Benjamin Roffet wins the title in two stages

26th Competition for France’s Best Sommelier Abbaye de Fontevraud Benjamin Roffet

wins the title in two stages

The tests organized by the UDSF (Union of the French Sommelier Profession), with important backing from the InterLoire, enabled this 29-year-old professional to succeed Manuel Peyrondet as France’s Best Sommelier. This victory puts him in the spotlight, as well as the ‘Gordon Ramsay’ restaurant at the Trianon Palace in Versailles, where he works.

Born in Forez, Benjamin Roffet is an unassuming young man. A sommelier who has made competitions a source of motivation, but who also knows how to accept defeat. Semi-finalist at the 2008 Competition for France’s Best Sommelier in Perpignan, he was a spectator at the end of the tests. Last June, he reached the final of the Master of Port competition, but his performance did not enable him to win the title. On 16th and 17th January this year, in the splendid setting of the de Fontevraud Abbey, near Saumur, he reached the final stage of his venture.
But before he received his title, he experienced an intense half-day of tests along with seven other candidates who had made it through to the final too, after a first stage of selection organized in Paris. It was very much like a marathon that the future winner shared with Jonathan Bauer-Monneret (Royal Monceau, in Paris), Guillaume Favreau (L'Orangerie, in Charmey, Switzerland), Romain Iltis (La Verte Vallée, in Munster), Pascaline Lepeltier (Rouge Tomate, in New York), Florent Martin (Four Seasons Hotel Georges V, in Paris), Antoine Petrus and Pierre Vila Palleja (Le Crillon, in Paris). They had to taste a red wine twice (without knowing it was the same one each time) and give written comments, in French and then in English. They also had to identify three different eaux-de-vie and spirits; then to watch a slide show, in which each image called for a comment and finally they had to answer a long questionnaire. And all of these tests were just the beginning... Four practical workshops completed the content of the semi-final. Surprising, unnerving or very traditionally professional, these tests delivered the verdict that would not be revealed until the following day, on stage at the final, in front of an audience of 400 spectators.
Le vainqueur du concours 2010 et son trophée


Au cœur du cloître de l’Abbaye de Fontevraud, les demi-finalistes:
Florent Martin, Romain Iltis, Jonathan Bauer-Monneret,
Pascaline Lepeltier, Pierre Vila Palleja, Guillaume Favreau,
Benjamin Roffet et Antoine Petrus

A great deal of talent on stage

Clearly in the lead after the first half-day of competition, Benjamin Roffet was accompanied by two candidates who had also been disappointed finalists in the 2008 competition, Pascaline Lepeltier and Antoine Petrus, and by the winner of the 2008 Master of Port competition, Romain Iltis. An excellent line-up for a jury in which two of the World’s Best Sommeliers were present, Philippe Faure-Brac and Olivier Poussier.
At times, in an original way, this final combined all the classic tests of this type of competition: tasting, identifying products (in this case five whiskies from different countries), the cultural aspect of wine, service, matching food and wines and ... a sense of observation. “How could we not be satisfied by the fine image projected by this competition thanks to the calibre of the four candidates?” Serge Dubs hastened to point out at the end of the final.
But there had to be just one winner and it is indeed Benjamin Roffet, thanks to the total of points he scored during the two days of this final; he follows on from Manuel Peyrondet, who won the title in 2008. These two sommeliers have the particular feature of both having passed their “mention complémentaire” at “Le Castel” Hotel School in Dijon, the establishment where Catherine Doré teaches. So there was an hour of glory for this lady too; after 16 years as member of the board of the UDSF, she was about to retire from this post a few hours later.
In slightly less than two years’ time, it is in the region of Provence, in Aix or Marseille, that the final stage of the 27th Competition for France’s Best Sommelier will be held and numerous finalists present in the Loire Valley will undoubtedly once again participate in this contest.

Jean BERNARD