Exam scandal leaves Hawaii sommelier and others without title

A finding of wrongdoing during the top-level examination for wine experts last month has voided the certification earned by 23 new master sommeliers, including Honolulu’s Chris Ramelb.

The board of directors of the Court of Master Sommeliers announced Tuesday that it was invalidating the results of the wine- tasting portion of the 2018 Master Sommelier Diploma Examination “due to clear evidence” that a master sommelier released “detailed information concerning wines in the tasting flight.”

The board did not name the master, nor did it implicate any of the 54 candidates who took the exam this year. A spokeswoman for the court declined further comment.

A ranking of master sommelier is widely considered the highest level of wine expertise, requiring years of study and expenses that include the $995 exam fee. Only 273 worldwide have passed since testing began in 1969; Ramelb was only the fourth person in Hawaii to earn the certification.

“Maintaining the integrity of the examination process must be our highest priority, lest we risk diminishing the value of, and the respect earned from, becoming a Master Sommelier,” Devon Broglie, chairman of the board said in a statement. “Our credential is known throughout the hospitality industry worldwide, and it guarantees that the holder of the Master Sommelier title is among the most qualified of all wine industry professionals. A compromised examination does not provide that guarantee.”

Ramelb, a sales support manager at Southern Glazer’s Wine &Spirits, declined comment Thursday. However, he was contacted at Mid- Pacific Country Club, where he has been among five masters administering preliminary sommelier exams under the auspices of the Court of Master Sommeliers. The exams, which began Tuesday, are the first steps toward qualifying for the master sommelier test.

The diploma exam itself has three parts: theory, wine service and a blind tasting of six wines that must be identified by name, vintage and place of origin. Only the tasting portion of this year’s exam, given in September in St. Louis, has been invalidated. Candidates have three years to pass all three.

The court said it will refund all fees paid for the tasting portion of the disqualified exam, waive fees for retesting and cover travel costs for candidates. Retests will be offered before the end of the year and again in the spring or early summer of 2019.