Wine company Petaluma is offering our future sommeliers the opportunity to win a scholarship to head to the United States or United Kingdom to attempt to achieve the top qualifications at one of the world’s most highly recognised sommelier training organisations.

Petaluma has announced it will award the scholarship for this year’s top student of those people who sit for their Sommeliers Certificate when the Court of Master Sommeliers hold its first training program in Australia later this year.

Fifty beverage professionals in Australia have now signed up for the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Course to be run in Sydney and Melbourne in August this year.

There will be just 200 places for the Introductory level which will be conducted over two days. From this group 60 students will then be selected by the Court to attempt their Sommeliers Certificate on the day three of the program.

This year’s top graduate will receive the Petaluma scholarship which will provide funding for the recipient to try for both their Advanced Sommelier Certificate and subsequently their Master Sommelier. These levels are currently only offered in UK/US.

The Petaluma Master Sommelier Scholarship will fund the inaugural recipient to travel to the Courts in either the UK or US over the next couple of years to sit for the rigorous examination process to attain the title of Master Diploma. This is the ultimate professional credential worldwide for sommeliers and demands skills in practical areas; tasting, service and salesmanship in addition to extensive wine knowledge.

The Court of Master Sommeliers developed their strategy in the UK with the first Master Sommelier examinations held in 1969. Since then they have opened a chapter in America in 1997 and they are recognised as the world’s premier examining body for sommeliers.

There are more than 160 Master Sommeliers around the world and three of them; Brian Julyan, Chief Executive of the Court and Master Sommeliers, Tim Gaiser and Keith Goldston will arrive here in August to conduct the Introductory Course and Exam and the Certificate Sommelier Exam.

Thanks to the generosity of Petaluma Wines, one sommelier will now have the chance to go on to try for the prize, to become Master Sommelier.

Supporters for the initiative include Fine Wine Partners who are facilitating the program to Australia, Sofitel, Petaluma, Brokenwood, Sandalford, Henschke, St Hallet, Stonier, James Squire, Voss and Spiegelau glassware.

For more information on the Australian program go to www.finewinepartners.com.au Registrations close 1 July 2008.