Wines of Chile is proud to be a sponsor of the 13th “World’s Best Sommelier Competition,” which will be held in Chile for the first time on April 11-16, 2010.

This competition organized by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) will be hosted locally by the Chilean Association of Sommeliers and will receive candidates from 50 countries, all of whom already hold the Best Sommelier title from their respective countries.

Chile’s reigning candidate is Ricardo Grellet, seconded by Héctor Riquelme, who competed in the 12^th version of the international competition in Rhodes, Greece, in 2007.

The rigorous 2-day competition will take place in Santiago and in Santa Cruz (in the Colchagua Valley). The contestants will be required to show extensive knowledge of wine, spirits, and other beverages, cigars, oils, food and wine pairing, and service skills to determine the top three candidates for the final competition. The three finalists will compete in a public final round and the winner announced at a gala dinner the same evening.

The ASI guests will also be treated to the finest of Chilean hospitality along with wine tastings, winery visits in the Colchagua and Maipo Valleys, which will be coordinated through Wines of Chile.

ASI was founded in France in 1969 to standardize and promote the profession of sommelier. The Chilean chapter, the Asociación de Sommeliers de Chile, was created in 2000 in accordance with ASI guidelines to promote good service in Chile. Wines of Chile was founded in 2002 to promote the quality and image of Chilean wine worldwide.

For more information and to register for activities, please see the 2010 ASI World’s Best Sommelier Competition web site