ASI launches BOOTCAMP

Paris, France.

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI, asi.info) – in its continuing effort to transition from a contest-focused association – has announced the launch of ASI BOOTCAMP 2021.

The launch of ASI BOOTCAMP is a step forward for the association. According to ASI President William Wouters “earlier this month we made the ASI guidelines available to our member presidents, identifying the global sommelier standard, for their member sommeliers to aspire to achieve. This herculean effort was a made by possible by the teamwork of our Exam, Contests and Education Committees. Now with the launch of ASI BOOTCAMP, we are making the first step towards giving our sommeliers practical opportunities to achieve these goals through class work, blind tastings and workshops taught by our very best sommeliers, world class instructors and renowned guests.”

The first edition of ASI BOOTCAMP will be held in Warsaw, Poland from 19 to 22 September under the direction of ASI BOOTCAMP Coordinator Maria Laura Ortiz (Argentina) and ASI’s Vice-President Europe, Piotr Kamecki (Poland). Of the opportunity to host the first ASI BOOTCAMP in his home Kamecki says “it’s a great honour to bring ASI BOOTCAMP to Poland. Our Polish association is ready to welcome our sommelier friends from across Europe, Africa and the world to our capital city. I can guarantee this will be two and a half days of intensive training and worthy of the title of ASI BOOTCAMP.”

ASI BOOTCAMP will be open to 40 sommeliers from across Europe and Africa, while an additional 4 seats will be reserved for non-European candidates. Subsequent ASI BOOTCAMP will be held in Asia-Oceania and the Americas, allowing for ASI member sommeliers from the globe to experience ASI Bootcamp over the next 3 years. A selection committee comprised of the ASI Continental Vice President where the bootcamp is taking place, the Directors of the Education, Exam and Contests Committees and the Committees Liaison Officer comprise the selection committee, jury tasked with selecting the candidates for ASI BOOTCAMP.

In an effort to educate aspiring top sommeliers, candidates may not have previously reached the semi- finals of any ASI Continental or World contest. Member country presidents alone will be able to nominate up to 2 candidates by submitting a written application along with a video showing their knowledge of a local beverage. Applications will be accepted between 11 and 25 July 2021.

NOTE: While the 2021 ASI BOOTCAMP is only open to sommeliers from Europe and Africa to attend, Sommeliers Australia is excited that an ASI BOOTCAMP Asia Oceania will be held within the next three years for our sommeliers to apply for!