The best sommeliers in the Baltics are from Estonia
At the Vana Tallinn Baltic Sommelier Grand Prix, held this year in Riga, Mikk Parre from the Bombay Group in Tallinn was declared the best sommelier in the Baltics on Saturday night. In the challenging test of knowledge and skills, Alex Pogrebnoi from Tallinn’s Noa Chef´s Hall restaurant secured a respectable second place, while Yan Biazruchka from Lithuania’s Vyno klubas chain came in third in a tightly contested competition. The young sommelier award went to Lithuania’s Miglė Zencevičiūtė from the wine bar SOMM.
“The final was difficult but very exciting, as solving nine tasks in a competitive environment requires not only good knowledge but also strong nerves. The long-standing major competition, the Vana Tallinn Baltic Sommelier Grand Prix, has given a significant boost to the development of the sommelier culture in this region. Competitors from the Baltics have repeatedly achieved high ranks in world championships, and the reigning world champion is, after all, the Latvian Raimonds Tomsons,” said Mikk Parre, who was crowned the best sommelier in the Baltics on Saturday evening.
“It is a pleasure to see the significant development in the knowledge and skills of sommeliers in the Baltic region over the past 18 years, as each one of them is a spreader of knowledge and a shaper of culture. Sommeliers are increasingly valued in the Baltics for helping people make informed and quality-conscious choices,” said Janek Kalvi, CEO of AS Liviko Group.
In the preliminary round, competitors had to demonstrate their professional knowledge in a written test and complete several practical surprise tasks. In the final, participants were placed in a restaurant scenario under the watchful eye of the audience and jury, where they had to recommend a wine to accompany a festive dinner, decant it, and serve it. The final also included a blind tasting of drinks, pairing wine with food, and a quick-fire round to test the sommeliers’ professional knowledge.
Sommelier competitors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania competed for the top title, with guest participants from Poland and Portugal. One young sommelier from each Baltic country was also allowed to participate in the competition. The jury included renowned sommeliers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Portugal.
The Vana Tallinn Baltic Sommelier Grand Prix has been held since 2006, with the aim of promoting a responsible drinking culture, where sommeliers play an important role. The competition is named after Estonia’s most popular liqueur, the legendary Vana Tallinn.
Liviko organizes the Vana Tallinn Baltic Sommelier Grand Prix in cooperation with the sommelier associations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In Estonia, one can study to become a sommelier at the Estonian Sommelier School.
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