ACFWS

UK Sommelier of the Year Competition Final 2010 and the annual AFW Sommeliers’ Dinner - Wednesday 28th April 2010

CHRISTOPHER DELALONDE RETURNS TO TRIUMPH AT
CHAMPAGNE PIPER-HEIDSIECK UK SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR 2010

Christopher Delalonde MS, sommelier with Sarment Wines, London, was announced on the 28th of April as the winner of the Champagne Piper-Heidsieck UK Sommelier of the Year 2010 following a thrilling final held at the new Westbury Gallery at the Westbury Mayfair hotel, London.

Christopher, 36, was last year’s runner-up but yesterday returned to the competition determined to win the title. An emotional Christopher, formerly head sommelier at The Square in London and who now works with the personal sommelier service Sarment Wines, said he was “extremely happy to have won”.

“Last year I came as a newcomer and finished second, this year I came here to win,” he said following the announcement. “Because of that I put myself under more pressure. It has been six months of hard work but I’m delighted to have won, particularly given the high standard of this year’s competition.”

Runner-up in the competition, organised by the Academy of Food & Wine, was Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier at the Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury, with Clement Robert, head sommelier at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Evershot, taking third place.

Christopher Delalonde was presented with the winner’s trophy at the Sommeliers’ Dinner at the Westbury Mayfair hotel by Victor Lanson, marketing controller, First Drinks, the UK agent for Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck & Charles Heidsieck. He also wins a trip to the House of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck in the heart of the Champagne region including a personal tasting with chief winemaker Régis Camus.

“While all three finalists were extremely impressive, Christopher was a worthy winner of the title,” commented Victor Lanson, who was on the judging panel. “His ability to stay calm under pressure, think on his feet and the depth of wine and service knowledge he displayed shone through.”

Christopher, who passed his Master Sommelier exam last year with the highest score overall, trained in his native France. In the UK he has worked at The Square and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s and now works as a sommelier at the personal sommelier service Sarment Wines.

The Champagne Piper-Heidsieck UK Sommelier of the Year competition seeks to find the best sommelier or wine waiter in the UK based on wine knowledge, customer service skills and tasting ability. The competition, now in its 31st year, is widely recognised as being one of the industry’s toughest and most prestigious. Previous winners include Laura Rhys from Hotel TerraVina in Hampshire, Gearoid Devaney, then of Tom Aikens, London, and Nicolas Clerc of the Milestone Hotel, London.

Christopher, Yohann and Clement won their places in the final having triumphed in the 15-strong semi-final yesterday morning. In the final, held in the afternoon on stage in front of an invited audience of industry guests, the finalists completed a timed blind tasting, corrected a series of mistakes on a wine list and took part in a restaurant role-playing scenario with difficult orders and demanding customers. The dramatic finale was a Champagne pour, where a magnum of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut had to be emptied and evenly poured into 16 flutes without the sommelier returning to any of the glasses.

The winner of the first-ever Amateur Sommelier of the Year was announced at the Sommeliers’ Dinner. The competition, run in conjunction with Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, and Decanter.com was won by Daniel Brown from London.

Daniel, 32, was presented with the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom’s new silver Amateur Trophy and an engraved decanter by Wine Guild councillor Richard Agutter and Adam Lechmere, editor of Decanter.com. Daniel wins dinner for two at the one-Michelin starred Texture restaurant in London.

The winner of the Young Sommelier of the Year award, given to the youngest placed sommelier in the semi-final or final of the main competition, was announced as Clement Robert from Summer Lodge. Clement was presented with a certificate, a trophy and a magnum of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck.

THE JUDGES
• Richard Agutter, councillor, Wine Guild of the United Kingdom
• Gerard Basset MS, MW, winner of the 2010 World Sommelier Championship held in Chile. Gerard is also technical director, Academy of Food & Wine, and owner of Hotel TerraVina, Southampton (chair of the judging panels)
• Paul Boutinot, founder, Boutinot
• Victor Lanson, marketing controller, First Drinks, the UK agent for Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck & Charles Heidsieck
• Matt Wilkin MS, director, Academy of Food & Wine, UK Sommelier of the Year 2005 (chair of judges for the final)
• David Wrigley AIWS, MW, Wine & Spirit Education Trust