Sommelier competition: regional winners revealed
The Academy of Food & Wine has unveiled the list of regional finalists who have made it through to the semi-final of the 2009 UK Sommelier of the Year competition.
The 15 semi-finalists will be asked to complete a written questionnaire, a wine tasting and answer a marketing-based question to demonstrate their business acumen at London`s Tate Modern on April 29 before a panel of judges decides on the competition`s three finalists.
Finalists, who will go straight through to the final on the same day, will be asked to demonstrate their ability to deal with customers, their wine knowledge and their management skills in a pretend restaurant before taking part in a blind tasting and a Champagne pour.
The regional winners are:
· Joris Beijn, head sommelier, Andaz Hotel, London
· Ross Buchanan, head sommelier, Malmaison, Glasgow
· Alexandre Ceret, assistant head sommelier, Greenhouse Restaurant, London
· Garry Clark, sommelier, Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Chester
· Remi Cousin, assistant head sommelier, Fat Duck, Bray
· Christopher Delalonde, head sommelier, The Square, London
· Bavand Foroughi, sommelier, Lowry Hotel, Manchester
· Alvaro Marcos Garcia, head sommelier, Theo Randall Restaurant, Intercontinental Park Lane, London
· Franck Gerome, sommelier, Sharrow Bay, Penrith
· Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier, Hotel du Vin, Winchester
· Jan Konetzki, sommelier, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
· Thomas Lamude, sommelier, Milestone Hotel, London
· Laura Rhys, head sommelier, Hotel Terravina, Southampton
· Clement Robert, head sommelier, Hotel du Vin, Cambridge
· Gerhard Steyn, regional F&B manager, Malmaison, Cheltenham
Tulip glasses best for Cognac
Forget the balloon - the tulip glass is officially the best for drinking Cognac.
The pronouncement from Cognac`s trade body the BNIC is based on the views of 50 of the world`s top sommeliers, spirits experts and cellar masters from leading Cognac houses, who gathered for the 2nd International Cognac Summit in January.
Delegates were each presented with 10 different glasses and asked to determine the most suitable in terms of size, aesthetics and the complexity of aromas revealed. When the marks were collated, the tulip emerged as the clear favourite.
