Contest Tain l’Hermitage
20th edition of Trophy Chapoutier of the Best Student Sommelier
Baptiste Gillet Delrieu: the future belongs to him
Finishing his training course at the vocational hotel school of La Rochelle and already meant to join the team
of the Bristol in Paris, he imposed himself in finals ahead of Amandine Pastourel and Hugues Picot.
The winners, their teachers and the jury members of this 20th edition.May is a month for flowers, but for the students in complementary mention Sommellerie, it is above all the month for the Chapoutier Trophy. This yearly contest crowns the best student sommelier in wines and spirits of France, with the support of Metro Cash & Carry. For this 20th edition, thirty candidates, along with their teachers, came to Tain l’Hermitage.
For his part Michel Chapoutier wanted to mark this anniversary in a symbolic way by inviting Bruno Meril, winner of the first contest in 1993, now settled in Luxembourg and crowned Best Craftsman of France one year ago.
Organized over two days, the competition, which is a very good indicator of talent, began with a test to select the top six for the finals. The future winner, Baptiste Gillet Delrieu (Lycée Technologique Régional du Parc de la Francophonie, in La Rochelle), was accompanied by Amandine Pastourel (Ecole d’Hôtellerie Alexandre-Dumas, in Illkirch-Graffenstaden), Estelle Hernandez (Lycée Voltaire, in Nîmes), Jean Fuchs (CFA du Lycée Storck, in Guebwiller), Quentin Langlais (Lycée Professionnel Hôtelier of Tain l’Hermitage) and Hugues Picot (Lycée Albert de Mun, in Paris).
Michel Chapoutier a salué le talent du vainqueur qu’il invite,
avec les cinq autres finalistes, à partir en Australie à l’automne.
Three practical workshops were prepared for them under the eyes of Franck Thomas, Europe's Best Sommelier in 2000, in particular. A food and wine pairing inspired by a menu proposed by Lionel Lévy (Une Table au Sud, in Marseille) started the finals. It was sprinkled with a hint of English conversation, followed by the opening, decanting and service of a red wine. At last the candidates had to taste, comment and identify a white wine, a red wine and two alcohols.
An atypical path
Under the gaze of the candidates who failed after the first day of competition but also of all the teachers, the finalists showed a good maturity, experience and a lot of knowledge. Promising enough so that some of them have the opportunity to participate in other contests, in a near future. Starting of course with the winner Baptiste Gillet Delrieu. His high school diploma in sciences could have leaded him in the steps of his brother who became an engineer.
“I had another idea in mind. I have always been willing to turn towards the hotel and catering field but my parents wanted me to have a minimum diploma. Once done, they accepted that I follow this path.”If he admits he can easily memorize things, he enjoys self-questioning.
“A contest is necessary to know how far we are. I like such kind of challenge that permits to get out of the school environment.” To his obvious qualities can be added lucidity:
“I did not make the most judicious choice for the decanter. It is a lesson you remember and that leaves its mark!”Whatever, his skills had already been recognized by the recruiters of the Hotel Bristol he joined in early July.
“Work in starred restaurants is what I am looking for!”On the winner’s podium, we then found Amandine Pastourel and Hugues Picot. The three first as well as the three other finalists will fly to Australia next November to discover the vineyards run there by Michel Chapoutier.
Jean BERNARD
M. Chapoutier
18, av Dr Paul Durand - BP 38
26601 Tain Cedex
Tel +33 4 75 08 92 61
Fax +33 4 75 08 96 36
www.chapoutier.com
