MASTER reacts to SOMMELIER World CHAMPIONSHIP

[@bgsouto2]

Is this the study you refer: "Chemical Senses, 2018, Vol 43, 721-726 Can the Identification of Odorants Within a Mixture Be Trained?" ?

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Yes! That’s the one

[@artoftasting]

Take care with interpreting the results of this study. An odorant (= odour compound) is not the same as an aroma descriptor, in fact one odorant typically has multiple descriptors. For example, 4-MMP causes gooseberry, elderflower, box tree, cat urine and blackcurrant bud aromas in Sauvignon Blanc. So while our brain may be able to pick out only four individual odorants, it can still lead to a few dozen descriptors.

[@davidnilsson7733]

@@artoftasting Very good point, thank you

[@monteiroperly4809]

I was just about to look for this study, thanks mate!

[@mitchellmortenson2481]

This feels more like a game show than a competition that’s reflective of the profession

[@Leovader123]

A som is a waiter that sells wine, at its core. IMO its not that far off. Yes, it ignores the management side and gamefies some parts. But its not too bad.

[@bobbymaldini7653]

why is this so snobbish lol

[@gestapo81]

@@bobbymaldini7653 you're on a wine tasting channel, really?

[@PyroForEveryone]

I don’t know, but somehow that sequence with the cocktails felt like a comedy play 😅

[@Ruirspirul]

honestly, after finding out that almost none of them got any wine correct, so does the blind tasting 😆

[@loghorizon45]

Dinner for One type beat

[@PyroForEveryone]

@@loghorizon45 100%

[@danielplainview4778]

A bit odd that a professional who does this literally 40 hours a week probably for a decade plus would forget such simple contrail questions even under the “pressure” of the competition… seemed almost over the top nervous like this was an snl skit lol… also I feel like you are being modest I’m quite confident you would do better then that Constantine!

[@LeagueOfKiwi]

​@@danielplainview4778 odds are that wherever this man works he isnt the one that takes care of cocktail orders.

[@ToreOnYouTube]

I've been to a few Michelin restaurants. When interacting with the sommelier, the thing I hated the most was the sense of urgency and 'stiffness' of the conversation. I like it when the sommelier is down to earth, talks slow and makes the wine feel like a taste adventure.

[@lalnghaklianahnamte24]

Here they have a limited time to serve... Maybe if they slightly change competition rules...that would be lovely for participants

[@ToreOnYouTube]

@@lalnghaklianahnamte24 Yeah, couldn't blame any of these competitors real world performance based on this.

[@wheelz79]

Sorry, but that competition does more damage to the world of wine than it does good I feel.

[@jjninja777]

I feel like if the customer doesn't specify the old fashioned with rye then you can assume it's bourbon. At that point why not ask if they want an orange twist or a lemon twist? a sugar cube or syrup? If they don't specify beyond "old fashioned" or "margarita" then they are leaving it up to the restaurant to decide how to serve it.

[@OneShot_G]

This is also area specific I live in Wisconsin and old fashioned can be with brandy and is often muddled with fruit

[@muscle_mafia_bros]

I was just going to mention this, I live in Wisconsin as well and we do old fashion cocktails with brandy! Excellent point@@OneShot_G

[@vlindstrom]

The original old fashioned recipe is with rye (to the best of my knowledge), and in my opinion the spiciness of rye makes a better, more balanced drink. Bourbon is quite sweet already and the heat of rye evens out the sugar in an Old fashioned. My 2 cents.

[@HNCS2006]

I was in Madrid as a tourist once and their Sommerlier was so good. He was obviously very knowledgeable. I had a 12 course degustation with matching 12 glasses of wine. Every single one tasted f-ing amazing and brought out the utmost flavour. (May i mention this meal was actually only 80euros?) But most of all he understood he was also in the service industry. He was attentive but relaxed. And more than a year later when I went back to that restaurant, he remembered me! I was so surprised he was able to do that. An outstanding soul. Nothing pretentious just knew his stuff and loved to serve.

