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Sommelier certification books: what to read for each exam
The official book behind each programme (Court of Master Sommeliers, WSET, CSW, French Wine Scholar), then the Court's own suggested reading and how to build your shelf level by level.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
4 min read
The short answer: start with the book your programme is built on, because that is where the exam questions come from. Then add a few reference books as you move up the levels. Here is the core book for each major certification, the Court of Master Sommeliers' own reading list, and the order I would buy them in.
The core book for each programme
| Programme | Core material | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, Introductory and Certified | Sommelier (formerly Sales & Service for the Wine Professional) by Brian K. Julyan MS, plus the Court's online learning resources | Book from the Court's shop; a passcode for the online resources comes with the course |
| Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, Introductory | The Introductory Sommelier Course Workbook and the Curriculum Guide | PDF on registration; a print copy is optional, on Amazon |
| WSET Level 2 Award in Wines | Wines: Looking behind the label | Usually in the study pack from your course provider |
| WSET Level 3 Award in Wines | Understanding Wines: Explaining Style and Quality | Usually in the study pack from your course provider |
| Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) | The CSW Study Guide (2026 edition) and its workbook | Amazon and Apple Books |
| French Wine Scholar | The Wine Scholar Guild study manual | Included with the programme |
- Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, Introductory and Certified
- Core materialSommelier (formerly Sales & Service for the Wine Professional) by Brian K. Julyan MS, plus the Court's online learning resources
- How you get itBook from the Court's shop; a passcode for the online resources comes with the course
- Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, Introductory
- Core materialThe Introductory Sommelier Course Workbook and the Curriculum Guide
- How you get itPDF on registration; a print copy is optional, on Amazon
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
- Core materialWines: Looking behind the label
- How you get itUsually in the study pack from your course provider
- WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
- Core materialUnderstanding Wines: Explaining Style and Quality
- How you get itUsually in the study pack from your course provider
- Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)
- Core materialThe CSW Study Guide (2026 edition) and its workbook
- How you get itAmazon and Apple Books
- French Wine Scholar
- Core materialThe Wine Scholar Guild study manual
- How you get itIncluded with the programme
- Court of Master Sommeliers Europe: the Introductory course page says its materials complement Brian K. Julyan's handbook. The sixth edition, published in 2026, is titled Sommelier. See my study guide to the book.
- Court of Master Sommeliers Americas: its course guide says the Curriculum Guide and the Workbook should be your primary resource. Registration also includes a one-month trial of GuildSomm.
- CSW: the Society of Wine Educators states that all exam questions are drawn exclusively from the CSW Study Guide. Make sure you study the current edition. More in my CSW guide.
- WSET: the textbook comes with your course. For Level 3, see how to pass WSET Level 3.
- French Wine Scholar: the manual is the backbone; my French Wine Scholar guide explains how to study it.
The Court of Master Sommeliers' suggested reading
The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe publishes a suggested reading list for all levels, last updated in September 2025. It isn't a syllabus: it is a shelf of books that Master Sommeliers trust. Six of the titles, and what each is good for:
- Sales and Service for the Wine Professional by Brian K. Julyan: the course handbook, now titled Sommelier.
- Wine Tasting by Michael Broadbent: a classic on how to look at, smell and judge wine, first published in 1968.
- Message in the Bottle by Tim Gaiser MS: deductive tasting and sensory memory. My review.
- The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson: the maps. The ninth edition (September 2026) adds Julia Harding as co-author.
- The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson: the A–Z reference. The fifth edition came out in 2023.
- The New France by Andrew Jefford (Mitchell Beazley, 2002): French wine region by region, with photographs by Jason Lowe.
The list also includes Jancis Robinson's Wine Grapes (1,368 varieties), Tom Stevenson's Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, Stephen Brook's The Complete Bordeaux, books on wine science and winemaking, and magazines and GuildSomm for keeping up to date.
How to build your shelf, level by level
| Level | Add these | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory or WSET Level 2 | Your programme's core book, and a wine atlas | The questions come from the core book; maps make regions stick |
| Certified or WSET Level 3 | A tasting book such as Message in the Bottle or Broadbent's Wine Tasting | Blind tasting enters the exam |
| Advanced, Diploma, CSW or FWS | The Oxford Companion to Wine, then one deep book on each region you find hardest | Depth, producers and classifications |
| Master level | Wine Grapes, wine science, and current magazines | Detail, and what changed this year |
- Introductory or WSET Level 2
- Add theseYour programme's core book, and a wine atlas
- WhyThe questions come from the core book; maps make regions stick
- Certified or WSET Level 3
- Add theseA tasting book such as Message in the Bottle or Broadbent's Wine Tasting
- WhyBlind tasting enters the exam
- Advanced, Diploma, CSW or FWS
- Add theseThe Oxford Companion to Wine, then one deep book on each region you find hardest
- WhyDepth, producers and classifications
- Master level
- Add theseWine Grapes, wine science, and current magazines
- WhyDetail, and what changed this year
- Buy the current edition of your core book. Laws, maps and appellations change between editions; service rarely does.
- Don't buy the whole list at once. One book you have read twice beats ten you meant to read.
- Turn reading into questions. After each chapter, write ten questions and answer them a week later.
Not sure which programme fits you? Read WSET vs CMS. Ready to test yourself? Try my Level 1 practice test, or ask SOMM DIGI AI, which has 3,000+ exam-prep questions and 35 Certified flashcard decks.
Questions people ask
What book does the Court of Master Sommeliers use?
Court of Master Sommeliers Europe builds its courses around Brian K. Julyan's handbook, Sales and Service for the Wine Professional; the sixth edition (2026) is called Sommelier. Court of Master Sommeliers Americas uses its own Introductory Course Workbook and Curriculum Guide.
Is the CSW exam based on one book?
Yes. The Society of Wine Educators says all CSW exam questions come from the CSW Study Guide.
Do I need to buy the WSET textbook separately?
Usually not. WSET's course study pack includes the textbook for your level. Check with your course provider.
Is there one book that covers every exam?
No. Each programme has its own syllabus and its own core book. Reference books like The Oxford Companion to Wine and The World Atlas of Wine help with all of them.
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