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Prepare for the Level 1 Sommelier exam with AI: topics, prompts and a plan

What the Court's Introductory exam covers, a prompt for every topic, how to study with SOMM DIGI AI or any AI chat, and five questions to test yourself.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

5 min read

The short answer: Level 1 is the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier exam: a multiple-choice theory paper (in Europe, with a short service test too), with 60% needed to pass. AI is a good study partner for it. It explains any topic simply and quizzes you as often as you like. Use the Court's material as your answer key, and AI to practise.

I passed my Introductory at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa in 2012, long before AI could help. Here is how I would use it now.

The exam at each Court

	Court of Master Sommeliers Europe	Court of Master Sommeliers Americas
Course	Two days of lectures and tastings with Master Sommeliers	Online Introductory course
Exam	Morning of day three: a multiple-choice theory paper and a short practical service test	70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, online with a live proctor
To pass	60% in each part	60%

Course: Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeTwo days of lectures and tastings with Master Sommeliers; Court of Master Sommeliers AmericasOnline Introductory course

Exam: Court of Master Sommeliers EuropeMorning of day three: a multiple-choice theory paper and a short practical service test; Court of Master Sommeliers Americas70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, online with a live proctor

To pass: Court of Master Sommeliers Europe60% in each part; Court of Master Sommeliers Americas60%

One thing people miss: the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe says the Introductory is not an introduction to wine. It recommends above-average wine knowledge before the exam, and some service experience. That's where AI earns its place: the study you do before the course. Check the details on the Europe and Americas pages.

What to study, with a prompt for each

The Court's course covers the basics of the vineyard and the winery, the grapes, origins and classifications of the principal wines of the world, spirits and liqueurs, beer and saké, service, food and wine, and an introduction to tasting. Here is that outline as prompts you can paste into any AI chat:

Topic	Why it matters	Try this prompt
The vine's year	Ripeness decides style	Walk me through the vine's annual cycle, from budbreak to harvest, in eight short steps.
Climate and soil	Why one grape tastes different in two places	Compare how a cool and a warm climate change Chardonnay: acidity, alcohol and fruit.
Winemaking	Steel, oak, malolactic, lees	Explain the difference between stainless steel and oak for white wine, and how each shows in the glass.
Key terms	Exam favourites	Define botrytis (noble rot) and name three sweet wines made from botrytised grapes.
Grapes and regions	The core of the theory paper	List the main grapes of Bordeaux's Left Bank and Right Bank, and say why they differ.
Wine law and labels	Reading a label correctly	Explain AOP, DOCG and Prädikatswein in one line each, and what each tells me on a label.
Oak and barrels	Size and origin change flavour	How does a 225-litre barrique differ from a large foudre in its effect on wine?
Spirits, liqueurs, beer and saké	Part of the course, often skipped	How are Cognac and Scotch whisky made differently? Keep it to the key steps.
Service	Europe tests it in the exam	Talk me through presenting, opening and pouring a bottle of sparkling wine at the table.
Food and wine	The basics of matching	Why do high-acid wines work with salty and fatty food? Give three classic pairings.

The vine's year: Why it mattersRipeness decides style; Try this promptWalk me through the vine's annual cycle, from budbreak to harvest, in eight short steps.

Climate and soil: Why it mattersWhy one grape tastes different in two places; Try this promptCompare how a cool and a warm climate change Chardonnay: acidity, alcohol and fruit.

Winemaking: Why it mattersSteel, oak, malolactic, lees; Try this promptExplain the difference between stainless steel and oak for white wine, and how each shows in the glass.

Key terms: Why it mattersExam favourites; Try this promptDefine botrytis (noble rot) and name three sweet wines made from botrytised grapes.

Grapes and regions: Why it mattersThe core of the theory paper; Try this promptList the main grapes of Bordeaux's Left Bank and Right Bank, and say why they differ.

Wine law and labels: Why it mattersReading a label correctly; Try this promptExplain AOP, DOCG and Prädikatswein in one line each, and what each tells me on a label.

Oak and barrels: Why it mattersSize and origin change flavour; Try this promptHow does a 225-litre barrique differ from a large foudre in its effect on wine?

