Only 274 people have passed the test to become a Master Sommelier since it was established in 1969, and 24 passed it in 2018. However, 23 of them have been stripped of their titles and will have to retake the test due to a potential cheating scandal.
According to Laist.com, “Devon Broglie, the chairman of the organization’s board and a master sommelier himself, sent a letter yesterday saying he had received information that one of the group’s members had ‘disclosed confidential information pertinent to the tasting portion of the 2018 Master Sommelier Diploma Examination prior to the examination.'”
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