Twelfth Contest of the Best Sommelier of Europe Strasbourg
Paolo Basso crowned, David Biraud confirmed
and Matteo Ghiringhelli revealedAfter Sofia, in spring 2008, it is the capital of Europe that welcomed the 34 candidates willing to succeed the Turkish Isa Bal. But as he already has been classified second three times, the Swiss Paolo Basso did not miss the opportunity to finally impose himself in an international competition at the end of a hotly contested finale and a successful event.
Fin de tension avec l’annonce du palmarès…Can one content oneself with finishing second eternally? No way! So by appearing on stage at the Palais des Congrès et de la Musique of Strasbourg, the Swiss sommelier Paolo Basso had one and only goal: climb on the top step and add his name to the list of Europe’s champions. Three times before already he had been expecting to hear his name called upon the announcement of the winner and three times he had to content himself with the second place. But on Monday November 22nd, 2010, the time for his consecration had finally come…
The competition was hard yet. The representatives of 34 countries of the Old World had all rejoined Strasbourg thus answering the invitation of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), of the Union De la Sommellerie Française (UDSF) and of the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace (CIVA). A threesome that perfectly organized the contest but also all the events and tastings around it.
As soon as they were on board of the Croisi Europe boats which welcomed all the participants, the candidates got to the very heart of the matter. Tasting of a red and a white wine with written comment, identification of three brandies or liqueurs and a questionnaire have been the high points of this selection that finished on a very technical part: a white Porto bottle with a cork and wax seal to be opened and served in eight glasses in front of two jury members.
34 candidats ont répondu présent et parmi eux, cinq avaient déjà connu la demi-finale du concours mondial, quelques mois plus tôt au Chili.
Eight in semi-final
At the end of the day, after a party organized by Heineken and presenting food and beer matches, the semi-finalists’ names were announced. A total of eight among who three only—the Norwegian Merete Bo, the Austrian Andreas Jeschmayr and the Swiss Paolo Basso—had already reached this stage of the competition thirty months before in Bulgary. The five newcomers were Matthieu Longuere (United Kingdom), Matteo Ghiringhelli (Italy), Arvid Rosengren (Sweden), Julia Gosea (Romania) and David Biraud (France).
Six des 12 meilleurs sommeliers d’Europe étaient réunis à l’issue de l’annonce du succès de Paolo Basso.
"All of them proved to be at their place at this level, performing a highly skilled semi-final", Serge Dubs, vice-president ASI Europe and first winner of this continental contest, recognized by the way.
Fighting against the clock they had to put together different service tasks but, precisely, all of them could not cope with the alloted time. Only the three most experienced in the management of the stress arising from such a competition, the most irreproachable in their technical expression, would know the honour to play the final in public.
The jury of the semi-final. Sitting, from left to right: Yumiko Ueno, Catherine Doré, Michèle Chantôme. Standing: Shynia Tasaki, Serge Dubs, Danio Braga, Gérard Basset and Enrico Bernardo.
Switzerland and France at their place
and a surprise coming from Italy
Already finalists at the Chilean world contest in April 2010, Paolo Basso (Ceresio Vino, in Lugano) and David Biraud (Le Crillon, in Paris) were again in the last trio in which they welcomed Matteo Ghiringhelli (Il Vino, in Paris), the Italian candidate of 23 years old, Enrico Bernardo’s pupil.
After the candidates order being drawn, the French opened the ball under the gaze of Henri Chapon, Dominique Laporte and Eric Zwiebel, three-coloured candidates who since 2002 have all reached the finale of this competition without managing to win the title. David Biraud was first to discover the tests that had been planed. An unsurprising set with service tasks, the food and wine match, a commented tasting of a red and a white wine, identification of brandies and liqueurs, and the wine list error spotting exercise.
Revealed during this contest, the Italian Matteo Ghiringhelli
“I tried hard to give my performance the image of the job of sommelier such as I show it daily at the restaurant of the Crillon. I.e. being warm, smiling and willing to share. What I did on stage is what I do with the customers. That is why I did not present a mechanical tasting of the products. On the contrary I wanted to invite the public to accompany me in my research. I wished to be like Andreas Larsson during his finale of the European contest in 2004. He was not the most theoritician but he managed to make me dream by his way of being a sommelier…”
Each with his own style the two other finalists had their chance to get over the obstacles. But only Paolo Basso, a very few minutes after the end of the contest, was allowed to raise triumphantly his arms and give free rein to his joy.
L’enthousiaste Français David Biraud a confirmé que son podium mondial ne devait rien au hasard.
David Biraud already thinks about future
The French candidate took the second place and the promising Italian completed the podium. But at the end of the year 2010 marked by the two greatest international contests, we will remember the confirmation of David Biraud as one of the most solid pretenders to a title.
“David delighted us, Serge Dubs underlined by the way. He is finalist in the two first contests he participates in. I specially admire the loads of work he had to get through to reach this level in a one-year time. The French assessment is thus good but not perfect unfortunately, and I understand his bitterness as I knew it myself…” Defeated but not demoralized the Chef Sommelier of the Crillon already turned towards the next dates.
“I made it a great year with two podiums. A bronze then a silver medal are the proof of a progress. But I am not going to stop with it. I will first rest, and also make a fair copy of all the information my knowledge is based on. Then in the end of 2011, I will prepare my action plan for 2012 and the French selection…” A part that is in itself already at the level of a great contest.
The next world competition will take place in Japan whereas the 13th European contest should be held in Italy. And in his country of origin Paolo Basso will be this time on the jury’s side.Jean Bernard
The Best Sommeliers of Europe
1988 – Serge Dubs (France)
1990 – Mikael Söderström (Suède)
1992 – Bernd Kreis (Allemagne)
1994 – Eric Beaumard (France)
1996 – Gérard Basset (Royaume-Uni)
1998 – Eric Duret (France)
2000 – Franck Thomas (France)
2002 – Enrico Bernardo (Italie)
2004 – Andreas Larsson (Suède)
2006 – Robert Lie (Norvège)
2008 – Isa Bal (Turquie)
2010 – Paolo Basso (Suisse)
