The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), the non-profit global governing body of sommellerie, is pleased to announce that Malaysia will host the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of Asia and Pacific 2025, with official events based at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The competition brings together top sommeliers from across Asia and the Pacific for four days of rigorous theory, tasting, and service challenges.
The contest is organised by ASI in collaboration with the Sommelier Association of Malaysia (SOMLAY), the official host, welcoming candidates, judges, association leaders, partners, and guests to one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic culinary capitals. Of the opportunity to host the contest SOMLAY President Ronald Binati says, “this is the second ASI event we’ve hosted. In 2022, we welcomed sommeliers from across Asia and around the world for ASI Bootcamp. The success of that event gave us the courage and desire to host an even bigger event, ASI Contest Best Sommelier of Asia and Pacific 2025. These events not only celebrate our sommeliers, but they are an opportunity for us as an association, as a city, and as a country, to showcase our special version of hospitality, sommellerie, and our remarkable culinary traditions.”
Of this year’s contest, ASI president William Wouters says, “we are really excited to host this event with our friends in Malaysia. Ronald (Binati) and the entire team at SOMLAY have become integral parts of the ASI family over the years. Their dedication to the growth of sommellerie in Southeast Asia and throughout the broader Asian continent and Pacific is commendable.”
The competitors
- Dorianne Neimard, Australia
- Kam Fung (Reeze) Choi, China
- Jai Singh, India
- Raymond Andi Bajo Tambunan, Indonesia
- Miyuki Morimoto, Japan
- Ratmir Akhmetov, Kazakhstan
- Yi Ying Yong, Malaysia
- Surah G C, New Zealand
- Ian Odilio Santos, Philippines
- Celine Jung Mi Hyun, Singapore
- Jungmin An, Republic of Korea
- Suppawat Teeta, Thailand
- Thi Dung Tram Tran, Vietnam
Discover more
For the full schedule for both delegates and guests, plus updates from ASI visit the event website.
The Final will be held on Wednesday, 10 September from 14h00–18h00 Malaysia Time (MYT) and broadcast live worldwide on YouTube.