In Lyon, Clément Sommier Wins the Title of Best Sommelier of France 2026
Clément Sommier won the 2026 edition of the prestigious competition organized by the Union de la Sommellerie Française. He succeeds Bastien Debono and adds his name to the profession’s list of winners.
At the end of a final where every detail mattered, Clément Sommier claimed the title of Best Sommelier of France 2026. Held at the Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon, the final round of this prestigious competition crowned the Burgundian sommelier after nearly three hours of challenges in front of several hundred spectators. He prevailed over Augustin Belleville and Audrey Brugière, succeeding Bastien Debono, the winner of the 2024 edition.
A Demonstration of In-Depth Knowledge
Organized every two years by the Union de la Sommellerie Française (UDSF), the competition recognizes excellence in a profession where wine knowledge alone is not enough. Contestants are also evaluated on their customer service skills, analytical abilities, verbal fluency, and ability to advise customers in real-world scenarios. After a competitive preliminary round held at the Wine Paris trade show, six candidates qualified for the semifinals, which took place behind closed doors at the Lyfe Institute, before three of them secured their spots in the Lyon final.
To determine the winner among the finalists, the technical committee led by Cindy Schirr and Gaëtan Bouvier devised a series of exercises combining technical skills and real-life scenarios. Blind tastings of wines and brandies, food-and-wine pairings, recognizing figures from the wine world, wine service, and knowledge of cocktails: all these challenges were designed to reflect the diverse range of skills required of a great sommelier today.
Who is Clément Sommier?
A native of Burgundy, Clément Sommier built a solid career before reaching the top of the podium. After gaining experience at Georges Blanc, he joined the Swiss Berthaudin Group in Geneva, where he has been working for several years. Having already been a finalist in 2024, this initial experience at the highest level allowed him to approach this new edition with greater composure and maturity.
The French sommelier community is now looking ahead to its upcoming international events, notably the ASI World’s Best Sommelier competition, scheduled for October in Lisbon, while the next Best Sommelier of France competition is already set for 2028.
