ICMS Student Becomes One of Australia’s Youngest Certified Sommeliers

An ICMS student is currently one of the youngest people in Australia to hold the Certified Sommelier qualification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Tommy Cummings, who is studying a Bachelor of Hospitality Management at ICMS and is due to graduate at the end of 2026, recently passed both the Introductory and Certified Sommelier exams.

The Court of Master Sommeliers is one of the most recognised wine education and certification bodies in the world.

The certification process was demanding. It involved two days of intensive lectures, ten hours each, covering more than 120 wine-producing regions across 28 countries, along with blind tastings of more than 40 wines.

Tommy began preparing six months before the exam.

“My preparation began six months earlier in the cellars of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, working through mock exams and blind tastings,” he said.

That work continued when he returned to Australia.

The exam itself had several parts.

It included two written theory papers, a blind tasting in which candidates had to identify each wine’s grape, region, and vintage, and a sparkling wine service component.

During the service section, Master Sommeliers questioned candidates on wine pairings, spirits, and cocktails.

How His Interest in Wine Started

Tommy traces his interest in wine back to his time working at Ikoyi in London.

“I saw one of the sommeliers become visibly emotional about a label that was brought in BYO and I had to know why this was,” he said.

“But I think the part that made me fall in love were the rule breakers of the industry, the ones that bend the rules of winemaking law and why they were doing it.”

He said his interest grew once he understood the role wine could play in a guest’s experience.

“I realised wine was the part of the service that could genuinely change someone’s experience, it could shift the whole mood of a table. Once I understood that, I couldn’t be casual about it anymore.”

He added that the subject continues to challenge him.

“To this day I learn more and more and realise I know less and less about wine.”

His Career So Far

Tommy has built a solid run of industry experience while still a student.

He worked as a Wine Consultant at Good Good Company in Manly before completing a Junior Sommelier internship at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London in late 2025, the same kitchen where he began preparing for his certification exams.

Back in Australia, he took on a sommelier role at Cibaria in Manly, also completing an operations and administration internship through the business as part of his ICMS studies.

He is currently working as a sommelier in Sydney with plans to return to London after he graduates from ICMS.

Balancing Study and Work

Tommy said his ICMS degree gave him a structure that allowed him to study while working full-time in restaurants.

“The degree gave me a structured foundation across business and hospitality, but it’s always sat alongside my work in restaurants, which is where most of my real learning has happened,” he said.

“ICMS gave me the space to pursue both study and professional development, at the same time.”

He said the flexible timetable was important.

“The flexibility of the timetables allowed me to create days where I was able to still work full time, attend tasting and still have time for dinners out with friends and winemakers.”

When asked whether his studies gave him an advantage during certification, Tommy pointed to the hours of practice.

“The edge came from the hours I put in, tasting, drilling theory, flashcards until I would fall asleep, running through blind tastings and service practice over and over.”

He said his degree still played a role.

For example, the Bachelor of Hospitality Management includes a subject called Bar and Mixology (HOS202A), which covers beverage operations, service, and flavour profiling, a natural fit for someone developing a serious foundation in wine and drinks service.

“What studying also gave me was discipline and the habit of looking at things systematically, which did help when working through a broad syllabus like the CMS.”

Advice for Other Students

Tommy encouraged other ICMS students to seek out strong workplaces and take qualifications seriously.

“Go and work in the best rooms you can get into, and take every qualification seriously,” he said.

“The credential matters less than the standard you hold yourself to every day, but the credential proves you can meet a benchmark under pressure, and that counts for a lot when you’re starting out.”

His advice to school leavers was to gain experience early.

“Get on the floor as fast as you can and find the best room you can access. For me, I emailed the top 30 restaurants in London and saw who would take me. Learn to get rejected because when you get accepted it feels so much better.”

He said study and experience work best together.

“Study helps, and I’d always recommend a qualification alongside your work, but nothing replaces time spent in a good restaurant, watching how the best in the industry actually operate. Be useful, stay curious, and don’t be precious about where you start.”

What the Qualification Means

Tommy said the certification is recognised internationally and carries weight with employers.

“It’s a recognised mark of competency that travels well internationally. It tells a head sommelier or a GM that you’ve been tried and tested, not just that you enjoy wine,” he said.

He sees it as one step toward his longer-term goals. “For me, it’s a step toward the kind of rooms I want to work in and toward the higher Court of Master Sommelier examinations.”

He was also clear about the physical side of the job, which he said many people underestimate.

“People imagine it’s all tasting glasses and white tablecloths, but you’re on your feet for 10-14 hours, carrying ice buckets, training junior staff, memorising a list of hundreds to thousands of references, getting grimy from cellar dust, and staying sharp enough to give a genuine recommendation to every table.”

Tommy is due to graduate from ICMS at the end of 2026. He plans to continue working toward the higher Court of Master Sommelier examinations.