On the 29th of March 2013 will be proclaimed the 14th laureate of the A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World.
This contest has a long tradition and is headed by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (A.S.I.) since 1969, the very year of the creation of the association. It is organized every three years in the aim of improving the quality of the sommellerie.
About 60 candidates, from all over the world duly selected and representing 55 member and observer countries, the Best Sommeliers of Europe, Americas and Asia-Oceania as well as those accepted in the framework of special invitation, will participate in this contest. The quarter-final will be held on the 27th, the semi-final on the 28th and the final with finalists on the 29th.
The final with very high level sommeliers will be open to the public. All the members of the A.S.I. join me to invite you to come and discover their prowess and we are looking forward to seeing you there.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Japan Sommelier Association which ensures the logistics of this event.
Shinya Tasaki
President of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale
Dear members of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale,
The 14th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World will take place, next March, in Japan. First of all I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the national sommelier associations, particularly to their presidents for their support and cooperation.
Our Japanese Sommelier Association, founded in 1969, has more than 9.000 members nowadays. It has become a source of inspiration worldwide.
Mr. Shinya Tasaki's victory during the 8th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World held in Tokyo in 1995 – the first non-European Best Sommelier of the World– clearly showed the high quality of Japanese sommeliers, later recognized all over the world and still improving.
Sommeliers from some 60 countries will participate in the next contest and the three finalists will fight for the first place in public at the Tokyo International Forum.
Apart from the contest, a tasting festival called: "TASTING FESTIVAL" will be held on the 28th and 29th of March, at the Tokyo International Forum. We will have the pleasure of tasting SAKE and grape wines from all over Japan, as well as wines from many other countries.
Furthermore, we have planned a visit to a winery in Yamanashi and a tour of Tokyo for the participants from overseas.
Do not miss this opportunity to go to Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, and to enjoy all these events in the good company of your fellow members from all over the world. We count on your presence.
Masaharu OKA
President of the Japan Sommelier Association
14th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World, Tokyo – Japan
26th -30th March 2013
26th March |
||
|---|---|---|
| Evening | Welcome Dinner | |
| Accommodation | Grand Prince Hotel Shin-Takanawa, Tokyo | |
27th March |
||
| PARTICIPANTS | CANDIDATS | |
| AM | Visiting : Tomi-no-oka Winery | Quarter-final of the 14th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World |
| PM | Tasting : different beverages and spirits of Yamanashi region | |
| Evening | Dinner @ Palace Hotel | |
| Accommodation | Grand Prince Hotel Shin-Takanawa, Tokyo | |
28thMarch |
||
| PARTICIPANTS | CANDIDATS | |
| AM & PM | Sightseeing in Tokyo City | Semi-final of the 14th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World |
| Evening | SAKURA Dinner @ Happo-en, Tokyo | |
| Accommodation | Imperial Hotel, Tokyo | |
29th March |
||
| AM | Free | |
| 14:00 - 18:00 | 14th A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World FINAL @ Tokyo International Forum | |
| Evening | Gala Dinner @ Imperial Hotel | |
| Accommodation | Imperial Hotel, Tokyo | |
30th March |
||
| Departure | ||
MS continentaux / Continental MS
 Australie/Australia |
Mr.Franck Moreau |
 |
Meilleur Sommelier d'Asie-Océanie 2012 |
| Working Place : Merivale - Sydney | |
| Association : Sommeliers Australia | |
 Canada/Canada |
Ms.Véronique Rivest |
 |
Meilleur Sommelier des Amériques 2012 |
| Working Place : Restaurant Les Fougères – Chelsea - Québec | |
| Association : Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers | |
 Confédération Helvétique/Switzerland |
Mr.Paolo Basso |
 |
Meilleur Sommelier d'Europe 2010 |
