(WSJ) - When they could be raising a glass with their friends during their free time, some wine enthusiasts are hitting the books alongside professional sommeliers in order to take a challenging test.

As the amount of wine Americans drinks continues to rise annually, so too does the number of people taking the Court of Master Sommeliers’ introductory exam. This is the first in a series of tests that start hard and only get harder, eventually leading to the designation of Master Sommelier in the wine industry’s most prestigious certification program. Most of the test-takers are there to advance their careers in the food and beverage industry. But there is also a visible, highly motivated minority of corporate desk-dwellers who have decided to take their wine obsession to a new level.

Such students share with the foodie movement a motivation to know more about the history and origins of the wine they drink. There are also bragging rights at stake. Passing the exam transforms a hobby into an achievement. “I’m just motivated by that kind of marker,” says Boston-based copywriter Melanie DeCarolis, who now gives wine tours on the side.

The number of students taking the introductory exam in the U.S. nearly doubled to 4,238 between 2009 and 2013, the Court says, and five additional courses of about 80 people each have been added so far in 2014.