ASI Grand Final Best Sommelier of the World 2026 in Lisbon: key takeaways from attending as member of the press

bernardinopaula

4 days ago

6 min read

On October 16, Nikolai Haram Svorte from Norway was crowned ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon.

Final results:

ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026: Nikolai Haram Svorte from Norwa
Runner-up: Pascaline Lepeltier from France
Second runner-up: Wataru Iwata from Japan

Joris Gutierrez Garcia of Canada finished in 11th place.

The ASI World’s Best Sommelier competition is the premier international championship for sommeliers, often considered the “Olympics of Wine.”

The event began on October 11 with 66 contestants participating in a series of exams covering written theory, blind tasting, and service skills. The quarterfinals began on Monday, October 12, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, October 15. The competition concluded with the grand finale on Friday, October 16.

In the Grand Final the 3 finalists were put to the test with 10 tasks:

(1) mise en place review

(2) aperitif

(3) wine identification through blind tasting - 4 single varieties wines from 4 different countries

(4) by the glass service

(5) correct labels created by AI

(6) perform a full organoleptic tasting

(7) Port decantation of a vintage Port 2003 and recommendation of a meal

(8) with a 5-course meal, recommend 5 different sparkling from 5 different countries

(9) wine identification through blind tasting - oldest to newest and discuss the vintages

(10) identify in which winery are located the works of art on the slides

Key numbers:

the week started with 66 candidates (13 women)
second phase: 20 semifinalists, 15 men and 5 women
3 finalists: 2 men and 1 woman
Grand Final: 10 tasks

Fun and Interesting Facts:

- REIGNING CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONS IN COMPETITION:

• Joris Gutierrez Garcia (Canada), 2025 ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas

• Reeze Choi (China), 2025 ASI Best Sommelier of Asia and the Pacific

• Mikk Parre (Estonia), 2024 ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

- Reigning champion: Raimonds Tomsons (Latvia), 2023 ASI World’s Best Sommelier, a title he won in Paris.

- India, Kenya, Lebanon, and Moldova were represented for the first time

- Portugal had hosted the competition once before, in 1978 in Lisbon, when Giuseppe Vaccarini (Italy) won.

- The very first competition took place in 1969 in Brussels and was won by Armand Melkonian (France), who passed away in 2026.

And congratulations to the Master of Ceremonies Andreas Larsson who was crowned the ASI Best Sommelier of the World in 2007 in Rhodes who did a great work getting the finalists comfortable on stage.

At the end of the event before the winner was announced, the master of ceremonies went through the tests and revealed the answers.

Task 3 - a blind tasting to identify 4 single-varietal wines from 4 different countries, was ultimately a 'tricky' test because it was 4 wines produced with a Portuguese grape variety but in another country:

(1) Matias Riccitelli Bastardo 2023 - ARGENTINA

Bastardo (known internationally as Trousseau) is a rare and ancient red wine grape variety grown in Portugal, particularly in the Douro Valley and the Dão region

(2) Château Los Boldos Specialty Series Touriga Nacional 2024 - CHILE

The noble grape variety and highly appreciated in Portugal, the most used in the country, widely spread in Alentejo, Lisbon, Bairrada, Setúbal, Tejo, Algarve and even the Azores.

(3) Momento Tinta Barrica 2021 - SOUTH AFRICA

One of the most planted grape varieties in the Douro wine region.

(4) Bremerton Mollie & Merle Verdelho 2023 - SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Historical grape variety of the island of Madeira (where it is part of the elaboration of the famous half-dry Madeira wines), as well as the Azores (especially on the island of Pico) and the Douro (where it is sometimes called Gouveio).

A good example of the influence of having held this prestigious ASI event in Portugal. And of course a nice demonstration of the potential of Portuguese grape varieties transported elsewhere.

Post event press conference

After an intense and exciting Grand Final, the 3 finalists and members of the organizing committee met the press and answered questions right there on the spot, only a few minutes after being on stage.

Overall, the finalists identified the 3 tasks that were more challenging to them - the 3 agreed on:

- the bling tasting tasks always give them a hard time

- the identification of the art work in wineries

- handling the notion of time for each task properly

The finalist from Japan, Wataru Iwata, also mentioned that he would certainly serve a vintage Port properly next time, which made several people in the audience laugh, while noting the Japanese contestant’s humility.