Spirits, liqueurs, beer and saké: Why it mattersPart of the course, often skipped; Try this promptHow are Cognac and Scotch whisky made differently? Keep it to the key steps.

Service: Why it mattersEurope tests it in the exam; Try this promptTalk me through presenting, opening and pouring a bottle of sparkling wine at the table.

Food and wine: Why it mattersThe basics of matching; Try this promptWhy do high-acid wines work with salty and fatty food? Give three classic pairings.

How to study with AI, step by step

Start from the Court's outline, not the AI's. Europe gives Introductory candidates a passcode for its online learning resources; the Americas publish theirs in an online Resource Library. Here is how to use the syllabus.
One topic a day. Ask for a simple explanation first, then: “Now ask me ten questions on it, one at a time.”
Answer from memory, then check. Note what you got wrong and ask about it again tomorrow.
Ask for the why. Multiple choice rewards understanding: why Chablis is lean, why Sauternes is sweet.
Role-play service. “Play a guest who wants a red to go with steak. Push back once.” Answer out loud.
Check every surprising fact against the Court's material or the region's official body. AI can be confidently wrong.

My guide to viticulture and vinification for Level 1 covers the vineyard and winery topics in depth.

Where SOMM DIGI AI fits

I built SOMM DIGI AI for this path: Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET, Introductory, Certified and Advanced. Honest about it: I didn't build my own AI model. I taught today's best AI to talk wine like a sommelier, using my own Advanced Sommelier exam notes. For a Level 1 candidate that means:

3,000+ exam-prep questions, with quizzes and flashcards.
Pronunciation help, so you can say the names before you're asked to.
A chat that answers like a sommelier, for the questions your notes don't cover.
Free to start, with no card. The free Prompt Guide also works in ChatGPT and Claude.

Try five questions

Question 1

What is Botrytis cinerea?

a)A fungus that can concentrate sugar in ripe grapes
b)A pest that attacks vine roots
c)A type of French oak
d)A Hungarian grape variety

Show answer

a) A fungus that can concentrate sugar in ripe grapes. Botrytis cinerea, called noble rot when it works in your favour, shrivels ripe grapes and concentrates their sugar and acidity. It is behind Sauternes and Tokaji Aszú.

Question 2

What does malolactic conversion do?

a)Turns sugar into alcohol
b)Turns sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid
c)Creates the bubbles in sparkling wine
d)Removes tannin from red wine

Show answer

b) Turns sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid. Lactic acid bacteria convert malic acid into lactic acid, which softens the wine and can add buttery notes.

Question 3

Which grape is Chablis made from?

a)Sauvignon Blanc
b)Chardonnay
c)Chenin Blanc
d)Pinot Blanc

Show answer

b) Chardonnay. Chablis, in northern Burgundy, is white wine made from Chardonnay.

Question 4

How much does a standard Bordeaux barrique hold?

a)75 litres
b)225 litres
c)500 litres
d)1,000 litres

Show answer

b) 225 litres. The Bordeaux barrique holds 225 litres. Bigger vessels, such as a foudre, give the wine less oak flavour.

Question 5

The red Grand Cru wines of Burgundy's Côte d'Or are made from which grape?

a)Gamay
b)Pinot Noir
c)Merlot
d)Syrah

Show answer

b) Pinot Noir. Red Burgundy from the Côte d'Or, Grand Crus included, is Pinot Noir.

Want more? My Level 1 practice test has 40 questions with answers and explanations.

Level 1 practice test Try SOMM DIGI AI free

Questions people ask

What is the Level 1 sommelier exam?

The Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier exam. In Europe: a multiple-choice theory paper and a short service test after a two-day course. In the Americas' online course: 70 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes. 60% to pass.

Can I use AI to study for Level 1?

Yes, for explanations and practice questions. Check important answers against the Court's own material, because AI can make mistakes.

Do I need to know wine before the Introductory course?

The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe says yes: it recommends above-average wine knowledge before the exam, and some service experience.

Can I skip Level 1 and go straight to the Certified?

No. The Court requires every level, starting with the Introductory.

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