Certification from Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) gives sommeliers the opportunity to be recognised worldwide as having a high level of knowledge and skills. Newly ASI certified sommeliers will become part of an elite group of international sommeliers, many of whom are the winners of ASI Continental and World contests!
Created to help standardise the level of sommeliers internationally, the ASI Certification is a valuable asset for a sommelier’s CV, allowing “ASI Sommeliers” to work worldwide with proof of their excellence.
On Monday 13 March 2023, ASI in conjunction with Sommeliers Australia, is again offering the ‘International ASI Diploma for Sommelier’ certification exam.
The ‘International ASI Diploma for Sommelier ‘certification exam has been created to help:
- Develop the Sommelier profession;
- Enhance the quality of Sommeliers worldwide;
- Establish international standards for Sommeliers.
The Diploma exam will be run by Sommeliers Australia, and gives Sommeliers Australia ‘Professional’ members working as sommeliers, the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognised standard of sommellerie. Completed exams are submitted to ASI for marking.
Due to current interest, the 2023 exam will be offered in Sydney only to a maximum of 8 candidates.
THE DIPLOMA EXAM
Held on Monday 13 March, the Diploma exam will be completed in two stages:
Stage 1 – Written exam (Total time 2 hrs 55 mins)
- Written description and identification of 2 international wines served blind. (30 min)
- Identification of 2 local beverages and 3 international spirits/liquor/fortified wines (10 min)
- Questionnaire focussing on the main wine producing countries; beer, spirits and other beverages; grape varieties; viticulture; winemaking; and other topics related to the sommelier profession (90 min)
- An essay (500-800 words) on a professional theme provided by the ASI Certification Exam Committee regarding the world of beverages and the art of ‘sommellerie’ (45 min)
Stage 2 – Oral and practical tests (Each candidate is allocated 15 minutes)
- Marketing (e.g. selling a beverage). (4 min)
- Practical work (e.g. decantation, service of a bottle of wine). (6 min)
- Tasting and food & wine pairing. (5 min)
The exam will be conducted in English.
Details of the venue and timing of the exam will be shared with all successful candidates in late February 2023, once the final number of candidates has been confirmed.
DIPLOMA CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to sit the Diploma, candidates must:
- be fully financial Sommeliers Australia ‘Professional’ members, working as a sommelier (in restaurants, wine bars, wine retail, distribution, etc), with at least 3 years sommelier experience,
- have completed at least WSET Level 3 or CMS Certified OR have equivalent industry experience,
- pay the Examination Fee at the time of registration.
Points to note:
- Candidates should be aware that ASI follows a classic and logical method of tasting, service, decanting, etc.
- As a guideline, in terms of knowledge / difficulty, this exam sits between the WSET Diploma / Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced / Master Sommelier Certificates.
- A high level of personal presentation is required by ASI. Please ensure that you attend the exam well presented (in uniform if appropriate to your workplace, or professional attire) and bring with you: your ID, black or blue pen(s), notebook, wine knife, matches/lighter and a service napkin.
- Candidates can sit the exam in English, French or Spanish (the three official ASI languages). However, candidates who complete the exam in their native language, will only be eligible to receive the Bronze level of accreditation. Candidates who complete the exam in a foreign language will be eligible to receive Silver or Gold accreditation.
DIPLOMA EXAMINATION FEE
Each candidate will need to pay an Examination Fee of A$600 which covers their ASI Diploma exam registration and certification.
Candidates are responsible for their own travel and associated costs to attend the exam in Sydney on Monday 13 March.
DIPLOMA REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
All Diploma candidates are required to submit their registration to Sommeliers Australia by 5pm, Friday 3 March via the registration page.
All candidates who have registered with Sommeliers Australia will have their details transferred to the official ASI registration portal by Sommeliers Australia, once the portal is opened in early 2023.
Only 8 candidates will be accepted to sit the Diploma in Sydney. Candidates must be fully financial ‘Professional’ members of Sommeliers Australia and will be accepted on a ‘first in gets a place’ basis.
Diploma exam registration will close at 5pm, Friday 3 March.
Notes regarding Registration:
- Candidates wanting to sit the Diploma in Australia must be current financial ‘Professional’ members of Sommeliers Australia;
- Candidates must be working Sommeliers (in restaurants, wine bars, wine retail, distribution, etc), with at least 3 years sommelier experience;
- Candidates must submit a high resolution (min. 500kb), passport-style photograph in jpeg format (for the production of the ASI Diploma certification ID card) at the time of registration;
- If candidates wish to sit the exam in a language other than English, please contact [email protected] PRIOR to registering for the Diploma for more information;
- Registration will be accepted up to Friday 4 March for applicants to be considered;
- The Examination Fee must be paid in full at the time of registration;
- The first 8 candidates to complete and submit all of the registration requirements will be offered a place to sit the exam.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
TO REGISTER:
⇒ ASI Diploma Examination Fee – $600
Registration for ASI Diploma closes 5pm, Friday 3 March
CLICK HERE to register for the ASI Diploma via Humanitix
To access the Members registration, Sommeliers Australia Professional Members need to login at sommeliers.com.au, click the ‘View Available Coupons’ button on the dashboard for their UNIQUE ACCESS CODE. Then apply the access code on the Humanitix registration page to ‘Access hidden tickets’.