[@Alexander_Tronstad]

That's the main point for me. It should be a service. Once you make it about yourself you fail as a server imo. In Norway we don't have tipping culture for example, but some servers nevertheless come here from a mindset or culture that says it's appropriate to tip or something. So when you don't tip they can get really shitty and snarky and ruin your evening. That's how you lose me as a customer at least. I work in a hospital as a radiographer, healthcare is service too. In a hospital you do extra shit for people all the time, that's what having a service-job entails. Could you imagine asking for tips? Haha! It's even illegal to receive tips here for my line of work, as it should be. So a server/sommelier, in a country like Norway, where you have decent pay you lose me so hard once you start thinking you did something so extra by being service-minded that I should give you a lot of money for, when you bring an extra glass or loaf of bread or something or try to say something nice. People like what you describe are magical.

[@Alexandru1996_]

Waw, who even eats 12 course meals? :)) What do one even understoods from so much food. Plus the wine itself. I bet you were not walking straight at the end :) I work at a winecellar myself, in Republic of Moldova and we have few menus that include 7 wines and people walk kinda funny at the end. After 12...i can only imagine the view :)

[@christiandusek1434]

Can you please name the restaurant? I will be in Madrid in June and still searching for culinary experiences...i'm curious :)

[@alvintan423]

@@christiandusek1434 Agree here. Share the name:)

[@psychotropicalresearch5653]

Did you leave a decent tip?

[@notesbyalex]

Going back to the table for minor questions feels so painful in a restaurant setting where you're not being judged... If I went back twice in a row right at the start like that I might have just walked off the stage and out the door

[@bobmarley2140]

poor man will probably beat himself up over that for years to come

[@Alexander_Tronstad]

They started this trend at Subway now even. I just want one of their baguette of the day. "With everything?" - YES! And what happened to that not being the end of the conversation? They go on asking down to if you want salt and pepper.. At that point I might as well make the baguette myself.

[@powdork]

If you forget to ask, make it up. Give them salt because that's what a proper marg comes with. The 'up' was a curveball though. Choose a bourbon for them and then tell them why you did. No reason to go back to the table in that situation.

[@jackoflanagan]

You'd definitely say I'm not going back again to ask rye or bourbon if you'd already been.

[@principal_optimism]

I would have told the barman that they ordered an old fashion and didn't make any specific requests. The barman can just make an old-fashioned. He also didn't ask what kind of coaster they wanted... Is the rim style and whiskey the only two important variables and why is it expected of the somm to ask that?

[@thisisgettingold]

My dude listed every scent that ever existed in the one glass of wine. "Odors of Tide Pod, jet fuel, crawfish, grundle sweat, and slight hints of Lego and Classic Old Spice"

[@amurleopard51]

The 'Sommelier World Championship' goes in my list of ''incredulous, fake sports that have a World Championship because the participants don't want to work a real job''.

[@leomarkaable1]

Slight hint of day old Camel cigarette butt…

[@MSchon-qf3fl]

As an active Sommelier in a relatively high end restaurant, I don’t go clockwise around the table or pour ladies first or other outdated modes of presentation. I agree with you that being a good sommelier is more about taking the pretentiousness out of wine and making the guest feel comfortable and helping them choose the right wine than being able to blind taste or ramble on about esoteric cuvées.

[@patavinity1262]

Sure, but that's not really the point. The judges are just trying to find objective criteria by which to measure the candidates' knowledge of wine and wine serving.

[@lezhu6856]

@@patavinity1262 In a way, that ability to make the guest experience better can also be objectively measured. Knowledge isn't the only thing that can be measured.

[@tonydeltablues]

You're the person we all need in a restaurant!

[@patavinity1262]

@@lezhu6856 Difficult, because it's highly subjective. Knowing where a wine was made with which grapes in what year is objective.

[@spirestocksnotification6710]

​@Patavinity the operative words, "just trying", noting the approach to the competition has no objectivity

[@siphil0]

It's amazing that a German is watching a Danish, Latvian, and Chinese person compete in France and everyone is speaking English.

