Hot Topic? CMS vs WSET

I think a big question that I get asked as a sommelier from persons interested in getting into wine is which course should I take? And my answer to that is honestly both. For different reasons and here is why. WSET honestly, a bit of a $$ maker and very much capitalized on the whole education market because WSET 2 is $750 and WSET 3 is $1500 and a trip to a testing center, meanwhile CMS is $650 and then $500 for your certified which both typically include travel. My advice if you're interested in WSET is to go straight to 2 because honestly no one is going to look at you with any credibility as a WSET 1 (professionally) and I say this because I was that person once upon a time. I actually went to French Laundry in celebration of a damn WSET 1 education el oh el.... WSET is more environmentally focused as you get more and more into it and WSET 3 was huge step but none the less the information that you are going to get is going to be useful for your learning and education. I am not discrediting any level of education someone else will though. WSET was my starting point for my career in wine because of how approachable and accessible it was in person and online because I am in LA not wine country. And I had been following more wine persons on instagram who were doing WSET. WSET gives you a syllabus and textbook for material vs CMS which does for the intro but no textbook for certified and so forth. Which is terrifying again- been there. If anyone is reading this and following my journey then you know I had 40 days to prep for my test and it was gnarly. Anyways! WSET is not by service standard basically enough to be a sommelier at a restaurant level and why is because WSET does give you some rules and fermentation styles for regions but not to the precise and exact like CMS would. Also WSET does not go into history of regions or laws or producers really like CMS. Intro to CMS textbook is available on amazon it's under $50 I recommend it to anyone who is curious about CMS and doesn't have the $650, it can be a great tool to use to just get started. Wine can be very hard to get started because of how complex it truly is. None the less a WSET education is fine and useful but go and take the CMS Intro and if you are working in service obviously CMS is more globally accepted especially at the certified level of okay you have this specific standard of education which is very useful in any environment. To dig deeper into CMS for starters will break down the basics of varietals and their respective origin and where they've gone and where they have stayed. Also CMS dives more into the history of each region laws rules stipulations and of course iconic producers and their wine and fine detail of it. CMS intro wont give you as much information on that initially it really is just the basics it is where the certified test that comes into play that you will need more in depth knowledge. Again there is no textbook or really syllabus to give to prepare you for the exam. Also CMS is entirely wine and liquor focused too. You will need to know extensive background information on spirits sake their origin their classification and then for liquor your classic cocktails. WSET doesn't start tasting until the 3rd level which is not all that helpful for blind tasting. Tasting broken down and what makes a good taster is obviously sight smell and taste but it only works when you have the correct amount of theory in your brain to help you distinguish what you are tasting and from WHERE. CMS is like "what am i seeing what am i smelling then what am i tasting thennnnnn from all of that what can it be?" Oh this wine is a little orange not too deep in color but is bright and tannic but not a crazy grip, I can taste oak and smell these fruits so what could this be? Well it is light in color has orange has tannin is lighter body so uhh yeah a Nebbiolo is where my mind is going. VS WSET which is like what are the flavors what are the secondary values I am tasting and then what varietal. You do not have to know region for WSET 3 you have to know varietal meanwhile CMS is like what is this and where is it from. I really urge people to just start tasting the basics do not taste some California Nebbiolo because that wont be on your test typically it's a Chardonnay a Syrah or a more relevant varietal and expression so is this Chardonnay a California Chardonnay is it tropical, is it malolactic fermentation, am I tasting an extreme amount of oak or is it French is it a little salty a little citrus a little malo what is this.? Then determining what it is correctly after. CMS entire objective is going to take you so much further than WSET and make you so much more confident in what you know. Again CMS gives you liquor sake and service while WSET doesn't, and it is extra $$ to take those courses which is such bullshit. Sorry, pardon my French. You do not need to spend $5k plus on basic information. Professionals will take you more serious future employers and overall you will be held to a higher standard with CMS. Now the elephant in the room,  CMS big chaos a few years back which they I believe have done a good job with repairing. Some women are really just not interested because of what has happened in the past which really makes me frustrated because that is why we need to get in there. For every 10 sommeliers only 1 of the 10 are women.  Take our divine femininity and pour it into this amazing passion and career. Plus nothing is better than being able to sprinkle a little charm a little bubbly to get into events, tastings, dinners, and use that to your advantage. It really has aided me honestly as a young sommelier and attractive I have had a lot of opportunity because of just that, which sure is superficial but not if you capitalize on it. Embrace it. Get over this woke ish behavior and ideals that we need to fight for this and that etc. Again that is my very subjective view on this and this blog is just a diary and hopefully helpful for someone so don't cancel me for saying to use your looks. Whatttteverrrrrr. My point is that it is so concentrated with men we need more women. Moving on. I initially started this talking about how I would recommend both if your'e able to, obviously, CMS is my better choice. There is just so much more information that will benefit you so much for cost and more than WSET and then again credibility in this industry because it is so tough and being female, with wine there is always going to be something you don't know, which, is humbling. I think that if you have opportunity to do both I would start with WSET 2 then go into CMS Intro move back to WSET 3 and then go for your CMS Cert, that was my order I went in and it really set me up for success and put me as such an advantage for having a crossed education of both. I am now almost 2 years into my own wine venture and in my first year I completed my WSET 1 2 3 and my CMS Intro and Cert. I recommend and do not recommend doing that because it was so absolutely stressful and insane but I am the type of person that thrives a bit in a constructed chaos. I am an Aries I love the fire.  I also traveled all around in that time going to France, and all over California. Lets just say my full time job at the fine dining restaurant I was working at was not happy with me from a management position. But whatever you have to do just do. Take advantage of your time and your drive for wine and just dive in. It was totally worth it. If you loved this article or have any questions for me please follow me on Instagram @beverlyhillswinesnob or email me directly chloe@beverlyhillswinesnob.com xoxo