Uncomfortable moment at the press conference

It was clear that Pascaline Lepeltier, the finalist representing France, had received a lot of support throughout the week and had the public’s vote to win the competition. Her background is impressive! Among other achievements, in 2014, Pascaline passed the Master Sommelier exam, becoming one of the few women in the world to hold the title, and in 2018 she was named “One of the Best Craftsmen of France—Sommellerie” as well as Best Sommelier of France. In 2023, she represented France at the ASI World’s Best Sommelier competition held in Paris and finished 4th. This year in Lisbon, she advanced to the Grand Final and finished 2nd. She was asked if she plans to prepare to compete in the next ASI World’s Best Sommelier competition. She replied that she will take some time to think it over, as it is a long preparation process.

These discussions with Pascaline led a Portuguese wine journalist to ask a simple and legitimate question at that moment: “Given the small number of women participating in this competition, what can be done to encourage more women to take part?” A straightforward question that received an unexpected response from the ASI president: “The sommelier’s profession is a demanding job”—a remark that raised many eyebrows among the women in the room—and he added, “It’s difficult to achieve a work-life balance in this field.” … Well, that’s food for thought for a follow-up discussion with female sommeliers…

At the press conference we were also given the information that 2,500 people watched the Grand Final live on the ASI's YouTube channel, which is a good number taking in consideration all the time zones that had interest in the event.

Well done ASI and press officer Barbara Wanner and her team, a great resource throughout the event.

What hosting this prestigious international event meant for the country

The street Rua das Portas de Santo Antão was buzzing that Friday afternoon October 16 as doors of the iconic Coliseu dos Recreios opened to all candidates, delegates and members of the press.

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Portugal, José Manuel Fernandes, gave a speech at the beginning of the Grand Final of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, which resonated for me. Minister Fernandes recalled the importance of wine in the Mediterranean region, after all "there is no mass without wine" he said. And according to him, in moderation, wine is not bad for health as demonstrated by the Mediterranean diet.

Welcoming the prestigious ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest in Lisbon was particularly important for the Association of Sommeliers of Portugal (Associação Dos Escanções De Portugal) - a unique opportunity to showcase the importance and evolution of the profession in the country.

At the press conference, the Portuguese Association's President of the Board Tiago Paula was asked what he thought would be the consequences of hosting this event.

"It's a privilege and honour. The profession of sommelier is growing in the country. Hosting this event will inspire other young people towards the profession. Hosting this event will be a legacy for the profession of sommelier in Portugal," said Tiago Paula.

Having the prestigious ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest in Lisbon, in his own city, was particularly exciting for Marc Pinto, multi-award-winning sommelier representing Portugal on the international stage, who represented Portugal as the national competitor at the prestigious ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 contest.

I asked him what it meant for him to welcome and compete in this international event at home:

"Having this event in our country was fantastic to demonstrate a little of our gastronomy, but especially our wines. It was accomplished with the presentation of various Masterclasses organized during the week."

Marc is Head Sommelier and Wine Director managing the wine program and the massive cellar at Fifty Seconds, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Lisbon.

In fact, hosting this highly prestigious international event now represents an excellent opportunity to grab the visibility the event brought to the profession and to the country.

For my part, during the week I often thought about the beautiful showcase this international contest was for the wines and gastronomy of Portugal.

#ASIBestSommelier2026 #ASIBSW2026 #RoadtoLisbon #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIGrandFinal #ASIGrandeFinale #ASIMeilleurSommelierduMonde2026

On October 16, Nikolai Haram Svorte from Norway was crowned ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 at the Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon.

Final results:

ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026: Nikolai Haram Svorte from Norwa

Runner-up: Pascaline Lepeltier from France

Second runner-up: Wataru Iwata from Japan

Joris Gutierrez Garcia of Canada finished in 11th place.

The ASI World’s Best Sommelier competition is the premier international championship for sommeliers, often considered the “Olympics of Wine.”

In the Grand Final the 3 finalists were put to the test with 10 tasks:

(1) mise en place review

(2) aperitif

(3) wine identification through blind tasting - 4 single varieties wines from 4 different countries

(4) by the glass service

(5) correct labels created by AI

(6) perform a full organoleptic tasting

(7) Port decantation of a vintage Port 2003 and recommendation of a meal

(8) with a 5-course meal, recommend 5 different sparkling from 5 different countries

(9) wine identification through blind tasting - oldest to newest and discuss the vintages

(10) identify in which winery are located the works of art on the slides

Key numbers:

the week started with 66 candidates (13 women)

second phase: 20 semifinalists, 15 men and 5 women

3 finalists: 2 men and 1 woman

Grand Final: 10 tasks

Fun and Interesting Facts:

- REIGNING CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONS IN COMPETITION:

• Joris Gutierrez Garcia (Canada), 2025 ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas

• Reeze Choi (China), 2025 ASI Best Sommelier of Asia and the Pacific

• Mikk Parre (Estonia), 2024 ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

- Reigning champion: Raimonds Tomsons (Latvia), 2023 ASI World’s Best Sommelier, a title he won in Paris.