[@formxshape]

Sorry about brexit.

[@danguid2753]

The technical term remains French it is sommelier as well as practically all the grape varieties

[@GiGiGoesShopping]

English is the global language for aviation and medicine too.

[@danguid2753]

Call rescue Mayday come from the french word m'aider. It means help me !

[@dhk19]

So when I travel to a Michelin star restaurant serving sushi In Japan that serves DOM perignon with the food do I need to learn japanese or French 🤷‍♂️

[@drmatthewhorkey]

Niccee job on doing a react video. I was with a few MWs all week and they spoke glowingly of you in addition to a bit about your past career on the floor. Nice takes on the how the competition can improve, I always want somms at great restaurants to be empowering, not degrading...

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Glad to hear!

[@SuperMawesome]

I really enjoyed your relaxed, informative and intuitive approach to this episode. I feel like the world of wine, at least from a server’s perspective, is often being over-stuffed with knowledge based prestige and tends to overlook the core ethos of what it is to be hospitable… it’s refreshing to see this perspective voiced so eloquently and I hope it inspires younger audiences to peruse a career In hospitality. It’s not what you know, it’s how you communicate it that matters.

[@justaguy328]

When he started reading the aromatics I thought to myself, "this dude is really just saying whatever words come to his mind at the moment" hahaha. My man said "leather, smoke, truffle, mushroom, forest floor" hahaha. Reminds me of that Key and Peele sketch where they satirize the weird lyrics of funk songs. One of the lines they use were just random words, "ships, planets, justice, cannons, camels, and trees" hahahah

[@TH-dg2mm]

It seems like the Barista version of this is much more enjoyable to watch. The Barista competition is structured in such a way that you really get a good sense of the Barista's difference personalities and drink aesthetics.

[@carolinehart9860]

The real skill of a Sommelier is to be able to match wine with food that was ordered AND surprise the diner with a selection they may not have chosen themselves.

[@darkerbinding6933]

This was a fun change of pace for your videos. Thanks for going to the work to give us this.

[@george-qn2we]

Very good observations and comments. As a Sommelier who has come through the past 30years I've seen us move from the stiff, old-fashioned service rules and uniforms to the more practical and comfortable used in most places around the world today. Blind tasting has no place in any part of our jobs nor is it anything more than a circus trick. It needs to go! All exams, courses or completions should reflect the real world and real job of a Sommelier. Service yes, food and wine matching yes, recommendations across different scenarios yes. The ability to weave stories and use non wanky wine language as ways of connecting wine to customers is to me number 1 skill and as it's never tested, dying out in the real world. Too many wannabe sommeliers trying to memorize wines and not able to talk to customers!!

[@jeanlucbergman479]

Blind absolutely has a place at the world championship for a field such as this or you're effectively throwing a vast amount of your worth out the window. It could certainly be done in a more effective way, such as identifying between specific producers in a region or between vintages of a production, or between different grades from a single producer. In terms of everything else you've said, totally agree.

[@Leovader123]

@@jeanlucbergman479 For competition? I guess. We have competitions for precision shooting, a useless skill... While it does have a few limited real world use cases, its a party trick that relies on memorisation...

[@Leovader123]

I agree. But, blind tasting skills can be usefull to spot slightly improperly stored bottles or samples. Its a niche use, but it exists. Being able to translate customer words into reccomendations is 1000 times more usefull. The job has always been "waiter that can sell wine and may know a thing or two more than the average bloke", and sometimes its a managerial position. Im lucky enough to have a job where i can actually teach people, with sales being an option. In an ideal world, a som should be forced to list 3 negatives about any wine he/she proposes. That would inspire some realism in the industry.

[@Yeoldelole]

As someone who has served in high-end restaurants before, and helped manage wine programs, and regularly leads large wine tastings, I personally find it absolutely horrific that some of this stuff is taking place amongst the alleged best in the world. I don’t care if the TV cameras are rolling, and there’s 4000 people in the audience. If you are causing people to cringe and tense up from your awkwardness, how can you possibly serve?

