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Sommelier exam questions by level, with answers

Practice questions for each Court of Master Sommeliers level, from Introductory to Advanced, each with the answer and a one-line why, and how the questions change as you climb.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

6 min read

The short answer: sommelier exam questions get deeper, not just harder, at each level. The Introductory asks you to recognise the right answer. The Certified asks you to recall it and write it down. The Advanced asks for detail: producers, sub-regions, laws and numbers. Below are 20 practice questions in that spirit, grouped by level, each with the answer and a short reason.

They are my questions, written as an Advanced Sommelier in the style of each level. Nobody can share real exam questions, and you shouldn't trust anyone who offers to.

How the questions change by level

Introductory
Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeA multiple-choice theory paper, plus a short service test
Court of Master Sommeliers Americas70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes
Certified
Court of Master Sommeliers Europe40 questions: ten multiple choice and thirty short answer
Court of Master Sommeliers Americas45 questions in 38 minutes: multiple choice, short answer, simple maths and matching, including maps, labels and wine-list mistakes
Advanced
Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeMultiple-choice and short-answer questions; the Court publishes sample questions
Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasA separate theory exam first; the Court publishes illustrative examples

Both Courts show the depth they expect: Europe's sample Advanced questions and the Americas' guides and examples in their Resource Library. The Americas' exam guide shows the jump with one topic. At the Introductory, you might be asked which drink liqueur de tirage is used for, and pick Champagne from a list. At the Certified, you are asked what goes into the liqueur de tirage, and must write it. Same subject; you need to know it from the inside.

Introductory level

Question 1

A barrique, the classic Bordeaux barrel, holds about:

  1. a)114 litres
  2. b)225 litres
  3. c)500 litres
  4. d)1,000 litres
Show answer

b) 225 litres. The Bordeaux barrique holds 225 litres; the Burgundy pièce holds 228.

Question 2

The Côte Chalonnaise lies between:

  1. a)The Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais
  2. b)Chablis and the Côte de Nuits
  3. c)The Mâconnais and Beaujolais
  4. d)The Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune
Show answer

a) The Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais. It sits just south of the Côte de Beaune, with the Mâconnais to its south.

Question 3

Red Cahors, in South West France, is made mainly from:

  1. a)Tannat
  2. b)Merlot
  3. c)Malbec
  4. d)Cabernet Franc
Show answer

c) Malbec. Cahors is the old home of Malbec, also called Côt there.

Question 4

What is a vin doux naturel, such as Banyuls or Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise?

  1. a)A sweet wine whose fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit
  2. b)A dry wine made without added sulphur
  3. c)A sparkling wine made by the ancestral method
  4. d)A sweet wine made from frozen grapes
Show answer

a) A sweet wine whose fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit. Adding spirit (mutage) stops the fermentation, keeping natural grape sugar in the wine.

Question 5

Cava's three traditional white grapes are:

  1. a)Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada
  2. b)Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier
  3. c)Glera, Verdiso and Perera
  4. d)Albariño, Godello and Treixadura
Show answer

a) Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. Macabeo (Viura), Xarel·lo and Parellada are Cava's classic trio.

Question 6

Vinho Verde comes from which region of Portugal?

  1. a)Douro
  2. b)Minho
  3. c)Alentejo
  4. d)Dão
Show answer

b) Minho. Vinho Verde is made in the cool, green Minho, in the north-west.

Certified level

Question 7

In the VDP classification, the tier just below Grosse Lage is:

  1. a)Gutswein
  2. b)Ortswein
  3. c)Erste Lage
  4. d)Grosses Gewächs
Show answer

c) Erste Lage. From the bottom: Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage, Grosse Lage. Grosses Gewächs is the dry wine from a Grosse Lage.

Question 8

In Austria, DAC stands for:

  1. a)Districtus Austriae Controllatus
  2. b)Denominazione Austriaca Controllata
  3. c)Domaine Autrichien Contrôlé
  4. d)Deutsche Anbau Classification
Show answer

a) Districtus Austriae Controllatus. Districtus Austriae Controllatus: Austria's system of regional appellations.

Question 9

Santorini's signature white grape is:

  1. a)Moschofilero
  2. b)Assyrtiko
  3. c)Xinomavro
  4. d)Agiorgitiko
Show answer

b) Assyrtiko. Assyrtiko. Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko are red grapes; Moschofilero is the grape of Mantinia.

Question 10

Which of these AVAs is in Washington State?

