What is a water sommelier?

A water sommelier is a trained taster who tells waters apart by what they carry and matches them to food, as a wine sommelier does with wine. The course with the most published detail runs at the Doemens Academy in Gräfelfing, just outside Munich.

What a water sommelier does

The work starts with the analysis: total dissolved solids (TDS), minerals, carbonation and pH [1][2]. One South African water sommelier told News24 in June 2026 that TDS is the figure he weighs most [2]. The 2026 Doemens schedule includes sensory sessions on how carbon dioxide changes the way minerals taste [3].

In a restaurant, the job is service. Doemens describes it as presenting the house mineral waters to guests and helping them choose a water for their dishes, wine or coffee [4]. Some restaurants now print a water menu; La Popote, in Cheshire, England, launched one in August 2025 [5][6].

Tastings are the other half. A fine water tasting room opened in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in late 2025 [7][8]. The Fine Water Society, a group of small bottlers and distributors, holds an annual competition judged by water sommeliers; the 2025 edition was in Atlanta [9][10]. A study in the Journal of Wine Economics found that judges at these awards agreed with one another less than judges at some wine competitions [11].

How the training works

Doemens has trained water sommeliers since 2011 [12][13], at its academy in Gräfelfing [4][14]. The course is called Wassersommelier in German and Water Sommelier in English [12][4].

English. Added in 2016, the English course has run at least once a year since [4][15]. It is taught in person over two weeks; the 2026 course was set for 19 to 30 October [16][14].

German. From autumn 2026 the German course is hybrid: three days online (21 to 23 September), then a classroom module in Gräfelfing [12][13][17].

Spanish and Mandarin. Sommelier de Agua, in Spanish, first ran from 9 to 20 September 2024 [18][19], and for 2026 became a blended course: theory online, then an in-person module [20][21]. A Mandarin version with Kaiping Culinary School in Taipei followed in 2019 [22][23]. Doemens says Taiwan has the most certified water sommeliers after Germany [24], a ranking Taiwan's Global Views magazine also reported [25].

The exam. Candidates sit four written and practical exams [4]. One graduate describes written papers on mineral water categories and labeling law, and practical topics such as water and wine [26].

Other programs and the professional association

Doemens graduates can join the Wassersommelier Union, an association of certified water sommeliers [27], through which German retailers can book a certified sommelier for in-store promotions [28]. Doemens says it has built its international network with the Union since 2011 [13].

The Fine Water Academy teaches an online program in three levels; graduates also become members of the Fine Water Society [29][30]. In Switzerland, GastroSuisse, the Swiss association for hotels and restaurants, has run Der Schweizer Wasser-Sommelier since autumn 2018 [31][32]; ten graduates received certificates in Zurich on 27 August 2026 [33]. In Slovenia, the organizers of the Bled Water Festival announced a European Water Sommelier Association in 2021 [34][35].

Where to train

• Water Sommelier, Doemens Academy: Gräfelfing, Germany. In person, in English, two weeks. €3,150 plus VAT for 2026, travel and lodging extra (seen 30 October 2026) [16].
• Wassersommelier, Doemens Academy: online, then Gräfelfing. Hybrid, in German: three days online plus a classroom module [12][17].
• Sommelier de Agua, Doemens Academy: online, then Gräfelfing. Blended, in Spanish; the 2026 in-person module ran 20 to 25 April [20][21].
• Water Sommelier, Kaiping Culinary School with Doemens: Taipei. In Mandarin, since 2019; length not published in what we saw [22][23].
• Fine Water Academy: online, English-language catalog. Three levels, one to three months by the academy's estimate. $2,200 including the verbal exam and certificate (seen 30 October 2026) [29][30].
• Der Schweizer Wasser-Sommelier, GastroSuisse: Zurich, with sessions at a Swiss mineral spring. A seminar with exams; length, fees and teaching language not confirmed [33].

Taste like one at home

No certificate is needed to start. Pick three waters with different TDS figures (How to read a water label shows where to find them) and pour them cool, not ice cold, into identical glasses. Taste from lowest to highest mineral content, still before sparkling, noting weight, finish and bubbles; How to taste water walks through a full flight. Then take the palate quiz and open the Water Palate to see where the library's verified waters sit. When you want to compare notes against the numbers, pick a tasting challenge.

