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About the same time last year I wrote about the first sommelier competition that my team and I organised in the country. It was quite an experience. Save for me and the judges, few knew what this was all about. The proceedings seemed so dull and quiet that it hardly felt like a competition, much like the chess player who calls himself a sportsperson.

This year was the second year running that we organised the competition at the International Food & Drinks expo in New Delhi, the only serious wine and food event in the capital, held every year since the last few years. The idea was to adjudge the best wine service personnel and see who can really convince us to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a bottle that is worth way less. In other words, we were looking for the ultimate selling weapon in the wine world. While it was still no bartending gala with hooting and heckling, it was definitely more fun than the graveyard on a moonless night!

We wanted to have fun but not at the cost of compromising the seriousness of the effort of destroying the calm, concentration and candour that wine both enjoys and requires.

We didn’t have to look far. The three judges who gladly consented to help us with the proceedings are established eminent food and beverage aficionados and then professionals. Angelo De Ioia is the face of the Italian outlet Travertino, at The Oberoi, New Delhi. Kavita Faiella is perhaps the only woman in the profession of sommellerie in India, managing cellars at the prestigious Aman Resorts. And Dirk Reinhardt is the man who is single-handedly executing a much needed (food & wine) facelift at the Claridges hotel and with tremendous success.

Stephane, the only true French sommelier, who left India last year and is now working with the Raffles in Singapore, was missed. He had a way of bringing on the heat with the participants, asking surgically precise questions till they drenched themselves in sweat. The judges this year were much more lenient, asking friendly questions and keeping things rather fun yet with an air of seriousness.

The five finalists were put through three rounds. They had to suggest wines to go with a menu, then suggest food to go with three wines chosen at random and finally, they had to present a wine to the judges, proceed to open, taste it and do a live commentary.

Compared to last time, the participants were more prepared, more confident and quicker.
I too was surprised to see how fast the level of competence in this nascent field is rising and even as an organiser I can’t wait to see what marvellous surprises next year will throw up. In fact, I am planning elimination rounds in at least four cities to help more people be a part of this. Watching each other in the same field, although competitive, always is the best way to gauge your knowledge and standing.

The winning trophy was lifted by Shubham of Aman Resorts (No, the results weren’t rigged) and Rachna, the young lady from the Trident, Gurgaon, took second place. Third prize went to Gandhib of Aman Resorts (encore!? Maybe I should check the mark sheet...hmmm). I had managed to score chalice-like Arc glasses as trophies which, the winner, in his excitement to share the news with everyone else, managed to crash into a million pieces while leaving the venue. I replaced it in two weeks.