[@tommihommi1]

And I thought barista competition was already maximum cringe levels but this takes the cake

[@NeutralMjolkHotel]

WBC barista competitors actually hold a higher standard in their professionalism than this tbh First fella in the service challenge was in shambles. You right tho - both are definitely cringe

[@MsJavaWolf]

@@NeutralMjolkHotel He might have some skills, looks to me like the stress just killed him.

[@vintageswiss9096]

I've been binge watching somm competitions for a couple weeks now. Most of it is blasé and simple service you'd expect from a general waiter at a fine dining establishment. They may have wine knowledge, but most of them have zero table awareness. I think one of the most applicable tests is when they need to pour 16 even glasses out of a magnum without touching the same glass twice.

[@douglasbodenhamer931]

I agree. These competitions need to be more… realistic. What would a sommelier do to best serve customers. Identify faults. Determine wine pairings. Determine quality level in relation to budget. Taste wine. Knowledge of the region and what to expect from the top producers. Also, I think they need to make it more interesting for those watching. If those interested in wine don’t find this interesting, then that’s not a good sign. I do think the general idea is interesting and entertaining, but competition challenges and their execution are a little alienating or obtuse.

[@Chzydawg]

Sounds like they need a Hell's Kitchen for Somm's. Hell's Floor? Chef has created a 10 course tasting menu consisting of palate destroying foods, you create a wine pairing for each dish. A FOH member asked to borrow your corkscrew and hasn't returned it, and you must now open a 1890 bottle of madeira without any tools. A table sent back a bottle of wine saying it was corked, but only after drinking 85% of the contents, explain to that table why you can't do that, whilst also ensuring they don't leave a negative yelp review.

[@robinwells5343]

He shouldn't ask about bourbon or rye in the old fashioned. It's rye traditionally (properly) simple as that. If you want bourbon you should specify as the customer

[@NoSediment]

My reaction to ASI Best Sommelier of The World 2023: screaming and crying because my friend and colleague won and he worked really hard to get there! 🙌 🏆 Reez Choi was clearly very nervous and that translated into his performance, as You said it is not an easy task to be on the stage, knowing You are being judged. I say performance, because just as working on the floor, competition is a performance as well. And while some of those things could be outdated or not as relevant, it is a foundation on which You build the rest of it. Cheers and thank You for the video! 🍾🥂

[@CrescentRollCarl]

Enjoyed the video a lot. I always thought these types of competitions were so goofy. And a room full of people taking themselves very seriously. Not my approach to wine at all, but decently entertaining none the less. Your suggestions were great and would improve these competitions dramatically.

[@spirestocksnotification6710]

Amen!

[@adamg.manning6088]

The blind tasting and the description rounds should really just be rolled into one round. Tasting blind has such little practical application in a restaurant, that it’s little more than a party trick, and I say that with the outmost respect to you for having past the MW tasting. Maybe a “find the odd one out” would be better. The “guess the wine based on pictures” is an interesting idea and I did guess Syrah based on the flowers and I’d like to say that I recognised Chave with his back to the camera, but I might have made that up. That being said, guessing the exact Cuvée based on those clues? That’s a little ridiculous.

[@jprst]

I have had the honour to listen to a Raimonds Tomsons' lecture on the New World wines within the course run by the Latvian Somms association a number of years ago. Kudos to him for persistently mastering his way to the top and finally winning this contest.

[@lkrnpk]

Yeah as a Latvian I am kinda astonished about his success as we are not known for our… wine knowledge

[@konkeydonged]

No amount of Valium and wine can prevent the second-hand anxiety I get from watching the first man.

[@ghettobougieahjoomab8663]

Wow! Didn't know that identifying faults was a minor part of the competition. This reminds me of a video I saw with a person finding a fault and the somm(?) challenging it a couple of times until he revealed that he was an MW. 😁

[@marek8734]

I agree with you 100%. As a floor sommelier I understand the par importance of wine and food pairing and the skill to entertain the customers and to create the atmosphere of comfort and relaxation. And not to be overly smart with customers in the restaurant! They didn’t come to the restaurant to get the sophicticated lecture of wine world but to enjoy the food and drinks.

