ASI diploma
A tool to encourage professional development
Candidates can opt between taking the exam in a second language (French, English or Spanish) or in their native tongue. In Serbia, this exam is organized in Serbian language only.
This language requirement, which is only present at the Diploma level, encourages sommeliers to master a language beyond their own.
Candidates who achieve at least 60% on the exam in a foreign language are awarded a Silver designation and those who achieve 70% earn Gold. A Bronze designation was added in 2019 for those who achieve the same level of expert knowledge but who are not fluent in a foreign language. Sommeliers who have obtained a Bronze or Silver diploma are always welcome to sit for the exam again, and to try for Silver or Gold.
Requirements to sit for the exam
The exam is reserved to Sommeliers being member of a National Sommelier Association being member of ASI. He/she must be working within the oeno-gastronomy world (restaurants, wine-bars, wine shops, distribution, or other, who serves or recommends beverages on a professional level) and have at least 3 years of professional experience. The candidate is allowed to sit again for the exam as many times as he/she wishes.
General Exam procedure
The exam takes place in two stages:
1st stage – Written Tests (in total 175 minutes)
- Written description and identification of international wines served blind.
- Identification of local beverages and international spirits/liquors/fortified wines.
- A questionnaire focused on the main wine producing countries, beers, spirits and other
beverages, grape varieties, viticulture, winemaking, and other topics related to the
profession.
- An essay on a professional theme provided by the ASI Certification Exam Committee
regarding the world of beverages and the Sommellerie.
2nd stage – Oral and Practical tests (in total 15 minutes)
- Marketing (e.g. selling a beverage).
- Practical work (e.g. decantation, service of a bottle of wine).
- Tasting and food & wine pairing.
The ASI Certification Exam Committee evaluates the written tests and moderates the oral and practical tasks based on the video recording that must be supplied by the Serbian Sommelier Association. The Serbian Sommelier Association only evaluates the oral and practical tests following the General Rules codified by ASI and the respective marking grids. All these papers and videos are to be uploaded to the ASI Certification Exam Committee for final evaluation.
NB: the evaluation is done according to a scale pre-set by the ASI Certification Exam Committee.
The results are communicated to the Serbian Sommelier Association having organized the examination session. We inform the successful candidates. Then the results are posted on the ASI website.
The application should be sent to the e-mail address of the Vice President, Ms. Marija Radović: marija.radovic@sersa.org.rs.
Kindly download the list of rules here.
Kindly download the list of competencies here.
- Ljubomir Bošković 2016
- Vuk Vuletić 2016
- Milan Tanjga 2017
- Anika Manojlović 2019
- Dragiša Damljanović 2020
- Jelisaveta Stanojević 2024