Basso crowned best in Europe

Swiss sommelier Paolo Basso has been named Best Sommelier of Europe 2010 in a nerve-wracking final when he pipped the French and Italian finalists to the post.

Basso was among 35 entrants that worked their way through several “highly selective tests” until only eight remained for the final showdown at the Palais des Congrès et de la Musique in the Alsatian city of Strasbourg.

This year was the 12th time the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) has held the contest to find the continent’s best sommelier, in partnership with the Union de la Sommelerie Française (UDSF) and the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace (CIVA).

The eight sommeliers in contention were: Andreas Jechmayr from Austria, David Biraud from France, Italian Matteo Ghiringhelli, Norwegian Merete Bo, Romanian Julia Gosea, Matthieu Longuère from the UK, Swede Arvid Rosengren and the eventual winner Basso from Switzerland.

Basso, Biraud and Ghiringhelli progressed to the final test for the last seven examinations.

One after the other the candidates had to: serve a Jeroboam of Champagne, do a food and wine matching course, decant a magnum of Alsatian Pinot Noir, blind taste three wines – Grüner Veltliner, Pinotage and Monastrell – and identify six beverages.

Finally, they had to correct a wine list and, in a surprise question, answer an enquiry about the winners of the competition since its founding in 1988, when it was called the Ruinart Trophy.

Basso will retain his title until the next ASI competition to be held in Italy and Monaco in 2013. He has also automatically qualified as the official Swiss candidate for the Best Sommelier in the World Competition being held the same year in Japan.

Rupert Millar, 14.12.2010