Becoming a water sommelier is a real specialty, although it is much less standardized than becoming a wine sommelier. The basic idea is to learn to evaluate water the way a wine professional evaluates wine—source, mineral composition, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, temperature, carbonation, terroir, and food pairing.

The typical path

1. Develop a palate

• Taste still, sparkling, mineral, spring, purified, artesian and naturally alkaline waters.
• Compare waters side-by-side.
• Learn to identify differences in minerals, acidity/alkalinity, carbonation, salinity, sweetness, bitterness and mouthfeel.
• Practice blind tasting.

2. Learn water chemistry
   You'd want to understand:

• Total dissolved solids (TDS)
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Bicarbonate
• Sulfates
• Chlorides
• pH
• Hardness
• Carbonation

This is where water tasting becomes considerably more scientific than simply saying, "This water tastes good."

 

3. Study water sources and terroir
   Learn how geography affects water:

• Glaciers
• Mountains
• Aquifers
• Springs
• Volcanic regions
• Limestone formations
• Mineral springs
• Artesian sources

A good water sommelier should be able to explain why two waters from different geological environments taste different.

4. Take professional training

There are specialized water-sommelier programs. One of the best-known organizations associated with formal water-sommelier education is the Fine Water Academy, which offers education around fine-water tasting and water culture.

There are also water-focused courses and certifications offered by other organizations, so the credential landscape is not as universally standardized as wine's WSET/Sommeliership ecosystem.

5. Learn food pairing

This is where the profession becomes particularly interesting.

For example, a water professional might consider:

Light mineral water → delicate fish
Highly carbonated water → rich/fatty foods
High-bicarbonate water → certain heavier dishes
Low-mineral water → delicate dishes where you don't want the water competing with the food

The goal isn't necessarily to prescribe one "correct" water. It's to understand how water interacts with food.

6. Build tasting experience

I'd recommend keeping a formal tasting journal.

For every bottle, record:

Category	What to evaluate
Source	Spring, aquifer, glacier, etc.
Origin	Country/region
Mineral profile	Ca, Mg, Na, bicarbonate, etc.
TDS	Dissolved mineral concentration
pH	Acidity/alkalinity
Carbonation	Still → highly sparkling
Aroma	Neutral, mineral, earthy, sulfurous, etc.
Taste	Sweet, salty, bitter, metallic, neutral
Mouthfeel	Soft, silky, crisp, heavy, sharp
Finish	Short, clean, lingering
Food pairing	Best culinary applications
Overall	Personal assessment

 

How long does it take?

You could learn the fundamentals in a few months, but becoming genuinely good at blind tasting and identifying mineral characteristics would require substantially more practice.

A serious path might look like:

Month 1–2: Water chemistry + tasting fundamentals
Month 3–4: Regional/source study + blind tasting
Month 5–6: Food pairing + professional tasting methodology
6–12+ months: Build a substantial tasting portfolio and pursue formal certification

You can find out more about the Snobby Duck Water Sommelier Certification HERE.