Best Sommelier of the World 2026: 20 semi-finalists named
Five women made the cut, a first for the contest. Reeze Choi and Pascaline Lepeltier are back for another run, while Belgium and host nation Portugal went out in the quarter-finals.
The field for Best Sommelier of the World 2026 is down to 20. The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) named the semi-finalists in Lisbon on 14 October, after two days of quarter-finals that began with 66 candidates, one per country.
Five of the 20 are women, the first time that many have reached this stage of the world championship, according to ASI. The quarter-finals on 12 and 13 October combined a written paper with practical rounds covering theory, blind tasting and service.
The semi-final is being contested today, 15 October. Three candidates will then be announced on stage and go through to the public final on 16 October at the Coliseu dos Recreios, which the ASI schedule sets from 14:30, with the result due at 18:00.
Sixty-six national champions became twenty in two days; by tonight only three will be left.
Who is still in Best Sommelier of the World 2026
The list published by ASI reads, by country: Joris Gutierrez Garcia (Canada), Reeze Choi (China), Iwona Papathoma (Cyprus), Jonathan Gouveia (Denmark), Mikk Parre (Estonia), Dmitrii Frolov (Finland), Pascaline Lepeltier (France), Florian Richter (Germany), Sebastian Giraldo (Hungary), Anke Carmen Hartmann (Ireland), Francesco Cosci (Italy), Wataru Iwata (Japan), Martynas Pravilonis (Lithuania), Yi Ying Yong (Malaysia), Lukas Wiegman (Netherlands), Andrea Martinisi (New Zealand), Nikolai Haram Svorte (Norway), Tomasz Żak (Poland), Maria Boumpa (United Kingdom) and Mark Guillaudeu (United States).
Two names carry history from the last edition. Choi finished third in the 2023 final in Paris, won by Raimonds Tomsons of Latvia, and Lepeltier went out before that final. Twelve of this year's 20 hold the ASI Diploma at gold level and two at silver, according to the published list.
Belgium and Portugal miss the cut
Elizio Masson, head sommelier at Hof van Cleve, is not among the 20, so Belgium's run ends in the quarter-finals; AMUSE followed Elizio Masson's road to Lisbon last week. Portugal's candidate, Marc Pinto, is also out, which leaves the host country without a semi-finalist.
ASI president William Wouters called reaching the semi-finals an "exceptional feat" and said the association recognised the work of all 66 candidates. Olivier Poussier, co-director of the ASI contests committee, said: "Reaching the semi-finals should be a moment of great personal pride."
This is the 18th edition of the contest and the first held in Lisbon since 1978. By tonight, 17 of the 20 will be out, and the successor to Tomsons is due to be named tomorrow evening on a stage better known for concerts.
