certification program, start here. Former WSET Student? Transfer your credits.
Level Two Sommelier
Professional Wine Tasting
Level Two develops the sensory skills of a sommelier.
You move beyond identifying basic flavors and begin learning why a wine tastes the way it does. The course connects grape growing, winemaking, and sensory analysis, with an emphasis on blind tasting.
90 clock hours • $499
Level One is required before starting Level Two.
Successful completion earns Level Two Sommelier certification.
Level Three Sommelier
The World of Wine
Level Three takes the tasting skills developed in Level Two and applies them to the world’s major wine regions.
You study the grapes, geography, climate, terroir, and wine styles of the world’s important producing regions while developing deductive tasting skills.
90 clock hours • $550
Level One and Level Two must be completed before Level Three. Successful completion earns the Core Sommelier certification.
Core Sommelier
The Complete Sommelier Program
The Core Sommelier program combines all three certification levels:
Level One: 45 clock hours
Level Two: 90 clock hours
Level Three: 90 clock hours
225 clock hours • $1,100
Complete all three levels, and you earn Core Sommelier certification.
If your goal is to become a sommelier from the beginning, the Core program is the most direct path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything You Want to Know About Sommelier Certification
I am new to formal wine education. Where should I start?
Start with Level One Sommelier.
I have already completed WSET or Court of Master Sommeliers coursework.
If you have completed equivalent Level One training through WSET or CMS, you may be eligible to transfer that credential and begin with Level Two. Request a Credential Transfer.
I know I want to become a sommelier.
Enroll directly in the Core Sommelier program, which includes Levels One, Two, and Three.
I have already completed Core Sommelier.
You are ready for the Advanced Sommelier program. Explore Advanced Sommelier Courses.
What Do the Sommelier Levels Actually Mean?
The three levels are designed to build on one another rather than function as unrelated certificates.
Level One teaches the language of wine. You learn the fundamentals of grapes, winemaking, tasting, and service.
Level Two teaches you how wine works. You develop sensory skills and learn how viticulture and winemaking create the characteristics you find in the glass.
Level Three teaches you where wine comes from. You connect those skills to the world’s wine regions and develop deductive tasting.
Together, those three levels form the Core Sommelier curriculum.
Core Sommelier is not the end of the pathway.
Advanced Sommelier Certification
Students who want to continue can move into specialized Advanced study. Each Advanced course is a 135-clock-hour program devoted to a specific area of wine.
To earn Advanced Sommelier certification:
Core Sommelier + Four Advanced Courses = Advanced Sommelier Certification
That represents 765 clock hours of study from Level One through Advanced Sommelier.
The National WIne School is fastest growing sommelier accreditation body in the United States.
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