Page "Sommelier" Paragraph 9

The Court of Master Sommeliers, ( CMS ) established in 1977, is the examining body for the Master Sommelier Diploma, the Advanced Sommelier Certificate, the Certified Sommelier Certificate, and the Introductory Sommelier Certificate, and was created under the supervision of the following British based institutions: The Vintners Company, The Institute of Masters of Wine, The British Hotels & Restaurants Association, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association of Great Britain and The Wholesale Tobacco Trade Association.

Since the Master Sommelier Diploma was introduced in 1969, 186 people from around the world had become Master Sommeliers by 2011.