Sources

1. 2025's Best Bottled Waters, According to Water Sommeliers, AOL, https://www.aol.com/2025-best-bottled-waters-according-113100339.html
2. A thirst-quenching experience: what does a water sommelier actually do?, News24 (Eat Out), June 2026, https://www.news24.com/eat-out/articles/a-thirst-quenching-experience-what-does-a-water-sommelier-actually-do-20260605-0831
3. Water Sommelier schedule 2026 (PDF), Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/uploads/2025/08/watersommelier_schedule_2026.pdf
4. Water Sommelier, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/en/savour-sensory/water-sommelier/
5. Tapping into trends: a restaurant is launching a dedicated water menu, Restaurant Online, August 2025, https://www.restaurantonline.co.uk/Article/2025/08/20/la-popote-in-macclesfield-to-serve-a-fine-dining-water-menyu
6. A British restaurant is launching the UK's first water menu, CTV News, https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/a-british-restaurant-is-launching-the-uks-first-water-menu/
7. More than R1000 for a bottle of water: world's first water tasting room opened in Stellenbosch, TimesLive, November 2025, https://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/food/2025-11-13-more-than-r1000-for-a-bottle-of-water-worlds-first-water-tasting-room-opened-in-stellenbosch/
8. Water is wine in this valley of Stellenbosch, Sunday Times (South Africa), January 2026, https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-01-03-water-is-wine-in-this-valley-of-stellenbosch/
9. Market Grows for Costly 'Fine Water', VOA Learning English, https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/market-grows-for-costly-fine-water-/7364599.html
10. Why sommeliers are sipping 4,000-year-old iceberg water in Atlanta, Axios Atlanta, April 2025, https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/04/22/atlanta-fine-water-summit-premium-bottled-water
11. Judging reliability at wine and water competitions, Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-wine-economics/article/judging-reliability-at-wine-and-water-competitions/416730E6F3B1A9E3D9F19E08455CAFAA
12. Doemens: Wassersommelier als Hybrid-Ausbildung, Meininger, https://www.meininger.de/alkoholfreie-getraenke/verkostungen/doemens-wassersommelier-als-hybrid-ausbildung
13. Der Geschmack von Wasser, der mineralbrunnen 03/2026 (PDF), der mineralbrunnen, hosted by Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org//uploads/2026/08/der-mineralbrunnen-03_2026_der-geschmack-von-wasser-1.pdf
14. Seminar Water Sommelier, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/weiterbildungen/seminar-water-sommelier/
15. Der Doemensianer news, November 2024, Sachon, https://www.sachon.de/en/der-doemensianer/news/2024/november.html
16. Water Sommelier enrollment 2026 (PDF), Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/uploads/2025/11/watersommelier_enrollment_2026_writeable.pdf
17. Doemens news, GI 07/2026 (PDF), Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org//uploads/2026/08/44_45-gi_07_2026_doemensnews_k.pdf
18. Sommelier de Agua: Water Sommelier training available now in Spanish, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/en/aktuelles/sommelier-de-agua-water-sommelier-training-available-now-in-spanish/
19. Doemens Water Sommelier training now in Spanish, Brauwelt International, https://www.brauwelt.com/en/events/previews/646803-doemens-water-sommelier-training-now-in-spanish
20. Sommelier de Agua 2026: updated training program, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/en/aktuelles/sommelier-de-agua-2026-updated-training-program/
21. Sommelier de Agua, inscripción 2026 (PDF), Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/uploads/2025/06/sommelierdeagua_inscripcion_2026.pdf
22. News report on Taiwan's first Water Sommelier course, Taiwan News, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3732519
23. 4th Water Sommelier Course in Taiwan, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/en/aktuelles/4th-water-sommelier-course-in-taiwan/
24. Fifth water sommelier course in Taiwan, Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/en/aktuelles/fifth-water-sommlier-course-in-taiwan/
25. 台灣品水師全球第二多 教你喝水喝出千滋百味 (Taiwan has the world's second-largest number of water sommeliers), Global Views Monthly, https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/68000
26. Water is vital for our future (trend magazine), Krones, https://www.krones.com/en/company/press/magazine/trend/water-is-vital-for-our-future-water-sommeliers-like-dirk-scheu-know-everything-about-this-precious-liquid.php
27. Sommelier de Agua brochure (PDF), Doemens Academy, https://doemens.org/uploads/2023/09/sommelierdeagua_folleto.pdf
28. Leser fragen: Steigert ein Wassersommelier den Umsatz?, Lebensmittel Praxis, https://lebensmittelpraxis.de/zentrale-management/46353-leser-fragen-steigert-ein-wassersommelier-den-umsatz.html
29. Water Sommelier: Certification (course catalog), Fine Water Academy, https://finewateracademy.talentlms.com/catalog/info/id:134
30. About, Fine Water Academy, https://finewateracademy.talentlms.com/about
31. GastroSuisse, Verband für Hotellerie und Restauration: course listing, berufsberatung.ch, https://www.berufsberatung.ch/de/aus-weiterbildungen/gastrosuisse-verband-fuer-hotellerie-und-restauration/gastronomie-schweizer-4
32. Erste Schweizer Wasser-Sommeliers ausgezeichnet, Hogapage, https://www.hogapage.de/nachrichten/beverage/alkoholfreie-getraenke-beverage/erste-schweizer-wasser-sommeliers-ausgezeichnet/
33. Zertifikate für 10 neue Wasser-Sommeliers, Hogapage, 2026, https://www.hogapage.de/nachrichten/arbeitswelt/bildung/zertifikate-f%C3%BCr-10-neue-wasser-sommeliers/
34. New European Water Sommelier Association founded in Bled, STA (Slovenian Press Agency), https://english.sta.si/2901422/new-european-water-sommelier-association-founded-in-bled
35. Report on the founding of the European Water Sommelier Association, May 2021, Balkan Green Energy News, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/?p=41358