World’s Best: Semifinalists revealed

Argentina’s top sommelier Paz Levinson went through to the semifinals of the Concours A.S.I. du Meilleur Sommelier du Monde Argentina 2016 last night – the only Latin American candidate to do so and one of four female somms.

While Team Argentina anxiously awaited results that would slash 60 sommeliers to 15 for the next round in Mendoza, Levinson’s entry was frankly a given; in 2015, she took first place in the stringent Americas’ competition.

Tough written and practical tests await Paris-based Levinson and her 14 competitors; the first round consisted of a 60-question multiple choice paper and Champagne service. Host nation Argentina’s second candidate Martín Bruno didn’t make the next round.

The 15 semi finalists were revealed by former world’s best somm 2010 Gerard Basset OBE MS MW MBA at the Park Hyatt Mendoza, albeit in no particular order. Japan, Sweden and its Nordic neighbours fared extremely well with two candidates from the latter two countries reaching the next round.

Levinson’s competitors in the 2016 world contest are:

Sweden’s Robert Anderssen

Denmark’s Christian Jacobsen

Finland’s Heidi Makinen

Poland’s Piotr Pietras

Russian Federation’s Rassavkin Alexander

Norway’s Henrik Dalh Johansen

South Africa’s Gareth Ferreira

Japan’s Hiroshi Ishida (best somm in Asia 2014)

France’s David Biraud

Canada’s Elyse Lambert

Ireland’s Julie Dupouys

Latvia’s Raimonds Tomsons

Japan’s Satoru Mori

Sweden’s Arvid Rosengren (best somm in Europe 2013)

Ph: Argentine Association of Sommeliers