  1. a)Red Mountain
  2. b)Dundee Hills
  3. c)Paso Robles
  4. d)Edna Valley
Show answer

a) Red Mountain. Red Mountain is in Washington. Dundee Hills is in Oregon; Paso Robles and Edna Valley are in California.

Question 11

Which of these AVAs is in Monterey County, California?

  1. a)Russian River Valley
  2. b)Stags Leap District
  3. c)Santa Lucia Highlands
  4. d)Alexander Valley
Show answer

c) Santa Lucia Highlands. Santa Lucia Highlands is in Monterey. Russian River and Alexander Valley are in Sonoma; Stags Leap District is in Napa.

Question 12

Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley are part of which Argentine region?

  1. a)Salta
  2. b)San Juan
  3. c)Mendoza
  4. d)Patagonia
Show answer

c) Mendoza. Both are sub-regions of Mendoza.

Question 13

Furmint is the main grape of:

  1. a)Tokaji
  2. b)Egri Bikavér
  3. c)Retsina
  4. d)Vinho Verde
Show answer

a) Tokaji. Furmint is the backbone of Tokaji, dry and sweet.

Question 14

A red Rioja Gran Reserva must be aged for at least:

  1. a)2 years, 1 in oak
  2. b)3 years, 1 in oak
  3. c)5 years, 2 in oak
  4. d)6 years, 3 in oak
Show answer

c) 5 years, 2 in oak. Five years in total, at least two of them in oak. Crianza is two with one in oak; Reserva three with one in oak.

Advanced level

Question 15

Lambic beer is fermented by:

  1. a)Bottom-fermenting lager yeast
  2. b)Wild yeasts and bacteria, spontaneously
  3. c)Top-fermenting ale yeast only
  4. d)Koji mould
Show answer

b) Wild yeasts and bacteria, spontaneously. Lambic, from the area around Brussels, relies on spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts and bacteria.

Question 16

Pierce's disease is spread in the vineyard by:

  1. a)Sharpshooter insects
  2. b)Nematodes
  3. c)Phylloxera
  4. d)Birds
Show answer

a) Sharpshooter insects. A bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, is carried from vine to vine by sap-feeding sharpshooters.

Question 17

Grapevine leafroll disease is caused by:

  1. a)A fungus
  2. b)A virus
  3. c)A bacterium
  4. d)A lack of potassium
Show answer

b) A virus. Leafroll is a viral disease, spread by grafting and by mealybugs.

Question 18

Eutypa dieback is:

  1. a)A virus spread by aphids
  2. b)A fungal trunk disease that enters through pruning wounds
  3. c)A bacterial disease spread by leafhoppers
  4. d)Damage from spring frost
Show answer

b) A fungal trunk disease that enters through pruning wounds. Eutypa is a fungus that infects the wood through pruning wounds and slowly kills the arms of the vine.

Question 19

Biodynamic preparation 500 is made from:

  1. a)Cow manure buried in a cow horn over winter
  2. b)Ground quartz buried in a horn over summer
  3. c)Yarrow flowers
  4. d)Chamomile flowers
Show answer

a) Cow manure buried in a cow horn over winter. Preparation 500, horn manure, is sprayed on the soil. Preparation 501, horn silica, is made from ground quartz.

Question 20

Château Latour, a First Growth of 1855, is in which commune?

  1. a)Margaux
  2. b)Saint-Julien
  3. c)Pauillac
  4. d)Saint-Estèphe
Show answer

c) Pauillac. Latour is in Pauillac, alongside Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild.

Keep practising

Starting out? My Level 1 practice test has 40 Introductory-style questions. Working towards the Certified? The Certified theory guide lists the topics region by region. Aiming higher? Read how to prepare for the Advanced. For a new set of questions every day, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions and makes quizzes on any region.

Quiz yourself with SOMM DIGI AILevel 1 practice test

Questions people ask

What kind of questions are on sommelier exams?

Wine regions, grapes, laws and labels, winemaking, vine growing, fortified wines, spirits, beer and sake, and service. The format moves from multiple choice at the Introductory to short written answers at the Certified and Advanced.

Can I get real sommelier exam questions?

No. The Courts keep their exams confidential. The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe publishes sample Advanced questions to show the depth expected, and the Americas publish example questions in their exam guides.

How many questions are on the Certified Sommelier theory exam?

40 at the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, and 45 in 38 minutes at the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas.

Are the Advanced questions much harder?

They expect far more detail: specific producers, sub-regions, vineyard diseases, laws and figures. Look at the Court's published sample questions to see the level.

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