CMS Level 1 Flashcards

Flashcards created by top wine experts to supplement the official CMS preparation.

Laptop frame
 

CMS Level 1 flashcards created by wine experts.

Watch intro video

The first step on any journey towards becoming a certified sommelier is the Court of Master Sommeliers’ (CMS) Introductory Sommelier qualification. So if it’s your ambition to whet your wine and beverage knowledge to an impressive razor’s edge, and learn the ceremony of tasting, assessing, and serving in professional settings, then the CMS Level 1 is the best way to go!

Here to aid you on your way to becoming a certified sommelier is the wine lovin’ team at Brainscape and our prestigious panel of experienced wine professionals, led by top New York sommelier, Sarah Looper. Together, we have worked hard and with painstaking attention to detail to create the most comprehensive set of digital flashcards for CMS exam-takers and drinks enthusiasts!

Mastering the art of wine and beverage service

Much of the challenge of attaining your Introductory Sommeliers certification is summiting the mountain of required information before you even step foot in the class for formal instruction. And because self-study is such an important component of the CMS Level 1, only the most efficient, effective, and convenient study tools will do, which is exactly what Brainscape has curated for wine students.

Our full-perspective, introductory flashcards cover everything you need to know for the CMS Level 1 exam, taking the guesswork out of mastering those essential facts. (And even if you don’t plan on taking the exam, our CMS Level 1 flashcards can help you build your essential wine knowledge without going to the trouble of making flashcards yourself.)

The best Level 1 wine study app

Brainscape’s CMS Level 1 flashcards give full instruction with an unfussy, straightforward approach to learning more about the world’s wine regions, grape varietals, styles, labeling terms, laws, viticulture, service, and storage standards, and more.

Designed in strict accordance with the CMS Level 1 curriculum and learning resources, this collection of 1,500 flashcards has distilled all the necessary information down into easy-to-digest facts. And delivered via our adaptive, scientifically-optimized learning platform, these will help you learn more efficiently, progress through the material faster, and retain the information for longer.

Brainscape helps you learn faster and remember for longer

The brain is hardwired to learn and remember information a certain way. The Brainscape™ flashcard app was born out of the question: what if we leveraged this hardwiring to help students learn more efficiently? Fueled by curiosity, our team of cognitive scientists from Columbia and Yale spent years developing a scientifically optimized learning platform to boost your learning.

Our"secret sauce" is a learning algorithm that delivers information to your brain in a way that optimizes its ability to retain that information. And it’s the spaced repetition of CMS Level 1 content at precisely the right interval for YOUR brain that makes Brainscape so effective for remembering the facts.

With Brainscape’s Introductory First-Level Sommelier Wine course, you get:

  • More than 1,500 cards with in-depth coverage of the most important grapes, the regions in which they’re grown, wine storage and service, and winemaking.
  • Explanations of wine laws, labeling terms, aging requirements, and classifications so you have a thorough understanding of each topic covered.
  • Links to videos and online resources for deep-dive learning.
  • Ongoing feedback, statistics, and visualization tools to help you track your progress.
  • A carefully tailored curriculum that builds on previous concepts and guides you from grape to glass. In-sync studying across Brainscape’s website and all your iOS and Android devices.

Now go crush that CMS Level 1 exam!

Brainscape is not sponsored or endorsed by official publications, tools or services connected to the Master Sommelier® examination.

Decks in this class (40)

