AIS Sommelier Course

by AIS CLUB Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) is one of Europe’s top wine certification and it is about to bring its expertise to Tokyo, offering a hands-on, three-level certification that will transform you into a wine master.

Whether you wish to pursue a career in the world of professional tasting or simply elevate your knowledge in the world of wine, these courses, given by AIS’s finest sommeliers, flown in from Italy in English with Japanese translation, are the best tool to pursue your goal and make you a true ambassodor of wine culture.

REGISTER HERE

AIS Sommelier Course by The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Overview

This program transforms wine enthusiasts into professionals in just 90 hours. From viticulture and oenology to tasting techniques and food pairing, the AIS certification is a key to unlock new career opportunities and join an exclusive global network of top professionals.

 

Duration

LEVEL 1
7 days / 30 hours

LEVEL 2
7 days / 30 hours

WINE TASTING TECNIQUE INTERNATIONAL ENOGRAPHY LEVEL 3
7 days / 30 hours

FOOD AND WINE MATCHING TECNIQUE ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA SOMMELIER CERTIFICATION EXAM
1 day/6 hours

AIS Sommelier Course by AIS CLUB Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Overview

This program transforms wine enthusiasts into professionals in just 90 hours. From viticulture and oenology to tasting techniques and food pairing, the AIS certification is a key to unlock new career opportunities and join an exclusive global network of top professionals.

 

Duration

LEVEL 1
7 days / 30 hours

LEVEL 2
7 days / 30 hours

WINE TASTING TECNIQUE INTERNATIONAL ENOGRAPHY LEVEL 3
7 days / 30 hours

FOOD AND WINE MATCHING TECNIQUE ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA SOMMELIER CERTIFICATION EXAM
1 day/6 hours

Program

Level 1

 

LESSON 1, 2 – Viticulture + Oenology
Tasting of three wines

LESSON 3 – Oenology
Tasting of three wines

LESSON 4 – Tasting technique: Appearance
Guided tasting: Sparkling dry white wine (bottle fermentation), young white wine (latest harvest), mature white wine

LESSON 5 – Tasting technique: Nose
Guided tasting: aromatic dry white wine, young red wine (latest harvest), red wine at least 4 years old

LESSON 6 – Tasting technique: Palate
Guided tasting: dry white wine with fresh acidity (latest harvest), rosé wine, dry, tannic red wine

LESSON 7 – Sweet wines
Guided Tasting of three still sweet wines. 1 fortified, two Passito wines

LESSON 8 – Sparkling wines
Tasting of three wines: Sparkling Classic Method, Sparkling Charmat, Sparkling Charmat Sweet Wine

LESSON 9 – Beer and Liquors
Guided tasting of three types of beer, blended whisky, and single malt whisky
Guided tasting: Grappa, Cognac, Armagnac, Brandy, Rum, or Calvados

LESSON 10 – The duties of the Sommelier
Tasting of three wines

LESSON 11 – Service technique, cellar
Guided tasting: Rosé wine, white wine, red wine, (the last two must be excellent wines)

LESSON 12 – Self-test and revision
Self-tasting of white or red wine.

Level 2

 

LESSON 1 – Wine tasting – Tasting analysis sheet
Guided tasting of three wines: Rosé, white and red

LESSON 2 – Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the regions

 

LESSON 3 – Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the regions

LESSON 4 – Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the regions

LESSON 5 – Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the regions

LESSON 6 – asilicata, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the regions

LESSON 7, 8 – France 1 – France 2
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the areas

LESSON 9 – European Country
Guided tasting of 3 or 4 wines from the region

LESSON 10 – USA, Australia, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa
Guided tasting of 3 wines from the countries

LESSON 11 – Tasting technique revision and self-test
Student tasting of white or red wine

Level 3

 

LESSON 1-2: Food sensory analysis; Food and wine pairing technique
Pairing: Plain bread, flavoured bread sticks, bread with extra-virgin olive oil, bread and butter, mortadella, speck, and pesto sauce (or green sauce), pecorino cheese.
Tasting: Sparkling white wine, bottle fermented. (Trento DOC)

LESSON 3-4: Eggs, sauces, oil, vinegar, and other dressings
Pairing: potato or cheese omelette, hard-boiled eggs served with mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese topped with balsamic vinegar with young white wine and mature red wine

LESSON 5: Grains
Pairing: rice salad, baked pasta, and Margherita pizza with young red wine (from the latest harvest)

LESSON 5 – Tasting technique: Nose
Pairing: rice salad, baked pasta, and Margherita pizza with young red wine (from the latest harvest)

LESSON 6-7: Meat and charcuterie (game)
Pairing: chicken salad, beef stew, raw ham, spiced salami with young white wine (latest harvest), mature red wine

LESSON 8: Fish and shellfish
Pairing: seafood salad (with potato), salmon canapé with Sparkling white wine (bottle fermented), mature white wine

