Deductive Tasting Grid: Free Interactive CMS Sheet
Work the Court of Master Sommeliers deductive tasting grid on screen, build a structured note from your calls, then print the blank sheet. Free, no sign-up.
The deductive grid is the only part of sommelier training that is genuinely a skill rather than a body of knowledge. You cannot read your way to a pass on it. You can only work it, out loud, on a clock, until the order of the calls is automatic and your mouth keeps moving while your brain is still deciding.
This is that grid, made interactive. Choose white or red, work down the sections making calls, and the sheet assembles a structured note in the order an examiner expects to hear it. Print it blank for practice flights, or fill it in as you taste and print the result for your notes.
Work the grid
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How to use the grid under exam pressure
The grid is not a vocabulary test, it is a decision tree. Every call you make should eliminate options. Work top to bottom, never skip back, and say the words out loud in the order they appear: examiners are listening for structure as much as for accuracy.
| Stage | Time to spend | What it should eliminate |
|---|---|---|
| Sight | About 30 seconds | Age bracket, likely grape family, possible fortification |
| Nose | About 60 seconds | Fruit spectrum, oak treatment, climate |
| Palate | About 60 seconds | Structure, alcohol, quality level |
| Initial conclusion | About 30 seconds | Old World or New, warm or cool, short list of grapes |
| Final conclusion | About 20 seconds | One grape, one region, one vintage range |