Vocation Sommelier competition: who is Alyzée Marchal, the winner?

The future of sommellerie is assured! On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, hosted the Vocation Sommelier competition, which rewards hotel school students with a passion for the world of wine. One young candidate came out on top! Here's everything you need to know about the competition.

A final at the Hôtel de Crillon

The Vocation Sommelier competition, organized by Campari France, was back on March 25 and 26, 2024. The event, sponsored by Fabrice Sommier, President of the Union de la Sommellerie Française, aims toencourage and support students from hotel management schools throughout France, who are passionate about the world of sommellerie and wine.

Ahead of the two-day competition, Fabrice Sommier organized a series of master classes, and each school had to nominate the perfect candidate to take part in the Vocation Sommelier 2024 final. The semi-final was held on March 25 at Campari France headquarters, and nine candidates competed to represent their schools. Among them, three students stood out and advanced to the final on Tuesday March 26, held at theHôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel:

• Malou Talbot, from the Lycée Hôtelier in La Rochelle
• Dimitri Roussel, from Lycée Albert de Mun, Paris
• Alyzée Marchal, from UFA Joseph-Storck Guebwiller

In the end, it was Alyzée Marchal who emerged victorious from the final. Through this competition, the young woman, currently studying sommellerie at Le Chambard in Kaysersberg, wanted to demonstrate her "ability to guide others in the unique sensory exploration that wine offers."

To decide between them, the candidates faced a jury of professionals, chaired by Fabrice Sommier, accompanied by : Alicia Dorey, journalist, Clothilde Mengin, head sommelier, Denis Verneau, head sommelier, Julien Dos Santos, founder of Héritage Porto & Douro and Emmanuelle Bossard, marketing director for Campari Wines France.