LESSON 9: Mushrooms, truffles, vegetables
Pairing: raw mushrooms salad with extra-virgin olive oil, sliced mushrooms cooked in extra-virgin olive oil with garlic and parsley, grilled vegetable (not mixed vegetable) with mature semi-aromatic white wine and ready-to-drink, medium-bodied red wine

LESSON 10: Cheese
Pairing: Mozzarella, Gorgonzola or Roquefort, Semi-aged cheese with dry white sparkling wine, sweet white wine, dry, medium-bodied red wine

LESSON 11: Dessert
Pairing: Tarts made with jam, wild berries, fresh or dried fruit, chocolate cake, fresh cacao with fortified wine, sweet aromatic sparkling wine

LESSON 12: Educational dinner
Starter 1 wine, Pasta 1 wine, Main Course 1 wine, Dessert1 wine

Final Examination

 

THEORETICAL AND PRATICAL EXAM
a) Written test
b) Blind tasting: 1 wine, deductive tasting without tasting sheet (on blank paper)
c) Food and wine pairing: 1 sample dish to pair with 1 wine (proper food pairing and tasting sheet required)

ORAL EXAM
a) Service techniques
b) Wine tasting
c) Oral test

Dishes can be modified to include the culinary traditions of the country, in agreement with the instructor.

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Programme Dates and Hours

Each level will be 7 days / 30 hours.
Please choose one of the following courses.

DAY CLASS (A): Mon to Fri 14:30-17:30 – Sat/Sun 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00

EVENING CLASS (B): Mon to Fri 18:30-21:30 – Sat/Sun 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00

Level 1 (7 days / 30 hours)

DAY CLASS (A): January 31 – February 6, 2026
Sat/Sun: Jan 31 (Sat)- Feb 1 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00
Mon to Fri: Feb 2 (Mon)-6 (Fri): 14:30-17:30

EVENING CLASS (B): February 2-8, 2026
Mon to Fri: Feb 2 (Mon)-6 (Fri): 18:30-21:30
Sat/Sun: Feb 7 (Sat)-8 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00

Level 2 (7 days / 30 hours)

DAY CLASS (A): February 28 – March 6, 2026
Sat/Sun: Feb 28 (Sat)- March 1 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00
Mon to Fri: March 2 (Mon)-6 (Fri): 14:30-17:30

EVENING CLASS (B): March 2 -8, 2026
Mon to Fri: March 2-6 (Fri): 18:30-21:30
Sat/Sun: March 7 (Sat)- 8 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00

Level 3 (7 days / 30 hours)

DAY CLASS (A): April 4–10, 2026
Sat/Sun: April 4 (Sat)- 5 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00
Mon to Fri: April 6 (Mon)-10 (Fri): 14:30-17:30

EVENING CLASS (B): pril 6 – 12, 2026
Mon to Fri: April 6 (Mon)-10 (Fri): 18:30-21:30
Sat/Sun: April 11 (Sat)-11 (Sun): 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00

Assessment

April 13, 2026

FULL REGULATIONS

Venue

THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN JAPAN
FBR MITA Bldg. 9F
4-1-27 Mita, Minato-Ku
108-0073 Tokyo

Programme Fees

LEVEL 1: ¥ 290,000※
LEVEL 2: ¥ 270,000※
LEVEL 3: ¥ 360,000※
※Tax Excluded
Minimum number of participants: 10

 

Application & Deadline

Applications for Level 1 are accepted until October 31, 2025.
Enrollment in Levels 2 and 3 will only be possible upon completion of the preceding course.

Admission criteria

1. Be able to speak, read and write English or Japanese.
2. At least 20 years old.
3. Participants need certified prerequisite skills before proceeding to successive levels in this programme.

NOTES

1. Enrolment is subject to availability and incomplete applications will not be processed.
2. Programme contents and all prices are subject to change.
3. Enrollment in Levels 2 and 3 will only be possible upon completion of the preceding course.
Each program is designed to ensure sufficient study time by attending all scheduled sessions in full.

FULL REGULATIONS

The Association

Founded in 1965, the Italian Sommelier Association was officially recognized by the President of the Italian Republic on April 6, 1973. As of today, the Association consists of 150 branches across the 20 regions of Italy.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ)

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ) is an association of companies and entrepreneurs established in Tokyo in 1972 to help promote commercial exchanges and relations between Italy and Japan. The Chamber was officially recognized by the Italian Government in 1986.
The Chamber organises more than 80 wine-related events a year, cooperates with more than 300 wine industry operators, more than 100 italian wineries and wine protection associations form each and every region of Italy.

Becoming an AIS Certified Sommelier

Affiliation to the Certified Sommelier Network gives priority access to members-only events and wine-related events sponsored and organised by The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

Benefits of the AIS membership

1. Three-monthly bulletin with the latest information on Italian wines
2. «Vitae» Comprehensive guidebook to Italian wines
3. AIS membership card
4. Favourable treatment upon presentation of the membership card at partner facilities, companies, etc.
5. AIS badge

*Paying the annual membership fee is deemed necessary In order to claim the AIS Sommelier denomination and/or enjoy the membership benefits.