The Association de la Sommellerie International’s (ASI) weeklong competition to determine the ASI 2023 Sommelier of the World has begun. As competitors arrive to the modern Pullman Hotel Montparnasse, located on the Left Bank in the heart of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, a palpable excitement for the event is building. USDF (L’Union de la Sommellerie Française) President, and event organizer, Philippe Faure-Brac says of the final preparations, “it’s been a long journey to get here, but all the final details are now in place. We will be proud to showcase the competitors, their skills and knowledge, but also Paris, France and its gastronomic delights.”
The competition begins with a quarterfinal round featuring 68 competitors representing 65 countries. With the increasingly global nature of the competition, ASI’s Contest Committee has worked hard to adapt testing to be more reflective of the diversity of sommellerie and the beverage world. Of changes made to the testing, ASI Contests Committee Co-Director Olivier Poussier says, “it is part of the natural evolution of our contests. In the days before the internet and social media, it was difficult for sommeliers to learn about the unique beverages and customs of each corner of the world. Now, as sommeliers form a global network, using all the platforms available to them, we see them working collaboratively to educate each other. And as more products from more places become available all over the world, they can not only know of those products but taste and experience them. It will be important for us as we evolve to expect our best sommeliers to have broader and deeper knowledge of all the drinks of the world.”
The candidates are in the final stages of preparation. Of the opportunity, 2022 Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa, Italian Salvatore Castano says, “I believe that winning this competition, but also just taking part in it, will mean receiving a lot of visibility, allowing the winner to immediately build a great network of connections. For Frederico Andrés De Moura Fonseca, competing for his fifth time and likely last time, he is spending his time getting ready for the contest. The Uruguayan sommelier, even moved with his family to Spain, where he works at the prestigious Marques de Murrieta in Rioja, to give himself more access to better wines and opportunities to train. Of the past week’s preparation he says “I’ve been focusing on keeping calm and concentrated. I plan to enjoy, one more time, one of the most amazing experiences any professional sommelier can have.” For some, like Castano and Tawanda Marume, who are here for the first time, there is the enthusiasm of youth. Tawanda says, “I am excited to be here and looking forward to the contest. I am going to give my all and I will do the best I can do. I hope to see myself in the final three.”
Of the arrival of the candidates and pending start of the competition, ASI President William Wouters says, “we have never had a more diverse and global competition as this one in Paris. With the quality of sommeliers in each corner of the globe, the only thing we can expect, in terms of who reaches the semi-final and final rounds, is the unexpected. This contest could be won by anyone of the 68 competitors.”
The quarterfinals begin tomorrow, Wednesday, February 8th . Candidates advancing to the semifinal round will be announced on the evening of Thursday, February 9th at a cocktail dinner hosted at Paris City Hall.
Photo Credit: ASI /HRVPROD