[@nicomeier8098]

"The Wine Nerd World Cup". HAHAHA, good one! As I'm sipping my 2018 Niedermenniger Sonnenberg Spätlese feinherb from Weingut Stefan Müller aus Konz - Krettnach. It will be great with the hake (Seehecht) I'm going to eat in an hour. I love Riesling wines from the Saar. Just though you should know 😁

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Enjoy it- sounds like a great pairing

[@laureanoalfaro9351]

So basicly they failed on almost everything and the most important task: to identify a bad wine none of them got it.

[@brianrossiter2547]

That's always amused/annoyed me about wine descriptions, where seemingly every fruit under the sun can be listed in tasting notes -- apart from grapes themselves!

[@DMJKraft]

Some excellently sound and logical advice, Konstantin. Thanks. Dave Kraft WSET, London.

[@dr7246]

I have the highest respect for people who work to rise to the top of their field, as these sommeliers clearly have. They deserve such respect. I find the competition to utterly ridiculous. It would be interesting if you had a master sommelier on an episode to compare and contrast training and skills between an MW and MS

[@Leovader123]

What would you change?

[@Chzydawg]

Competition seems pretty silly. Asking a somm to taste 4 different wines and expect them to pick varietals, region and vintage is pretty out there. Varietal should be possible at their level, region too but vintage is a whole different ball park, so many variables (bottle size, aging conditions, etc) and I doubt too many MW's could pick a precise vintage, some might be able to get in the ball park (5-10 years). Explaining the wine, maybe makes sense for a certain customer, but I still wouldn't want to be told every characteristic that a wine could possess, partly because there's no way you could, but also because what's the purpose of drinking the wine? Would you watch a movie if you knew all the characters, the plotline, the ending and the credits? The cocktail bit was a pretty rookie mistake, and to even mess up the wine was a bit silly. Interesting video nonetheless, would be interested to hear about the MW exam process in contrast to something like this.

[@CembaloMeister]

As a restaurant sommelier, I honestly do not think the world championship is necessary. I have to remember that at the end of the day, I am still a server. To serve with integrity and humility. Having the proper knowledge, business skills, practical knowledge (identifying flaws, varietals, and variances), and positive attitude is far more important than all the rules, regulations, and pageantry these competitions bring. Guest satisfaction is key and if a sommelier cannot satisfy the guest, then despite any awards, they failed.

[@Francoberry]

I'm nowhere near an expert or even a true hobbyist but it feels like a classic case of art being forcibly quantified, with varying levels of success... In order to try and quantitatively measure the quality of a professional, I feel like it requires the addition of many quantitive measures that ultimately distract from the artistry and creativity associated with the drinks themselves, and those who study and appreciate them.

[@hamakua484]

I appreciate a sommelier on her/his ability to pleasantly help match a wine to food or food to wine. The same food with three different wines can taste somewhat to markedly different. I know the job of sommelier has many other aspects. Helping the customer, however, understand different wine matches should somehow be a priority in a World Sommelier Championship.

[@interoperability-101]

Amazing format, I loved it! Thank you Konstantin.

[@fanatiek1]

It seems to me that in the way this competition is held, upholds the misunderstood elitist image that wine still often has. Your comments are more than justified. Great video! Learned a lot.

[@washedgeisha]

At least one area where coffee industry is ahead. Competitions like barista championships and brewers cup are fascinating to watch and are way more casual without compromising on quality.

