Iwasu-san, I found an interesting wine movie on Amazon Prime!
But it's not your average heartwarming movie, it's about an incredibly difficult wine exam.
I'm a little worried whether I'll be able to understand it... (laughs)
That must be... ``SOMM'' !
It's true that this work may be a bit technical, given the subject matter.
However, I think even wine novices will be fine. Instead of watching it to understand the technical details of wine, you can enjoy it as a documentary to see what the most difficult wine exam in the world is like.
And I think that just by watching this movie, you will be able to absorb a lot of wine knowledge without even realizing it!
This time , we will introduce "SOMM," a documentary film that follows test-takers as they take on the most difficult wine exam. "SOMM" is short for sommelier.
Source: amazon
The main characters' goal is to obtain the highest sommelier qualification, Master Sommelier (MS).
This exam is extremely difficult, with only a 3-8% passing rate, making it a very tough gate. Candidates put their lives on the line to pass the exam, working hard and literally sweating their own blood.
The film starts three weeks before the exam and covers the exam up until the day of the exam. Along with footage of the test-takers studying, it also shows people from various backgrounds talking passionately about the Master Sommelier and the exam.
In order to obtain the Master Sommelier qualification, it is important to "create an environment surrounded by wine." It is difficult to pass the exam by self-study, so the presence of mentors and peers is the key to passing.
The protagonists, who are also taking the exam, bring wine together and practice tasting until late into the night. When commenting on the tasting, there are times when the words are too straightforward, which can be nerve-wracking. It is clear that because they are serious, it is essential for them to work hard together with their peers.
The Master Sommelier exam is the most difficult wine exam, and most applicants fail. Unfortunately, not all of the main characters pass it.
Who will pass the audition?! This is a movie you won't want to miss.
[Characters in this article]
- Mika is 35 years old and works at an apparel company. She is getting into wine and is really interested in wine glasses.
- Iwasu is a sommelier who oversees this website. He runs a bar in Nagoya that stocks a wide range of New Zealand wines.
Movie details
*This promotional video does not have subtitles, but the main feature (Japanese version) has Japanese subtitles.
| Movie genre | documentary |
|---|---|
| theme | Wine, Master Sommelier |
| Production year/country | 2012/USA |
| time | 94 minutes |
| director | Jason Wise |
| cast | Ian Coble, Brian McClintic, Dustin Wilson and others |
The film is part of a trilogy. "Som" (2012) was the first installment, followed by "Som: Into the Bottle" (2015) and "SOMM3" (2018).
The second film , "SOMM: Into the Bottle," is a documentary that explores the essence of wine, and also features cast members from "SOMM."
Both "Som" and "Som: Into the Bottle" are available to stream on Amazon Prime .
What is a Master Sommelier (MS) and what does the exam entail?
Before I share my thoughts on this film, let me briefly explain about Master Sommeliers (MS), which is the theme of the film.
As mentioned at the beginning, the Master Sommelier (MS) is the highest qualification in the world for sommeliers.
The exam was first held in the UK in 1969, and the Court of Master Sommeliers was established as an international testing body in 1984, and continues to exist to this day.
In its 50-year history, only 269 people worldwide have passed the exam, which shows just how tough it is.
To explain in more detail, a Master Sommelier is the highest level 4 of the four qualifications set by the Court of Master Sommeliers , ranging from level 1 to level 4.
Those qualifications are as follows:
- Level 1 (Introductory: Introductory exam)
- Level 2 (Certified Sommelier: Sommelier Certification Exam)
- Level 3 (Advanced Sommelier)
- Level 4 (Master Sommelier)
To take the Master Sommelier exam, you must pass three exams, levels 1 to 3.
Also, the most difficult wine qualification, and one that is often confused, is the Master of Wine (MW).
This is established by the Institute of Masters of Wine, based in the UK.
It's a little difficult to understand, so to summarize,
- Master Sommelier (MS) → Professional qualification for service (waiting) in restaurants, bars, etc.
- Master of Wine (MW) → Academic qualification with emphasis on theory and tasting
The Master of Wine is an academic exam. Only two Japanese people have passed the exam so far. Of those, only Kenichi Ohashi lives in Japan.
By the way, in Japan, the title of "Master Sommelier" has been established by the Japan Sommelier Association (Inc.) , and Shinya Tazaki and others have been certified as such. The definition of a Master Sommelier in Japan is an honorary title given to someone who has a senior sommelier qualification and has been a sommelier for more than 20 years, and is recommended by a selection committee.
Source: "Japan Sommelier Association: General Q&A, Q8"
It is said that the "Master Sommelier" of the Japan Sommelier Association is a completely different concept from the one discussed in this film.
Master Sommelier (MS) Exam Overview
The Master Sommelier (MS) exam is held once a year and takes place over three days. The exam consists of:
- The test covers a wide range of knowledge, mainly about wine theory . *Wine is listed in multiple languages.
- Intended for serving in a service restaurant
- Tasting: Blind tasting of 3 red wines and 3 white wines
It consists of three parts:
Another key difference between the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier exams is that they are both oral exams, whereas the Master of Wine exams are written .
Movie Review
"SOMM" is a somewhat niche film. You might think it's going to be all serious, but it has elements that even people who know nothing about wine can enjoy.
The exam process was more interesting than I had imagined.
The film mainly focuses on the study sessions leading up to the day of the exam.
Since this is an exam that test takers are betting their lives on, the studying and practice required is harder than you might imagine.
