Finals of the contest “One of France's Best Cratfsmen” in sommellerie

UDSF Ecully

Finals of the contest
“One of France's Best Cratfsmen” in sommellerie

Four new MOFs appointed at Ecully

Romain Iltis, Pascal Paulze, Philippe Troussard et Denis Verneau ont été retenus parmi les douze finalistes du concours 'Un des meilleurs ouvriers de France' de la classe sommellerie. Ils sont désormais 18 à pouvoir arborer le célèbre col tricolore.

On last February 5th, in the lounges of the Bocuse Institute in Ecully near Lyon, twelve candidates were awaited for the finals of the contest “One of France's Best Cratfsmen”. A few months earlier, it gathered sixty sommeliers for the first stage of the selection thus evidencing the increasing interest it arouses with the professionals.

Les vainqueurs du concours MOF en compagnie de Carol Duval-Leroy et Philippe Faure-Brac.

To assess them, besides Philippe Faure-Brac, president of the class 'Sommellerie', two other Best Sommeliers of the World, Serge Dubs and Olivier Poussier, as well as many MOFs and sommellerie and restaurant professionals. They first prepared four workshops: a wine-encyclopaedic questionnaire, a comparative tasting of two wines, a food and wine pairing exercise, and at last a management test and a reflection about the profession of sommelier.

Then, the main course consisted of the service during a lunch. In a two-hour time, each candidate had to manage two tables: one with two customers present for a business lunch, and another with four guests who had come to test a lunch in order to prepare a wedding. The butler being absent, they had to help for the service of the dishes and also manage a commis in addition to their own job of sommelier.

The value of experience

Then the candidates have been subjected to the difficult exercise of waiting while the jury deliberated. For the third time after the finals of 2000 and 2011, four sommeliers were awarded. And like in Evian in 2007, they are all settled in the provinces.
Romain Iltis, already titled Best Sommelier of France in 2012, is preparing the opening of La Villa Lalique, Jean-Georges Klein's future restaurant in Alsace. “Both contests have complementary approaches. The contest of the Best Sommelier of France is based on the knowledge; for the MOF, more on experience.”
As for Pascal Paulze, he has been working at L'Oasis in Mandelieu – La Napoule, Côte d'Azur, since 20 years. He achieved a masterstroke as it was his first participation in a contest. “All the youngs I trained and who dared to take part in a contest pushed me to subscribe and follow their example.” Philippe Troussard owns his restaurant Les Caudalies at Arbois. For him it was the third MOF contest but he also excelled at the Master of Port and Best Sommelier of France competitions without ever reaching the grail. He never lost his confidence however. “To me the meaning of the word 'craftsman' is essential. Just like my determined character. That is why I never gave up. I knew one day my time would come.”
At last, Denis Verneau is the head sommelier of the restaurant La Mère Brazier in Lyon. “This is the contest that suits me the best. It relies on technique, an exemplary behaviour and ease, in a word 'experience'! It is a title I also share with chef Mathieu Viannay who enabled me to prepare well.”
Jean Bernard

The twelve finalists

Jonathan Bauer-Monneret (Spring, à Paris)
Eric Goettelman (Bernard Loiseau, à Saulieu)
Anthony Hubault (Auberge du Jeu de Paume, à Chantily)
Romain Iltis (La Villa Lalique, à Wingen-sur-Moder)
Christophe Martin (Lycée Technique Hôtelier, à La Rochelle)
Florent Martin (George V, à Paris)
Pascal Paulze (L'Oasis, à Mandelieu – La Napoule)
Cédric Pilot (Les Crayères, à Reims)
Philippe Troussard (Les Caudalies, à Arbois)
Denis Verneau (La Mère Brazier, à Lyon)
Nicolas Vialettes (Lasserre, à Paris)
Pierre Vila Palleja (Le Petit Sommelier, à Paris)

Les candidat de la selection de novembre.