You may not need fancy letters such as MS, CWE, or MW after your name to know what kind of wine you like to drink. But just as lawyers get an Esq and professionals get a Phd, wine experts who have received higher education in the field of wine also have “post-nominals” after their names. Here are the different titles professional drinkers may hold:

MS – Master Sommelier
The Master Sommelier certification is geared mostly toward professionals serving wine in top hotels and restaurants. To become a Master Sommelier, candidates must pass three levels of increasingly difficult written and tasting exams administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers (www.mastersommeliers.org). Since the Court’s first examination, which took place in London in 1969, 171 candidates have earned the Master Sommelier Diploma.

MW – Master of Wine
The Master of Wine designation is achieved through a highly rigorous, highly academic, tasting and written examination program administered by The Institute of Masters of Wine (www.mastersofwine.org). There are 274 Masters of Wine around the world, working as winemakers, importers, buyers, retailers, journalists, educators, sommeliers and senior executives.

CSW, CWE, CSS
Certification programs administered by The Society of Wine Educators (www.societyofwineeducators.org) appeal to a very broad range of individuals including wine writers, educators, importers, service personnel, collectors, and consumers. Three programs are offered: Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW); the more advanced, Certified Wine Educator (CWE); and Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), focused on distilled beverages.

Tags: Certified Specialist of Spirits, Certified Specialist of Wine, Certified Wine Educator, Master of Wine, master sommelier, Sommelier