What’s News

Get a taste for “Greece… The Wines, not the Musical” from this write up by Sommeliers Australia member Haz Davies:   One of the perks of being a wine rep is the Monday afternoon wine tasting. It’s a chance to take a break from the rejection and mix up the monotonous; broaden your mind and … Continued

Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker journalist Eleanor Danenberg recently got in touch with Sommeliers Australia members from across the country, seeking insights on what’s hot in restaurants right now. She also took the opportunity to ask for their advice on what wineries can do to best present their products to on-market outlets and … Continued

On Monday 4 March this year, 16 member associations of ASI hosted candidates for the 2019 ‘International ASI Sommelier Diploma’ certification exam. Among the 68 candidates who sat for the exam, only 49 passed. 15 sommeliers obtained the GOLD certificate and 32 the SILVER certificate. For the first time, two candidates sitting for the exam in their … Continued

Champagne Ruinart, together with Sommeliers Australia, is excited to announce the winner of the 2019 Australian Ruinart Sommelier Challenge, Manuel Conti of BLACK Bar & Grill. The Sommelier Challenge reflects Champagne Ruinart’s commitment to the development of the global, and local, Sommelier community. The competition was open to all Sommeliers holding a Sommeliers Australia membership … Continued

Friday 15 March saw the completion of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019 competition, hosted in Antwerp, Belgium, after a week of serious competition. A record 66 talented sommeliers represented 63 countries at the competition, which is in itself extraordinary! As a first time ASI competitor, Sommeliers Australia’s Loic Avril, conducted himself with … Continued

Antwerp, March 15 2019 At the end of a final round where the three top competitors had to show their knowledge of wine and talent for service and hospitality in front of an audience of over 1,100 people, Marc Almert, a 27-year-old German sommelier who works at the Baur du Lac Hotel in Zurich, was declared … Continued

Champagne Ruinart and Sommeliers Australia are delighted to announce the 25 selected finalists to take part in the 2019 Ruinart Sommelier Challenge, to be held in Sydney on Monday, 18 March. The finalists represent Australia’s top sommelier talent, who will go in the running for chance to win a once in a lifetime business class trip to … Continued

Antwerp, March 12, 2019 After a first round of practical and technical tests that took place over two days, the semi-finalists who are still in the race for the title of ASI Best Sommelier of the World have been revealed. Only 19 of the 66 candidates who came to Antwerp have been selected for the … Continued

Antwerp, March 11, 2019 –Today marks the beginning of the most highly-awaited event in the sommelier world: the ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, where 66 candidates from 63 countries – a record number, on both counts – will see years of learning, study and practice culminate, with one sommelier coming away, on 15 March, … Continued

Earlier this month, the Australian recipients of the New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship returned from more than 10 days across the ditch on an intensive programme that included Sommit™, the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration in Marlborough and the Chardonnay and Sparkling Wine Symposium in Gisborne. First launched in association with Sommeliers Australia in 2015, the … Continued