Latvian crowned World's Best Sommelier 2023
On Sunday February 12, Latvian Raimonds Tomsons won the prestigious title of World's Best Sommelier 2023 in Paris. France's Pascaline Lepeltier finished just off the podium, in fourth place.
After a thirty-year wait, France once again hosted the ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) World's Best Sommelier competition on Sunday February 12, 2023. An event of global proportions, with over 4,000 spectators in the stands and a supercharged atmosphere. A total of 68 candidates entered the competition on February 7. Three days later, only 17 were left to take part in the semi-final.
It was on the stage of La Défense Arena that the three finalists were announced, with many hoping to see Pascaline Lepeltier (Meilleur Sommelier de France and Meilleur Ouvrier de France) among them. After announcing the places of honour from 17th to 5th place, the knife fell in front of a disillusioned audience: the French candidate finished fourth and will not be taking part in the day's two events. The three finalists remained: Denmark's Nina Jensen, China's Reeze Choi and Latvia's Raimonds Tomsons.
A restaurant was then set up on stage, with a ruthless jury of the world's top sommeliers, including Olivier Poussier (World's Best Sommelier in 2000, Montreal), Masters of Wine and chef Anne-Sophie Pic. The three candidates took it in turns to take part in a forty-five minute test, divided into several workshops combining knowledge of the world of wine, blind tasting and room service.
Candidates had the chance to blind-taste two vintages of Domaine Petrus (2012 and 2003). Nina Jensen and Raimonds Tomsons really stood out in the first round, while Reeze Choi, stressed and awkward, already seemed to be out of the running. The final round saw the three finalists compete against each other in a sort of rebus; the sommeliers had to decipher the cuvée hidden behind several photographic clues.
At 6.20pm, Latvian Raimonds Tomsons was crowned World's Best Sommelier (after being Europe's Best Sommelier in 2017). Denmark's Nina Jansen finished second (for the second time) and China's Reeze Choi third.
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