socialising
The finalists for the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2015 took a trip to the world-famous Moët & Chandon estate in Épernay, France, to soak up the wisdom of the institution’s experts and spend time drinking fine vintages with their peers. James Stagg reports
W
hen you’re at the top of your profes- sion, it’s always worth listening to those at the top of theirs.
So for potential Moët Sommelier of the
Year 2015 finalists, an educational visit to Moët & Chandon represents a real chance to learn from those that drive a distinguished drinks business. This year’s crop took a trip to the Cham- pagne house’s vineyards, experienced a base tasting, where they explored how the blen- ding consistency in non-vintages is achieved and, of course, enjoyed some of Moët & Chan- don’s finer vintages. Having already excelled at the regional finals – held in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, London and Brighton – those who have made it this far already have a serious thirst for wine knowledge. They have proved themselves through written assessments, a blind tasting and an oral service element to earn a place on the Eurostar to Épernay, before competing against each other in the final (see page 38). Academy of Food and Wine Service chair-
man Nick Scade says that, though there is obviously a serious competitive element to the competition, it’s a way for all entrants to further themselves. “It’s all about learning,” he explains. “Even
if you only get to the first round of the compe- tition, you have to learn something. That’s how it’s constructed.
“Then there are the top performers who
are invited on this trip. They all want to win, no question. Just by doing the questionnaire and blind tasting, even if they don’t get through, they’ll have gained something
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