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Sommelier levels: from commis to wine director
There are two ladders: the ranks in a restaurant, and the certificates you earn. What a junior, senior and head sommelier do, how a wine director differs, and how the certification levels fit.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
3 min read
The short answer: “sommelier level” means two different things. In a restaurant, it is your rank in the wine team, from commis sommelier to wine director. In education, it is the certificate you hold, from Introductory to Master Sommelier. You climb both, often at the same time.
The ranks in a restaurant
| Rank | What they do |
|---|---|
| Commis sommelier | The apprentice. Polishes glasses, stocks the cellar and the floor, opens and pours, and learns the list. |
| Junior sommelier | Serves and sells wine on the floor, with a senior or head sommelier close by. |
| Senior sommelier | Runs a section on their own, handles the big tables and difficult guests, and trains juniors. |
| Head sommelier | Owns the wine list: buying, pricing, the cellar, training and the wine team. |
| Wine director | Runs the whole drinks programme, often across several restaurants: strategy, budget and suppliers. |
- Commis sommelier
- What they doThe apprentice. Polishes glasses, stocks the cellar and the floor, opens and pours, and learns the list.
- Junior sommelier
- What they doServes and sells wine on the floor, with a senior or head sommelier close by.
- Senior sommelier
- What they doRuns a section on their own, handles the big tables and difficult guests, and trains juniors.
- Head sommelier
- What they doOwns the wine list: buying, pricing, the cellar, training and the wine team.
- Wine director
- What they doRuns the whole drinks programme, often across several restaurants: strategy, budget and suppliers.
Titles change from place to place. A small restaurant may have one sommelier doing everything; a large hotel group may add assistant head sommeliers and beverage directors. The work matters more than the title.
Junior vs senior sommelier
Both serve on the floor. The difference is trust: a senior sommelier is trusted with the most important tables, the most valuable bottles and the guests who need a calm, confident hand, and they teach the juniors as they work.
Head sommelier vs wine director
The head sommelier runs the wine in one restaurant, and is usually still on the floor every night. The wine director thinks across the business: several venues, the overall drinks budget and the relationships with importers and producers. In smaller places, one person does both.
The certification levels
- Court of Master Sommeliers: Introductory, Certified, Advanced and Master Sommelier. Each level comes with a certificate and its own pin. See what each pin means.
- WSET: Levels 1 to 3, then the Level 4 Diploma. Strong on theory and tasting, and taken by many people outside restaurants too.
- Master of Wine: a separate, research-based qualification from the Institute of Masters of Wine, aimed at the whole wine trade.
Starting out? Try my Level 1 Sommelier Practice Test. Aiming higher? Read how to prepare for the Advanced exam.
Questions people ask
What is the highest level of sommelier?
In certification, Master Sommelier, from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In a restaurant, the head sommelier or wine director.
What is a commis sommelier?
The apprentice of the wine team, who supports the sommeliers and learns the job on the floor.
Is a head sommelier the same as a wine director?
Not always. A head sommelier runs the wine in one restaurant; a wine director usually runs the drinks programme across a business. In small places, one person does both.
Do you need a certificate to become a head sommelier?
No law requires one, but many head sommeliers hold a Certified Sommelier or WSET qualification.
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