Competition Season Begins in Canada

The Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) has begun its journey to Halifax, where its Best Sommelier Canada 2023 competition will be held. Justin Madol, sommelier at Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto, won the Best Sommelier in Ontario competition at the end of 2022, while it was recently announced that Kelcie Jones, Wine Director at Michelin-starred Burdock & Co, took home the title of Best Sommelier in British Columbia. The duo will be joined by representatives from the Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Sections associations, along with other past regional champions, at the Best Sommelier in Canada competition, which will take place 12-15 November in Halifax, under the direction of ASI magazine editor and former CAPS president Mark DeWolf.

New Scandinavian Sommelier Champions

Last month Emma Ziemann has won the Swedish Sommelier Championship for the third time. The final featured four contestants as opposed to the usual three as result of a very close semi-final round. In the end, Ziemann came out on top, with Albert Wendensten finishing runner-up and Elliot Björkman finishing third.

Ziemann’s victory follows closely after Nikolai Haram Svorte took home the title of Norway’s Best Sommelier at a contest held at the Hotel Bristol in Oslo in January. Haram Svorte, bested Kristoffer Aga and Sander Johnsson in the final. Filmon Fitsum, of the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim won the Junior Wine Award at an event held at the same time.