| Working Place : Conca Balla Restaurant – Vacallo | |
| Association : Association Suisse des Sommeliers Professionnels |
Candidats A.S.I. / A.S.I. candidates
 Albanie/Albania |
Mr.Ilir Lagji |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Nichter** - Île de Santorin |
| Association : Albanian Sommelier Association | |
 Allemagne/Germany |
Mr.Thomas Sommer |
 |
Working Place : Schlosshotel Lerbach Relais & Châteaux - Bergisch Gladbach |
| Association : Sommelier Union Deutschland E.V. | |
 Argentine/Argentina |
Ms.María Paz Levinson Huarte |
 |
Working Place : Colagreco Restaurant – Shanghai |
| Association : Asociación Argentina de Sommeliers | |
| Australie/Australia |
Mr.Mark Protheroe |
 |
Working Place : Grossi Group – Melbourne – Victoria |
| Association : Sommeliers Australia | |
 Autriche/Austria |
Mr.Alexander Koblinger |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Hotel Obauer - Werfen |
| Association : Austrian Sommelier Union | |
 Belgique/Belgium |
Mr.Aristide Spies |
 |
Working Place : Château du Pont d'Oye - 6720 Habay |
| Association : Guilde des Sommeliers de Belgique | |
 Brésil/Brazil |
Mr.Diego Arrebola |
 |
Working Place : Gallo Nero Restaurant - Campinas - São Paulo |
| Association : Associação Brasileira de Sommeliers | |
 Bulgarie/Bulgaria |
Mr.Plamen Borislavov Dimitrov |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Chepishev – Catering CD Cat - Sofia |
| Association : Bulgarian Association of Sommeliers | |
| Canada/Canada |
Mr.William Predhomme |
 |
Working Place : Canoe Restaurant – Toronto |
| Association : Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers | |
 Chili/Chile |
Mr.Marcelo Pino |
 |
Working Place : Casa Silva Winery - Colchagua Valley |
| Association : Asociación Nacional de Sommeliers de Chile | |
 Chine/China |
Mr.Terence Wong Ka Lun |
 |
Working Place : L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Hong Kong |
| Association : Hong Kong Sommelier Association | |
 Chypre/Cyprus |
Mr.Vasos Manoli |
 |
Working Place : Risto La Piazza – Paphos |
| Association : Cyprus Sommeliers Association | |
| Confédération Helvétique/Switzerland |
Mr.Fabio Miccoli |
 |
Working Place : Cibovinum Import - 1217 Meyrin-Genève |
| Association : Association Suisse des Sommeliers Professionnels | |
 Corée/Korea |
Mr.Yong-Moon Lee |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire - Lotte Hotel - Séoul –Corée du sud |
| Association : Korea International Sommelier Association | |
 Croatie/Croatia |
Mr.Klaudio Jurčić |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Balthazar – Zagreb |
| Association : Hrvatski Sommelier Club | |
 Danemark/Denmark |
Mr.Thorsholt Jacobsen |
 |
Working Place : Modern American Steak House – Londres |
| Association : Dansk Sommelier Forening Christian | |
 Espagne/Spain |
Mr.Raul Igual Ibañès |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Yain – Teruel |
| Association : Unión de Asociaciones Españoles de Sumilleres | |
 Estonie/Estonia |
Mr.Kristjan Peäske |
 |
Working Place : Leib Resto ja Aed – Tallinn |
| Association : Estonian Sommelier Association | |
 Finlande/Finland |
Mr.Angelov Olavi Samuil |
 |
Working Place : Ravintola Muru – Helsinki |
| Association : Sommelier Viinirnestarit | |
 France/France |
Mr.David Biraud |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx - Mandarin Oriental – Paris |
| Association : Union De la Sommellerie Française | |
 Grèce/Greece |
Mr.Nikolas Giannopoulos |
 |
Working Place : Restaurants Matsuhisa Athens & Mykonos |
| Association : Union de la Sommellerie Grecque | |
 Indonésie/Indonesia |
Mr.Suyanto |
 |
Working Place : Four Seasons Hotel – Jakarta |
| Association : Indonesia Sommelier Association | |
 Irlande/Ireland |
Ms.Julie Dupouy |
 |
Working Place : Fallon and Byrne Wine Bar and Restaurant - Dublin |
| Association : The Irish Guild of Sommeliers | |
 Islande/Iceland |
Ms.Alba E. H. Hough |
 |
Working Place : Icelandair Hotel Retkjavík Marina |
| Association : Samtöc Íslenskra Vínƥjóna | |
 Italie/Italy |
Mr.Fabio Masi |
 |
Working Place : Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues - Genève |
| Association : Associazione della Sommellerie Professionale Italiana | |
 Japon/Japan |
Mr.Satoru Mori |
 |
Working Place : La Tour d'Argent - Tokyo |
| Association : Japan Sommelier Association | |
 Lettonie/Latvia |
Mr.Jānis Kaļķis |
 |
Working Place : Hotel Jurmala Spa - Jurmala |
