Gerard Basset to compete in worldwide sommelier competition

Hotel Terravina​ owner Gerard Basset MS, MW has been selected for the sixth time as the UK entry for the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale​ (ASI) World’s Best Sommelier Competition.

Held on 10-16 April in Chile next year, the competition will see Basset compete with 40 contestants from the ASI’s member countries in two days of written and practical exams, from which three candidates will be selected to go through to the public final round.

The 2010 competition will be the sixth attempt at the title for Basset, who has previously been placed second three times, but the renowned sommelier said he was determined to win this year.

“I wouldn’t go through the trauma of competing if I didn’t want to do well,” he said. “It’s now all about my preparation. It’s a big commitment – I will put in about 20 hours a week from now until next April – but it’s a huge title to win.”

Basset was chosen as the UK’s entry over Matthieu Longuere, head sommelier at London’s La Trompette, and Nicolas Clerc of Pont de la Tour at a qualifying competition organised by the Academy of Food and Wine this week. Strict entry criteria coupled with skill and knowledge-testing tasks prompted judges Paul Breach and Nick Scade of the Academy’s executive committee and Brian Julyan, chief executive of the Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide, to put Basset through as the UK’s representative.

The Frenchman is the only Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and Wine MBA holder in the world, and was named the Best Sommelier in Europe in 1996.