About the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe (also covering Africa, Oceania and Asia)
The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe* (CMS Europe) is an independently governed educational and examining body, established in the lineage of the world’s first Master Sommelier examination, held in London in 1969. CMS Europe operates under its own Board, code of conduct, and disciplinary process.
CMS Europe shares common standards with the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas (founded in 1997), but the two organisations are separately constituted, separately governed, and independently accountable for their own courses, examinations, and conduct. Decisions made by one organisation do not bind, and are not made on behalf of, the other.
Candidates, employers, and the trade press can rely on this page as the authoritative statement of how CMS Europe is governed, how it safeguards its examinations, and how it handles concerns.
*Registered business name, from 1977, is Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide
Our Board
A Board of Master Sommeliers leads CMS Europe, sets strategic direction, oversees academic and examination standards, and safeguards the organisation’s integrity. Board members serve fixed, published terms and are listed by name on this site, along with their role and tenure.
You can find a list of Board Members here.
Code of Conduct
All CMS Europe Master Sommeliers, examiners, and course instructors are bound by a Code of Conduct covering:
- Professional and respectful behaviour toward candidates, colleagues, and the public
- Prohibition of any exchange of confidential examination material, in any form, before or during an examination
- Conflict-of-interest disclosure for anyone examining a candidate they have personally taught, mentored, or have a financial relationship with
- Standards of conduct at CMS Europe events, courses, and social functions connected to the organisation
A disciplinary committee of non-Board members oversees any issues arising from conduct.
Examination Security
The integrity of the blind-tasting and theory examinations is protected by a defined chain-of-custody process:
- Wine selections for blind-tasting examinations are known only to a limited group (2 people) before the exam, under a documented confidentiality protocol, and are not revealed to other examiners until an hour before the examination.
- Committees cover the Theoretical and Practical exam papers; all members are also under a confidentiality protocol.
- Any credible report of a breach of examination confidentiality triggers an immediate, independent review before results are confirmed
We publish Pass results for every sitting, at every level, as a matter of routine — not only when results are newsworthy.
Our results archive is available on our website under News.
Reporting a Concern
CMS Europe maintains a reporting channel, independent of course instructors and examiners, for candidates, members, or the public to raise a concern about conduct, examination integrity, or safeguarding. Reports may be made confidentially.
Any students raising a concern may report it to Laura Rhys MS (laura@courtofmastersommeliers.org) for investigation.
CMS Europe does not require a concern to be raised through a Board member or examiner in order to be heard.
Our Commitment
CMS Europe is committed to:
- Transparent, regularly published examination results
- Named, accountable leadership
- A safe, respectful environment for every candidate, regardless of background, gender, or seniority
- Independent review of any credible concern raised about our courses, examinations, or members
The Board reviews and updates this page annually.
Last updated: August 2026