Jean Vincent Ridon tells it like it is competing for top sommelier competition

Tuesday, 4 August, 2020
Jean Vincent Ridon
What does it take to represent South Africa at the ASI Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa 2020 contest?

This continental competition organised every three years by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale will take place in Limassol, Cyprus, between the 16th and the 20th of November 2020. 40 candidates will represent their home countries like at the Olympics, so it is an honour, and a responsibility to fly the national flag there.

I had the privilege to be the South African candidate for the last edition in Vienna in 2017. Although I have not been further than the quarter finals, the experience I gained there helps me every day in educating the next generation of sommeliers in South Africa. Giving back is one of the responsibilities for the national candidate.

However, the rules are clear, and not everyone can compete at that level. The official admissibility rules state that the candidate must be able to compete in a foreign language, and this foreign language must be one of the three official language of the ASI: French, English or Spanish. Being born French I elected English as my foreign language and anyone who knows me can hear that English is a still not my mother tongue. My Spanish is unfortunately too rusty to compete at this level of the competition.

The other rules states that the candidate must be national citizen, or working in the country as a sommelier over the last 24 months. My new SA passport in hand, I fulfill both these conditions even if I still use my French passport when I travel to avoid having to apply for a visa.

Finally, the candidate must be selected by the national sommelier association, meaning that a contest had to be organised by SASA, so that eligible candidates can show who has the best chance at this level of the competition. SASA (Sommelier Association of South Africa) decided that only finalist of the SA Best Sommelier contest could run for the seat. Eventually Jo Wessels and myself expressed their interest to grab this seat to Cyprus.

Unfortunately, the Covid19 Pandemic makes any international travel complicated, although not impossible. The 14 days quarantine would have been a nightmare for Jo who resides in Germany. SASA decided to set up a virtual selection, and none of the candidate knew what to expect.

While I had to be in Stellenbosch on the 29th of July, Jo Wessels had to be at the WOSA German office so we could assess our skills with the very same tasks, if not in the same room.

I practiced as much as I could everyday the week before since the restaurants are close in South Africa, I had to make sure my practical skills were not too rusty, so I could decant and serve wine with a blindfold. With my weak point being spirits identification, I had to ask friends to sniff their precious bottles as the prohibition prevented me from purchasing any alcohol. I am grateful to all who helped me getting ready, sniffing anything from Aquavit to Japanese Whiskeys.

On the day the stress was very high and I was delighted to see Jo on the video conference screen. Although we were opponents on this day, we both want the best for South Africa. In Vienna in 2017 he was my support when I was competing. In return, I was by Jo’s side when he represented South Africa at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest in Antwerp in 2019. He is such a gentleman that he sent me his good luck wishes directly by WhatsApp the day before the SASA selection.

To our surprise it was no tasting, no practical task, no food pairing but a very hard theory paper, and a virtual description of two wines, wines we may have never tasted, with only the names as a clue. One hour in total for 40 questions and the two wines' descriptions in two different formats each, one for a professional, and one for a restaurant client who may not be knowledgeable about the wine.

Shiraz Hartenberg 2016 was one wine, and NAUDIN Anjou Blanc 1983 Cuvée du Fondateur as the second wine. All the way from Sweden, Joakim Blackadder who now lives in his home country started the clock. Jo and myself could just try to show our skills facing the same hardship although we were 9000 km apart.

The questionnaire was very similar to what we face in international competitions. It is always very depressing, making you feel you know so little. I remember a few of these questions. What grape goes in Eisenberg DAC: I knew Blaufrankisch is one, but would they put Zweigelt as well?  Or what is the grape used in Ribeira Sacra, and my mind had a blank, I could not remember Mencia even if I had a bottle of it a week ago… Never underestimate the effect of the stress on your memory. I know I will not make the points on this question. I could remember five grand crus of Chablis, probably Valmur, Bougros, Les Clos, Les Preuses and Blanchot but I could not remember all my 3rd growth from the 1855 classification properly! Or what are the parents of colombard? I remember Gouai Blanc but I forgot the other was Chenin. And on the more obscure questions what is the minimum sugar level for the VQA Ontario icewines… my brain was fried after 15 minutes. And I had to describe wines I never tasted.

The Shiraz from Stellenbosch would probably be very ripe with a low acidity, like most of the 2016, showing a bit of colour loss already, specially on very rich soils of the Devon Valley, while the Anjou Blanc was clearly a botrytis year. Being older, or more mature, I remember how 1983 was a great botrytis year in Sauterne, Alsaces and the Loire Valley. So, this Chenin from Anjou must have had some lemon and honeyed waxiness but was this cuvée a sweet one???

Time, leave your pens, collect copies, scan copies and suddenly it was all finished, even if I was not finished… Time is always the essence in competition.

I have no regrets. I would have preferred a more complete assessment to decide who will go to Cyprus so we could both show our service quality, our skills and not only our wine geek side, but the process was very fair, and the best one will get the seat.  Jo and I already promised that we will support the winner. If he goes, I will make sure I prepare flashcards for him, I will help him at distance with video and make sure I support him. On the other hand, he receives a great support from the German Sommeliers association, including Marc Almert the current best sommelier of the world. And if I am the candidate, I am sure SASA will be behind me as well to show that South Africa has great sommeliers to bring to Cyprus!

Good luck to the winner, make us proud.

The 2017 ASI Competitors

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Jean Vincent Ridon, Jo Wessels & Joakim Blackadder
Jean Vincent Ridon, Jo Wessels & Joakim Blackadder

Jo Wessels at Vienna in 2017
Jo Wessels at Vienna in 2017

JV competing in Vienna in 2017
JV competing in Vienna in 2017

Jo Wessels
Jo Wessels

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