One of these is wine "tasting," which requires very detailed factual answers about each wine, such as guessing the brand and the year the grapes were harvested.
To counter this, Master Sommelier candidates meet every day and practice drinking wine and commenting on it until late at night. If they have doubts about the appraisals of others, this can lead to heated debates.
Everyone was commenting on the characteristics of the wine at a surprisingly fast pace!
The theory exam also requires you to acquire a very broad range of knowledge.
They use "information cards" to study, which are like a vocabulary book. The amount of cards they use is huge, and some people have more than 4,000 cards... They never let go of their information cards. They carry the cards with them when they go to the supermarket, when they go to the gym, when they are driving, and at any time in their daily lives, and thoroughly ingrain the theories in their heads.
I found it funny when the main character and his wife said, "If we pass, we want to burn the information cards and have a bonfire!" (laughs)
Learn more about the high-level Master Sommelier exam
The Master Sommelier exam is extremely high level! There are many more scenes that show this.
First, the smell of the wine. When you drink the wine, you need to accurately describe the smell that you think is the one. How to express the very subtle differences in the smell is a test of both your experience and expressive ability. Some unique ways of expressing smells that appear in the film are:
"The smell of a new tennis ball"
"The smell of a hose being turned off."
"Vinyl toys to play in the pool"
"Grandma's chest of drawers"
And more were introduced.
"A new tennis ball"... (laughs) Those were all unbelievable descriptions, and I was impressed at how diverse the aroma of wine is!
However, some people expressed harsh opinions about the unique scents that each person came up with, saying things like, "I wouldn't describe it like that." It seems that the way people describe scents is also individual.
Also, the examiners and senior master sommeliers who appear mainly during appraisal and service practice are simply intimidating.
↓This photo is of Master Sommelier Fred Dim .
He constantly speaks harsh words to test takers, such as, "You won't pass if you take the exam with that attitude. It's a waste of money."
The most frightening scene was when, as part of preparation for the "service" test, the examiners were tasked with serving in a restaurant, with two examiners acting as customers.
The exercise was to test whether the candidates would be able to respond accurately and calmly to any difficult question posed by a customer, but the two examiners, including Fred, intimidatingly told the candidates to "chill the wine that had been stored at room temperature immediately!"
The wine that was brought was not yet chilled enough, so at the end they wrote the word "COLD!" in large letters on a piece of paper, further pushing the test-taker into a corner.
This is so scary! There's no way I could stand it... (laughs)
Although it was just a scene from a serious practice session, the scene in which the examiners play the mean customers could almost be seen as a comedy skit, and may be one of the highlights of the film.
The book also conveys the raw emotions of test-takers as they are.
This film realistically depicts the anguish, conflict, and frustration of the main characters as they study in order to pass the exam.
The film is packed with scenes that would normally make the actors say, "Please cut them out," and gives you a glimpse into the human drama that unfolds behind the scenes of the exams.
Even though they are all exam candidates, each has their own personality. Each student shows their human side, but Ian Coble (center of photo) is a genius type who is often "picked" by his peers.
Ian's peers call him " Dad ," a serious guy who studies harder than anyone else, and openly express their competitive spirit to the film's interviewer, telling him that "the most important thing is to avoid Ian," in order to keep him in check.
Ian is a very stoic person, so I guess people around him were wary of him.
Although they often make slightly mean remarks, the film also makes it clear that they all respect Ian from the bottom of their hearts, are inspired by him, and are raising their awareness.
So your fellow colleagues aiming to pass the highly challenging Master Sommelier exam are both comrades and rivals.
The girlfriends and wives who support the protagonists also candidly talk about the hardships they endure during the exams. They also talk about the struggles that only family members can face, such as "My boyfriend or husband keeps feeling like he's not here" and "I feel depressed when I see him vomit in the morning."
Taking the Master Sommelier exam, the world's most difficult wine exam, is a major gamble that involves not only the test-taker, but also those around them.
Wow, the Master Sommelier exam... it looked really tough! But I actually enjoyed watching it! And I feel like I got a little bit of an idea of the world of wine.
That's great! It seems that many people are inspired to do their best on their wine exams after watching this movie. Although the theme is quite niche, it's also a work that gives you a good understanding of the world of wine and the people involved in it.
By the way, it seems that there was something that Iwasu was a little concerned about in the movie.
I felt like there were some mistakes in the Japanese subtitles. I noticed two places. I think the "Saint-Cyr" was translated as "Sanceir" and the "Seine" should be "Gironde" .
In 2019, the first Japanese Master Sommelier was born!
The Master Sommelier exam is said to be one of the most difficult to obtain, but in fact, last year the first Japanese person passed it!
His name is Toru Takamatsu. He lives in Sydney, Australia, and was 24 years old when he qualified. He also attracted attention for being the second youngest person to ever pass the exam. Takamatsu passed the exam by self-study!
As the first Japanese and (currently) the youngest Master Sommelier, Takamatsu is attracting a lot of attention in the wine world. His achievements are sure to be widely reported in various Japanese media outlets.
summary
SOMM is a documentary film that takes a close look at the most difficult wine testing process.
I think this work will be a great opportunity to learn about the depth and fascination of the world of wine. At the same time, even if it is not in the wine genre, there are many parts that will be useful to those who are trying to take on a new challenge, such as how to work hard, how to interact with colleagues and mentors, and how to support family members.
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