SOMM DIGI × The Court of Master Sommeliers

BRINGING AI
TO THE COURT

How we start to integrate AI into the Court of Master Sommeliers.

A simple introduction — for the board.

First — what is AI?

It's called an LLM.

A "large language model." It has read an enormous amount of writing and learned how language works. Ask it for something, and it writes it back for you — in seconds.

For us, that means content and ideas, far faster.

How it learns

It learns like blind tasting.

Taste enough wines and you learn the patterns — then, blind, you can name a wine you've never met. AI learned the same way, but with words.

The AI you already know

You've likely heard of these.

ChatGPT · Claude · Google

Tools millions use every day — many sommeliers already do. The same technology, put to work for CMS.

How you use it

It's all in the prompt.

You ask in plain words — that's the "prompt." Ask well, and you get exactly what you need.

Getting the prompt right is the whole craft — like a clear brief to a young sommelier.

Why it matters

Why this matters for the Court.

More content — made faster, posted more often
More reach — a bigger audience, worldwide
More credibility — a real presence in the digital world

The chance to lead wine education and the sommelier community — online and in the real world.

Our edge

The wine world barely uses this.

Most don't use AI at all
The few who do — it's generic, no brand, no soul
So we build CMS's own — organised, so the AI truly knows the Court

That's our edge — a system built around CMS.

And we've already started

This isn't someday — it's underway.

The portal is live — the Court's command deck
CMS AI is in build — learning the Court's knowledge now
50,000 followers on Instagram, and growing

The foundations are in. Now we build on them.

Already built · live now

THE BOOK,
MADE DIGITAL

Brian Julyan's Sommelier, sixth edition — the whole book, turned into a study portal any member can use.

Read· Say it· Glossary· Maps· Quiz

The portal · 01

Every member's study desk.

Eight chapters · 115 topics

The Sommelier Study dashboard, showing what to read next and the eight chapters

Where a member lands — what to read next, what to revise today, and how far they have come.

The portal · 02

The whole book, chapter by chapter.

8 chapters · 115 topics

The eight chapters of the book, each with its topics and progress

Progress saves as they read. Chapter 3 opens country by country — the way the Court teaches it.

The portal · 03

Every word, said aloud.

1,985 words · 15 languages

How to say it — every word in the book with native audio

Native audio for every term in the book. Star a word and it returns in the daily review until it holds.

The portal · 04

Every term, tied to its chapter.

146 terms

The glossary — every term the book defines, linked to the chapter that teaches it

Look a term up, then follow it straight through to the section of the book that teaches it.

The portal · 05

And then it tests you.

Full quiz — 800+ in the pool, 15, 30 or 50 at a sitting
Glossary — 146 terms, asked in both directions
Exam questions — 490, written by Brian Julyan MS for the book's own self-assessment

Every answer opens the definition and a way back to the chapter that teaches it. Misses return in the daily review until they hold.

A quiz question answered correctly, with the definition and a link to the chapter

What's next

WHAT WE
BUILD

Five things — all powered by the same system.

Magazine· Careers· Store· Sponsors· Reach

What we build · 01

A digital magazine.

Interviews with Master Sommeliers
Features, tastings and career stories
Made faster, with AI

The Court's own publication — online, and worldwide.

What we build · 02

The career pages.

The path into the profession
Real advice from Master Sommeliers
Every level — from first step to Master

The Court's people, inspiring the next generation.

What we build · 03

The store.

CMS's own — the book, the Code38 opener, pins
Sponsor products as affiliate links
One organised shop, on the portal

CMS sells its own — and earns from the sponsors.

What we build · 04

Our sponsors, more visible.

Train the AI on each sponsor's brand
Generate images and content for them
Front and centre — across everything we make

Our supporters, seen — better, and faster.

What we build · 05

Reaching further.

50K

Followers today — and only the start. More posts, more reels, more of the Court in front of the world.

The engine already works — now we scale it.

How it all fits

One organised system.

Magazine, careers, store, sponsors, social — all fed from one place: the Court's own knowledge, kept organised for the AI.

Build the foundation once — everything grows from it.

LET'S START.