[@Nemosan01]

I agree, there needs to be a divide between Michelin style serving and normal serving… both matters and fancy dress etc might not represent “hipster” wine but that does not mean it is not important. Further, identifying faults should be a key factor!!! Many guests are afraid of sending wine back or don’t know if they get a faulty wine. Not focusing on this, I’d argue the championship is flawed… ;) at the end of day, it’s about skilled personal who can help and make the customer happy and at ease. And every competition should reflect modern day. Cheers from the Dane in Italy

[@spirestocksnotification6710]

Konstantin, I am so grateful for your candid and accurate assessment of the shortfalls in Sommelier competition, such as no one ever correctly guesses the wines in the blind tasting and one of my favorite sayings I have over the years, whoever smells the most, wins! Classic!! Thanks for providing an objective, compelling and accurate critique of the obvious; yet, to those so close to the invent, still blinded, reminds of the Documentary Somm 3 when supposedly the three best wine tasters in the world with three wines to consider, all picked a different wine as the best, subjectivity at its finest.

[@joelarose9589]

I totally agree with you comment about the super fast blind tastings. It's almost like the judges get amused with their "Gotcha!" test. Also, when the winner described the aromatics, I thought only Jesus could make a wine like that. Then I remembered your other video, lol.

[@ARon82]

I want to be one of the guests at the championship and say DANCE the drink over here!

[@davidbatten5808]

Thanks for highlighting the competition - having years ago been a Som, restaurant owner and involvement in the wine trade while retaining an interest in hospo, this was the most excruciating and irrelevant thing I have watched in a long time. Completely agree re your view re the tasting process, I would have been happy if the competitors had been able to identify varietal makeup - regional source, relative age etc. and particularly wine fault identification skills. Very few industry participants I know can identify Corked, VA, excess reductive Sulphur (quite a big problem emerging with Screw cap finished wines) and degrees of oxidation all affecting a wines saleability. And then there is the whole issue of the perception , perpetuated by the current structure of the comp, of the ingrained attitudes and presentation laid bare! Well done you! db

[@grasielamyenglishschool7430]

Hello Kostantin, I’m visiting Germany for the first time in August and my boyfriend and I are driving from Italy all the way to Mainz. We’d like to also visit the Mosel region. Can you suggest some vineyards worth visiting? Thanks and cheers!

[@ohmanohgoshohgeez]

Hey Konstantin. Loved this video. At 12:40 you mention some research about the limitations of flavor compounds a person can notice in a single glass of wine. Curious if you have a link to that research? Sounds fascinating! Thank you.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

It is in the pinned comment

[@ohmanohgoshohgeez]

@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWineFantastic. Thank you very much. :)

[@tremexThoMaS]

I would have love to seen a whole hour of this!

[@marcog3529]

Watching this gave me anxiety lol glad I left the industry. On the description of wine, a funny story for anyone who sees this: I once caught a complaint for "not describing a wine well enough for it to sound like a fine wine". It was a Moscato d'Asti. So it is kind of realistic actually, to use A LOT of descriptors. It is an indirect way to compliment the host's choice, like, "you picked a very complex wine, well done."

[@maylloyd3348]

Agree with you a hundred per cent that the "contest" should focus on advising customers, building a wine list for your boss the restauranteur, and knowing what is good and what is not. The florid descriptions and ultra-precise blind tastings should be way behind "would this type of customer find this drinkable?".

[@fingersfinesilver]

Thanks for showing this! That was amazingly difficult and a great show. I know she didn't win but Nina was my favourite because of the absolute confidence in giving completely wrong answers

[@fingersfinesilver]

Can I ask how close she got on the grape varieties? (I'm drinking Chilean cab sauv as I post this)

[@Smiding]

I don't see why the competition makes the sommeliers feel rushed and stressed, if I was served by this sommelier, he can crap out any information correct or not but it will not be a pleasant experience. If I made this competition, the quality of the service would be 99% of the points given

[@josealbertorodriguezojeda1850]

Yeah thar part were the sommelier just smelled and taste and in 40 sec she said the grapes, the place, the year and even who made it was too much, it takes confident down on this competition and in some cases even of the sommelier jobs, seeing a world champion can’t actually guess any wine in the world championships

[@Ildskalli]

Great episode! I’ll have to watch the competition now, I became intrigued. The fact that none could detect the VA, or get a single wine correctly in the blind tasting is pretty damning. I’m sure all three are excellent somms, and so their terrible performance means that the test is stupidly difficult. I fully agree with your comments, and I hope that the world of wine takes them seriously, because sales of wine globally are going down and younger generations just aren’t engaging with it as much. This is decidedly bad, and corrective action is required right now.

