Jonathan Ray Jonathan Ray

What it takes to be Best Sommelier of the World

I saw the competitors face off in Tokyo. It’s absurdly rigorous

[Photo by Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images]

It is blossom time in Tokyo. An unruly pack of journalists, photographers and TV crews prowls the corridors of the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, where a world championship is taking place. Where’s the smart money going? Who’s looking good and who’s out of sorts? Who stayed out last night and who was tucked up in bed nice and early?

‘That’s Bruce, the coach of the Canadian team, he’ll know what’s cooking,’ mutters a colleague as an anxious looking guy scuttles past.

‘And there’s the European champion,’ whispers another as a dark-suited young man darts out of a door and hurries away. A Japanese film crew sprints off in pursuit.

Finally, an official corrals us together and solemnly hands out the behaviour rules for the final. Media representatives, we are told, must keep behind the indicated line. We must be silent at all times and can only take long-distance pictures and then only of someone’s face, not their hands. In interviews we must ask only general rather than technical questions and we mustn’t enter the antechamber at any time. Most importantly, we must ‘create the best environment allowing participants to keep high concentration, tension and spirit’.

We digest our instructions, mentally disregard them, and are ushered into a vast reception room. Sixty or so black-suited folk stand around in aprons, chatting nervously. These are the championship contenders. And in three days’ time, one of them will be proclaimed the proud bearer of the title Best Sommelier of the World.

Who would have that the humble wine waiter would be accorded such razzamatazz? But the red-nosed old soaks in grubby tailcoats and stained shirts are long gone. In these days of the celebrity chef, sommeliers also claim rock star status. This is the 14th Best Sommelier of the World competition — it’s held every three years — and 5,000 public tickets have been sold for the final.

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