The World's Best Sommelier Competition has been in existence since 1969. The competition facilitates exchanges between many restaurant and hostelry professionals, encourages healthy competition between entrants, and motivates them to perfect their skills and allows the sommelier profession to become better known by the public at large.  The competition takes place every three years in one of the ASI member countries that has been authorised by the ASI to organise the event.

Each delegation participating in the competition represents either an ASI member country or an observer country. An official delegation consists of a candidate, a journalist and the president of the National Associations. More than 1000 entrants have taken part in the last events. To enter the competition, candidates must work in restaurants, wine-bars, oenothèques or the oenogastronomy business.

Wherever it is organised, the event arouses the enthusiasm and interest of

	professional sommeliers
	hostelry school students and teachers
	maitres d'hotel
	proprietors-restaurateurs
	wine, beer and spirits agents
	specialist columnist
	oenologists
	wine advisers
	wine growers and brewers
	authors of books on wine and gastronomy
	representatives of bacchic brotherhoods
	members of private tasting clubs
	amateur wine-lovers and gourmets