Start with a First Pour — Sommelier Practice Quiz

First Pour, a free intro sommelier quiz, plus the CRU Member Quiz with 3,000+ exam-prep questions across three levels. Built for CMS exam prep.

Written by Alper Billik — Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers, 2019).

What is free, and what needs CRU?

First Pour is the free quiz: Bordeaux is open to everyone, and Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany and Rioja open with a free account — no credit card. Every other First Pour region, the Mixed 50, the Warm-Up sets for Certified and Advanced, and the full Member Quiz across three levels come with CRU Quiz or CRU Reserve.

How do I prepare for the Introductory Sommelier exam?

Start with First Pour on this page — five intro regions free. Focus first on Old World wine regions (France, Italy, Spain, Germany) since they account for the majority of exam content. Practice service basics — opening a still wine, pouring etiquette, glassware selection. Most candidates pass with 4 to 8 weeks of focused study after starting the Intro Sommelier curriculum.

How do I prepare for the Certified Sommelier exam?

The Certified-level material — Burgundy classifications, Bordeaux growths, Champagne production, German Prädikat, Italian appellations — is in the Member Quiz Level 2 and the Warm-Up · Certified set, both with CRU. Pair it with blind tasting drills (4 wines, 25 minutes), service practice (decanting, by-the-glass program defense), and a tasting group. Most Certified candidates put in 6 to 12 months of preparation.

How do I prepare for the Advanced Sommelier exam?

The Advanced exam is a different animal — 6 blind wines in 25 minutes, deep producer-level theory, and 3 days of service under examiner scrutiny. Start with the Member Quiz Level 3 and the Warm-Up · Advanced set (CRU), then read our full study guide at /study/advanced-sommelier-exam-prep. Plan 12 to 18 months of preparation including daily tasting practice. Historic pass rates are around 25 to 30 percent on first sitting.

What is the difference between Intro, Certified, and Advanced Sommelier?

The Court of Master Sommeliers offers a progressive path: Introductory (foundational wine and service knowledge, usually a 2-day course + exam), Certified (working sommelier level, multi-station exam with theory, tasting, and service), and Advanced (top 5 percent globally, 3-day exam with 6-wine blind tasting). You must pass each level before sitting the next. Master Sommelier is the final level above Advanced.

Can I use these quizzes if I am studying for WSET instead of CMS?

Absolutely. The theory content overlaps significantly between Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 and Level 3 curricula. Students preparing for WSET Level 2 generally start with First Pour; WSET Level 3 candidates use the Member Quiz Levels 2 and 3. Our AI chat handles WSET-specific questions too.

How are the quiz questions written?

Every question is written by Alper Billik, an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers, 2019) with 15 years of working experience across Burj Al Arab, Disney Cruise Line, Queen Victoria cruise, and Cheval Blanc Randheli LVMH. The questions come from his actual exam prep notebooks built over a decade of study and service.

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How these quizzes work.

Start with a First Pour.

Five intro regions, free. The full Member Quiz — three levels — is inside CRU.

Free · Intro Sommelier

CRU · Certified Sommelier

A warm-up set for members · no competition points

CRU · Advanced Sommelier

First Pour tests you. CRU trains you.

The system serious sommeliers actually use.

Score, then start over

Member Quiz — 3,000+ Questions

Built by an Advanced Sommelier to get you exam-ready — full explanations and personal progress tracking.

Sommelier Practice Tests — Intro to Advanced

— Bordeaux for everyone, and Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany and Rioja with a free account. The

live in the CRU Member Quiz, with a Warm-Up set for each level.

at any stage of your sommelier journey.

These quizzes are for practice and self-assessment purposes only. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any official sommelier certification body.

First Pour — Intro · Warm-Up · Certified · Warm-Up · Advanced · Study guides