The Association de la Sommellerie International (ASI) this week announced the list of candidates for the 2023 Best Sommelier of the World contest, to be held 8-12 February in Paris, France. 68 competitors representing 65 countries will compete for the title of world’s best. The group includes 64 competitors from member countries of ASI plus a single competitor from Peru who was invited to attend as a guest. Three other sommeliers qualified by virtue of winning an ASI continental contest: Salvatore Castano, Italy, 2021 Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa, Valeria Gamper, Argentina, 2022 Best Sommelier of the Americas, and Mason Ng, Singapore, 2022 Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania. The continental winners will be joined by a long list of qualified competitors including the former finalists of the previous Best Sommelier of the World contest.
Of the competitors for this year’s contest, ASI President William Wouters says “not only is this the largest pool of contestants to ever compete at an ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, but it is also without question one of the most talented we’ve ever had. Having been privileged to witness the performance of many of the competitors at our ASI continental contests, I can unequivocally say the quality of sommellerie around the globe is getting better each year. The divide between the skills of sommeliers in traditional wine producing countries, such as those in Western Europe, and the rest of the world is getting smaller and smaller each year. This will be an intense contest, and I would not be surprised to see some new names in the semi-final and final rounds.”
Best Sommelier of World contest candidates
There are four African candidates. Jo Wessels has been selected to represent South Africa. Tawanda Marume will compete on behalf of Zimbambwe, Jeff Luciano Thome will represemt Mauritius, and Kamel Essbai will represent Morocco.
Click HERE to discover all the candidates.
To qualify for the ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, a competitor must be proposed by an ASI member association. Typically, sommelier associations nominate the winner of their own best sommelier contest, although it is up to the individual association to propose a candidate based on their own criteria. Once a candidate competes for a country, that candidate may not compete for any other country in future contests. Three spaces are also reserved for the winners of ASI’s continental contests: Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa, Best Sommelier of the Americas, and the Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania.
The ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest is a multi-day event featuring various examinations including written theory, blind tasting, and service skills. The competition begins with a quarter-final round, followed by a semi-final and ultimate the finale, featuring the top three competitors as judged by the ASI. To add a level of complexity competitors must additionally compete in one of ASI’s official languages: English, French, or Spanish. Additionally, the language they chose to compete in must not be their mother tongue.
For more information about the ASI Best Sommelier of the World please contact: