How do you become the best sommelier in the world?

Margaux Fodere 09h17, February 07, 2023

Calling all wine lovers!

The competition for the best sommelier in the world begins this Tuesday in Paris.

The competition is organized by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale: until Sunday, nearly 70 candidates from 67 countries will compete for the title.

France won the competition for the last time in 1992 with Philippe Faure-Brac, who was part of the jury this year.

How do you choose the winner?

Europe 1 went to meet the former French champion.

All drinks are on point

The test sip is the first gesture that a sommelier must master.

"We have a frank product, quite incisive with a small hint of bitterness in the end which gives a certain length", demonstrates Philippe Faure-Brac while swallowing a sip of wine.

This clarification applies to a glass of water, as it does to a glass of wine, recalls the former winner Philippe Faure-Brac: "All drinks are present in the life of a sommelier. Wine is the heart of the trade but also whiskeys, cognacs, beers and water of course!".

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This week, the candidates will compete in a whole series of tests, starting with the tasting, the competition's flagship test: "The test requires dissociating to find a set. Thanks to this method, we are able to determine the 'origin of the product'.

Alongside this classic, service or commercial arguments are at the heart of the competition.

Beyond technical skills, candidates are also judged on their personality: "A sommelier is not just someone who knows. He is also someone who listens to people with the desire to please them. . Those who shine with that aspect of personality win."

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The key: the title of the best sommelier in the world, often synonymous with visibility and an accelerator for his career.