ISG Sommelier study guide
ISG Sommelier · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP) is the third stage of the sequential credential pathway offered by the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), a professional wine-education and credentialing institution with institutional origins dating to 1982. Candidates reach the SDP only after the Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC) and the Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC); the SDP is described in ISG's own materials as advanced sommelier education integrating wine, service, viticulture, enology, markets, culture, hospitality, and professional application. The ISG Sommelier study guide has 7 sections and about 2,145 words.
01Wine
The Wine domain tests how confidently you move from a grape variety to its classic homelands and to the style in the glass. Expect variety identification, region-to-style mapping, sparkling and fortified categories, and the meaning of label terms.
332 words, about 2 min02Viticulture and enology
Viticulture and enology covers how grapes are grown and how must becomes wine. The exam tests cause and effect: which vineyard decision changes ripeness, and which winery decision changes colour, tannin, texture or stability.
314 words, about 2 min03Sensory analysis and sommelier practice
Sensory analysis and sommelier practice tests whether you can taste systematically, describe perceptions in standard vocabulary, and use those observations to deduce grape, origin, age and quality. Work in a fixed order so nothing is missed.
279 words, about 1 min04Hospitality and beverage service
Hospitality and beverage service tests the operational side of the sommelier role: preparing the room, serving wine correctly, pairing food, selling well and resolving problems. Mise en place: polished, inspected glassware, correct temperatures, wine list, decanting equipment, spittoons.
290 words, about 1 min05Global beverage business and management
Global beverage business and management covers the commercial side of the role: costing, pricing, inventory, menu engineering, distribution structures and staff performance. Beverage cost percentage = cost of goods sold ÷ beverage sales.
305 words, about 2 min06Nutrition and applied sciences
Nutrition and applied sciences tests the physiology and chemistry behind what you taste and serve, plus the health and legal facts a sommelier must state accurately. Ethanol provides about 7 kcal per gram - more than carbohydrate or protein (4 kcal/g), less than fat (9 kcal/g).
329 words, about 2 min07Trade, regulation, culture and international markets
Trade, regulation, culture and international markets covers the legal geography of wine: how origin is protected, what labels must state, how wine crosses borders, and how culture shapes demand. France: AOP (formerly AOC) and IGP; rules govern area, varieties, yields and methods.
296 words, about 1 min