| Association : Latvian Sommelier Association | |
 Lituanie/Lithuania |
Mr.Narimantas Miežys |
 |
Working Place : Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square - Vilnius |
| Association : Lithuanian Sommelier Association | |
 Luxembourg/Luxembourg |
Mr.Rodolphe Chevalier |
 |
Working Place : Bar à vin Vinoteca - Luxembourg |
| Association : Association Luxembourgeoise des Sommeliers | |
 Malaisie/Malaysia |
Mr.Rajeshwaran Raja Gopal |
 |
Working Place : Bistro Moderne by Daniel Boulud - Marina Bay Sands - Singapore |
| Association : Sommelier Association of Malaysia | |
 Mexique/Mexico |
Mr.Omar Barbosa Hernández |
 |
Working Place : Gemaric Group |
| Association : Asociación de Sommeliers Mexicanos A.C | |
 Monaco/Monaco |
Mr.Dominique Milardi |
 |
Working Place : Hôtel Le Méridien Beach Plaza - Monte Carlo |
| Association : Association Monégasque des Sommeliers | |
 Norvège/Norway |
Mr.Francesco Azzarone |
 |
Working Place : De Fem Stuer - Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica - Oslo |
| Association : Norske Vinkelnerforning | |
 Pays-Bas/Netherlands |
Mr.Jan-Willem Van der Hek |
 |
Working Place : Flex4Wine - Alkmaar |
| Association : Nederlands Gilde van Sommeliers | |
 Pologne/Poland |
Mr.Tomasz Kolecki-Majewicz |
 |
Working Place : |
| Association : Polish Sommelier Association | |
 Portugal/Portugal |
Mr.Bruno Antunes |
 |
Working Place : Wine Man - Lisbonne |
| Association : Associação dos Escanções de Portugal | |
 République Slovaque/Slovak Republic |
Mr.Matej Lacko |
 |
Working Place : Bedales Wine Bar - Londres |
| Association : The Association of Sommeliers of the Slovak Republic | |
 République Tchèque/Czech Republic |
Mr.Ivo Dvořák |
 |
Working Place : WineManShow |
| Association : Asociace sommelieru Ceska republika | |
 Roumanie/Romania |
Ms.Julia Scavo |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant L'Âne Rouge – Nice |
| Association : Asociatia Somelierilor din Romania | |
 Royaume-Uni/United Kingdom |
Mr.Eric Zwiebel |
 |
Working Place : Summer Lodge Hotel – Evershot |
| Association : The Academy of Food and Wine Service | |
 Russie/Russia |
Mr.Nikolai Utebekov |
 |
Working Place : Simple Ltd - Saint-Pétersbourg |
| Association : Russian Association of Sommeliers | |
 Serbie/Serbia |
Mr.Serge Janjić |
 |
Working Place : Heirloom Wine Group – Toronto |
| Association : Serbian Sommelier Association | |
 Singapour/Singapore |
Mr.Alvin Gho Weijie |
 |
Working Place : The Peninsula - Shanghai |
| Association : Sommelier Association of Singapore | |
 Slovénie/Slovenia |
Mr.Gašper Čarman |
 |
Working Place : eVino d.o.o. , Lubiana |
| Association : Sommelier Slovenije | |
 Suède/Sweden |
Mr.Jon Arvid Rosengren |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Umami - Copenhague |
| Association : Svenska Sommelierforeningen | |
 Taiwan/Taiwan |
Mr.Hsin-Wei Thomas Ho |
 |
Working Place : Le Moût Restaurant – Taichung |
| Association : Taiwan Sommelier Association | |
 Turquie/Turkey |
Mr.Isa Bal |
 |
Working Place : The Fat Duck – Bray – Royaume-Uni |
| Association : Turkish Sommelier Association | |
 Ukraine/Ukraine |
Mr.Oleksii Gizhko |
 |
Working Place : InterContinental Hotel - Kiev |
| Association : Association of Sommeliers of Ukraine | |
 Uruguay/Uruguay |
Mr.Federico Andrés de Moura Fonseca |
 |
Working Place : Oporto Wines - Montevideo |
| Association : Asociación Uruguaya de Sommeliers Profesionales | |
 Vénézuela/Venezuela |
Ms.Nancy Yolanda González Castillo |
 |
Working Place : Restaurant Entretablas – El Tigre |
| Association : Asociación Venezolana de Sommeliers |
Candidates invites/Cuest candidates
 Colombie/Colombia |
Mr.Belisario Carvajal Flórez |
 |
Working Place : Empresa Takami S.A. – Bogota |
| Association : Asociación Sommelier de Colombia | |
 Pérou/Peru |
Mr.José Miguel Burga Hidalgo |
 |
Working Place : Central Restaurante - Lima |
| Association : Asociación Peruana de Sommeliers | |
 Thaïlande/Thailand |
Mr.Chalong Songkroh |
 |
Working Place : Sea.Fire.Salt Restaurant, Anantara Phuket Thailand Villas |
| Association : Thailand Sommelier Association | |
 USA/USA |
Mr.Alexander LaPratt |
 |
Working Place : Jean-George's - New York |
| Association : Association en cours de création | |
 Viêt Nam/Vietnam |
Mr.Tuan Minh Ho |
 |
Working Place : Associazione della Sommellerie Professionale Italiana |
| Association : Association of Sommelier of Vietnam |