- India, Kenya, Lebanon, and Moldova were represented for the first time

- Portugal had hosted the competition once before, in 1978 in Lisbon, when Giuseppe Vaccarini (Italy) won.

- The very first competition took place in 1969 in Brussels and was won by Armand Melkonian (France), who passed away in 2026.

And congratulations to the Master of Ceremonies Andreas Larsson who was crowned the ASI Best Sommelier of the World in 2007 in Rhodes who did a great work getting the finalists comfortable on stage.

At the end of the event before the winner was announced, the master of ceremonies went through the tests and revealed the answers.

Task 3 - a blind tasting to identify 4 single-varietal wines from 4 different countries, was ultimately a 'tricky' test because it was 4 wines produced with a Portuguese grape variety but in another country:

(1) Matias Riccitelli Bastardo 2023 - ARGENTINA

Bastardo (known internationally as Trousseau) is a rare and ancient red wine grape variety grown in Portugal, particularly in the Douro Valley and the Dão region

(2) Château Los Boldos Specialty Series Touriga Nacional 2024 - CHILE

The noble grape variety and highly appreciated in Portugal, the most used in the country, widely spread in Alentejo, Lisbon, Bairrada, Setúbal, Tejo, Algarve and even the Azores.

(3) Momento Tinta Barrica 2021 - SOUTH AFRICA

One of the most planted grape varieties in the Douro wine region.

(4) Bremerton Mollie & Merle Verdelho 2023 - SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Historical grape variety of the island of Madeira (where it is part of the elaboration of the famous half-dry Madeira wines), as well as the Azores (especially on the island of Pico) and the Douro (where it is sometimes called Gouveio).

A good example of the influence of having held this prestigious ASI event in Portugal. And of course a nice demonstration of the potential of Portuguese grape varieties transported elsewhere.

Post event press conference

After an intense and exciting Grand Final, the 3 finalists and members of the organizing committee met the press and answered questions right there on the spot, only a few minutes after being on stage.

Overall, the finalists identified the 3 tasks that were more challenging to them - the 3 agreed on:

- the bling tasting tasks always give them a hard time

- the identification of the art work in wineries

- handling the notion of time for each task properly

The finalist from Japan, Wataru Iwata, also mentioned that he would certainly serve a vintage Port properly next time, which made several people in the audience laugh, while noting the Japanese contestant’s humility.

Uncomfortable moment at the press conference

At the press conference we were also given the information that 2,500 people watched the Grand Final live on the ASI's YouTube channel, which is a good number taking in consideration all the time zones that had interest in the event.

Well done ASI and press officer Barbara Wanner and her team, a great resource throughout the event.

What hosting this prestigious international event meant for the country

The street Rua das Portas de Santo Antão was buzzing that Friday afternoon October 16 as doors of the iconic Coliseu dos Recreios opened to all candidates, delegates and members of the press.

Welcoming the prestigious ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest in Lisbon was particularly important for the Association of Sommeliers of Portugal (Associação Dos Escanções De Portugal) - a unique opportunity to showcase the importance and evolution of the profession in the country.

At the press conference, the Portuguese Association's President of the Board Tiago Paula was asked what he thought would be the consequences of hosting this event.

"It's a privilege and honour. The profession of sommelier is growing in the country. Hosting this event will inspire other young people towards the profession. Hosting this event will be a legacy for the profession of sommelier in Portugal," said Tiago Paula.

I asked him what it meant for him to welcome and compete in this international event at home:

"Having this event in our country was fantastic to demonstrate a little of our gastronomy, but especially our wines. It was accomplished with the presentation of various Masterclasses organized during the week."

Marc is Head Sommelier and Wine Director managing the wine program and the massive cellar at Fifty Seconds, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Lisbon.

In fact, hosting this highly prestigious international event now represents an excellent opportunity to grab the visibility the event brought to the profession and to the country.

For my part, during the week I often thought about the beautiful showcase this international contest was for the wines and gastronomy of Portugal.

#ASIBestSommelier2026 #ASIBSW2026 #RoadtoLisbon #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIGrandFinal #ASIGrandeFinale #ASIMeilleurSommelierduMonde2026

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