Viticulture
Learn about how grapes are grown, vineyard influences, topography, climate, and soil types.
76  cards
Vinification
Learn the steps to make red, white, and rosé wines from harvest to packaging.
53  cards
Tasting: How to Do it Deductively
How to evaluate a wine by sight, nose, and palate. Learn faults and what they smell like, and how to deduce what the wine is.
66  cards
Food + Wine Pairing
Learn the primary principles and methods on how to pair wine with food.
11  cards
EU Wine Law
Learn quality levels, wine law, and recent rule revisions to protected appellations.
29  cards
Burgundy
Learn the history, local geography + topography, major grapes + appellations, appellation hierarchy, and vinification methods for this iconic region.
102  cards
Bordeaux
Learn the history, local geography + topography, major grapes + appellations, appellation hierarchy, and vinification methods for this iconic region.
75  cards
Champagne
Learn the history, local geography + topography, major grapes, and vinification method + steps for this iconic region.
58  cards
Sparkling Wine Methods
Learn the different ways to make sparkling wine.
13  cards
Italian, Spanish, and Other French Sparkling Wines
Learn about specific sparkling wines, their grapes, and how they are made.
14  cards
Loire Valley
Learn the local geography, topography, and climate, along with major grapes and vinification methods for this iconic region.
47  cards
Alsace
Learn the local geography, topography, and climate, along with appellation hierarchy, major grapes and vinification methods for this iconic region.
28  cards
Rhône Valley
Learn the local geography, topography, and climate, along with appellation hierarchy, major grapes, and vinification methods for this iconic region.
44  cards
Italy Overview: Wine Law, Geography, DOC system, Labeling Terms
Learn quality levels, wine law, and labeling terminology.
28  cards
Northern Italy
Learn the regions of Northern Italy: their topography, climate, grapes, appellations, and wines.
65  cards
Central Italy
Learn the regions of Central Italy: their topography, climate, grapes, appellations, and wines.
18  cards
Southern Italy
Learn the regions of Southern Italy: their topography, climate, grapes, appellations, and wines.
21  cards
Germany Overview: GIs, Wine Law, Prädikats
Learn the major regions, Prädikat system, climate, and topography of Germany.
42  cards
Germany: Wine Regions
Learn the specifics about Germany's wine regions and the grapes grown there, the styles produced, and why they taste they way they do.
40  cards
Austria
Learn about Austrian wine law, important regions, classifications + hierarchy, and major grapes + styles.
36  cards
Spain
Learn about Spain's DO system, major growing regions + their grapes + styles, climate, and topography. Does not include Sherry.
55  cards
Portugal
Learn about Portugal's DOP system, major growing regions + their grapes + styles, climate, and topography. Does not include Port.
26  cards
U.S. Wine Laws + California
Learn U.S. winemaking history, its important figures, and appellation law, plus California's winemaking regions, grapes, and styles.
72  cards
Oregon, Washington, New York
Learn topography, climate, major grapes, regional wine laws, and important AVAs for these states.
29  cards
Chile + Argentina
Learn the history of viticulture in each country, plus each country's unique topography, major regions and grapes, and important subregions.
63  cards
South Africa
Learn South Africa's wine history, WO system, wine laws, climate, topography, and major grapes.
30  cards
Australia
Learn Australia's states, climates, GIs + major regions, grapes, and wine styles.
65  cards
New Zealand
Learn New Zealand's wine laws, major wine growing areas, grapes, and styles.
49  cards
Fortified Wine: Sherry
Learn the geography, topography, climate, major grapes, solera system, and maturation techniques of Sherry.
38  cards
Fortified Wine: Madeira
Learn Madeira's history, geography, topography, climate, major grapes, and maturation techniques.
22  cards
Fortified Wine: Port
Learn Port's history, geography, topography, climate, grapes, soil, and styles.
31  cards
Fortified Wine: Vin Doux Naturel
Learn where and how VDNs are made, and major grapes.
9  cards
Sweet Wines
Learn the ways and methods in which sweet wines are made, major countries/regions that make sweet wine, and their grapes.
28  cards
Beer
Learn how beer is made, and its ingredients, categories, and major styles.
24  cards
Sake
Learn how sake is made, plus its ingredients, quality grades, and styles.
31  cards
Cider
Learn where cider is made, how it's made, and its styles.
16  cards
Spirits: Whisk(e)y
Learn the major types of stills and their differences, process of distillation, the countries where whiskey is made, and the raw materials used.
32  cards
Spirits: Brandy
Learn about wine-based + fruit-based brandies, major AOPs for brandy, their base ingredients, and aging requirements.
19  cards
Spirits: Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Mezcal, Rum
Learn the origins, fermentation, distillation, and aging requirements for these clear spirits.
29  cards
Apéritifs + Digestifs
Learn when to serve these, what their bases are, and specific products based on their primary flavor.
15  cards

Satisfaction guaranteed.

Our flashcards are written by advanced sommeliers who, themselves, have aced the CMS Level 1 exam. And if they passed with these methods, so can you!

"I've never learned so efficiently"
Mary G.

The smartest study system.

Brainscape's adaptive, web & mobile flashcards system will drill you on your weaknesses, using a pattern guaranteed to help you learn more in less time.

Easy to add your own flashcards.

Easily collaborate with friends and sync your flashcards to the Brainscape mobile app.

Free to start or $8/mo for full access.

Looking for something else?

Make flashcards