Why DOMSOM?

DOMSOM is short for DOMestic SOMmelier and our primary goal is to create greater awareness and knowledge about the amazing wines here in the U.S. and how they link into the broader world of wine. DOMSOM was founded by wine enthusiasts that recognize that the vast majority of wine consumed here in the US is made right here. Additionally, a whopping 98% of that wine is consumed on the day it is purchased. Yet this huge market for domestic wine is not fully addressed by traditional sommelier courses which center on old world European wines.   So DOMSOM was born, a course that teaches sommelier skills centered on the wines most often ordered and consumed in the US. For members of the service industry, we want you to complete this course with a fresh perspective on how to make the wines you serve most often an integral part of every experience with confidence and passion. For the wine enthusiasts, we want you to build upon your passion with a deeper knowledge and appreciation for wine coupled with an eagerness to be bold and try new varietals, blends and styles. We want every DOMSOM to be an ambassador for the amazing world of wine helping U.S. winemakers maintain their prestigious place among the best wines this world has to offer!

If the pandemic experience has taught us anything, it’s to no longer take the little things for granted. We’ve come to realize that even something we do regularly, like go out to dinner at a local restaurant, can disappear in a heartbeat. Gathering friends for a birthday celebration can be made impossible. Big events like concerts or ball games can be cancelled. With these and other uncertainties, our goal at DOMSOM is to bring back some fun and excitement to dining and entertainment from simple weeknight dinners in a favorite local restaurant, to social gatherings at clubs and entertainment organizations and even dinner at your own home. Wine brings people together and we think this is a simple pleasure we can all agree should be valued!

What Makes DOMSOM Different? 

DOMSOM is not your traditional wine education organization. We focus on making wine fun, taking the fear out of wine as well as the formality, and for creating a community of wine enthusiasts and service professionals who believe wine is a cornerstone for a great meal, a great conversation and a great experience. We want you to have confidence in recommending or serving a bottle of wine perfectly suited for any, and all occasions. The U.S. wine industry offers some of the world’s finest and most recognized wines. Throughout this course, we will celebrate some of the best-selling US domestic wine varieties. Yum! Even better, the principles you learn are the same for wines the world over, we’re simply learning from the majority of wines offered on most bar or restaurant menus, not just that small section of imported old world vintages. We firmly believe wine should be INCLUSIVE not EXCLUSIVE! By the end of this course we know you will be a confident and enthusiastic member of the DOMSOM community. 

One thing we have all learned over the past few years is change is inevitable. How we respond to change is what sets us apart and at DOMSOM we want to be a catalyst for change. Even with the recent limited access to restaurants and other event outlets retail wine sales have surged.  These at-home buyers will soon return to restaurants and bars, creating a unique opportunity for the service industry, that has seen a near complete turnover in talent and ownership, to find effective ways to educate, train and set their establishments apart as the U.S. strives to succeed in the new normal. 

What You Can Expect: 

During this course, our goal is to translate the traditional, theoretical elements of wine and winemaking into a simplified foundation of wine smarts you can use every day to look at a selection of wines and know how to pick a bottle for yourself…for your meal…for a friend…with confidence and excitement. You may not have ever had that bottle before, but you’ll know why you picked it, and will have a renewed curiosity about what to expect when you open and pour. Get ready for an exciting journey—and a ton of fun!

What makes DOMSOM different: We’re domestic experts, which comprises the biggest market in the US for sales and purchases.

We’ve organized the DOMSOM course into five concise Modules:

Module 1: What makes wine wine 
Module 2: Let’s taste 
Module 3: White Wine 
Module 4: Red Wine 
Module 5: The Wine Experience 

We’re portable: Through the DOMSOM mobile application you can take this course with you anywhere at any time. 

We’re bite-sized: Each module is broken down into short lessons followed by quizzes to support the content. Test your knowledge along the way and enhance your learning experience with videos and graphics to further build upon your learning. 

We’re doable: At the end of your studies, you will take a 50 question online exam for which a 70% pass rate is needed to earn your DOMSOM certification! You will be notified when the exam is available for you to take during the 4 week course, but you must take the exam on or before the final day! Your results will be immediately available and we will all celebrate together at the close of your DOMSOM course as we know you will pass with flying colors! 

We’ve got your back: We are so excited to have you in the DOMSOM family and we will continue to offer additional wine-related education on many topics which we will make easily accessible to you. DOMSOM is much more than a 4-week wine course, we are a family of wine lovers – thanks for joining us! 

Are you ready to get started? Let’s do this!