[@Leovader123]

Blind tasting is almost useless in a real world scenario. Well, the best paid somms are the famous ones. And you become famous with silly competitions...

[@NielsLieman]

Personally when I am in a nice restaurant with a good sommelier, I always like to try something new and learn something about wine. I do not mind if a sommelier comes back to check how I would like to have my cocktail, I rather have them check and then serve my drink in my prefered style.

[@claudestuder4199]

I laughed quite a bit actually. I don't think I could ever take something like this seriously. 😊😊

[@jovoxf521]

why? try a wine that costs more than 5usd once in a while you might enjoy it, or go back to mcdonalds, you do you

[@rafadubas7757]

@@jovoxf521 I drink wines way over five dollars per bottle and me neither could take it seriously… The speed tasting is a joke.

[@whiskyngeets]

I agree. I enjoy wine, but this is ridiculous.

[@kennethvlahos1127]

I think either an "Old World vs. New World" test would be good. Or even being able to guess what country two wines of same varietal are from; with extra points for getting the varietal, producer, vintage, etc correct.

[@williamrobinson7435]

I thought when the candidate confidently answered the questions that she might well have got some of them right. The subsequent revelation that there was in fact a low success rate occasioned some mirth🤣😂🤣😂🤣and this at the very least has to be a good thing. Nice one Konstantin! 🌟👍

[@karlinggard]

Nice take on the sommelier world championship! Completely agree with you on the part about blind tasting. Accurately describing a wine with precise and carefully selected words and identifying its quality is far more important than spouting out the name of some wine producer making that style of wine.

[@pikesoNN]

Cool that you breakdown the Championship.

[@teddytejero]

In France alone there are 85.000 wine producers ... so this blind tasting and guessing out the vintage and producer is utter nonsense. You need to keep track of all the bottles that showed in previous competitions and analyse the judges taste and wine experience. I visit Burgundy a lot and go to different local tastings in small villages. One weekend and 15 locations x 15-25 different bottles. So 300 wines on a weekend from friday until sunday. How many of these stay on record in your brain ? Maybe 5 ... the ones in my cellar. 🙂

[@oliverpope6114]

As someone who has worked a few vintages and now doing my winemaking degree, this whole charade feels like a pretty good demonstration of how well winemakers have taken the public for a ride. The whole preoccupation with being able to pick the varietal, region, year and producer is ridiculous. Same goes for the whole notion of terroir. Too much of what is just desired wine style and winemaking decisions ends up conflated with the effects of the soil and site. All I can gather from this is that whoever designs these competitions either doesn't know anything about wine, or they don't care because they've decided who will win before it has even started and that it will never be a woman.

[@nikezooms]

this is completely insane.

[@markstevens7838]

Thank you for that. It was quite interesting. Seemed a little ridiculous when they were swishing back one wine after another. How do you clear the pallet so the last wine isn’t influencing the next.

[@Leovader123]

Taste only goes downhill. We use bread which is salty, to enhance sweet, salty and bitter right after (contrast pairing). But that can only be done a few times before youre blind. It only fully resets when you sleep. Aromatic perception is much more stable, as long as you dont overwealm it. Thats why we dont serve fruity wine after wood. Wood beats fruit usually.

[@lucianfick2218]

You bring up an excellent point. There is so much about wine-tasting that is subjective, so many variables to take into consideration. Even the way the glassware was washed/cleaned. What did you have to eat the night before? Certain wines need more time to breathe after being opened to show their real character..

[@tedgey4286]

When I go to a restaurant with a sommelier I want them to help me pick a wine that pairs well with the meal and I love hearing about the geography and the history of the vineyard. I don't care about which order at the table the wine is poured

[@dkoppenol]

Nice vid, really like your insight and constructive feedback on the competition

[@oli31]

Nice new intro. Love it

[@bearisarius]

Loving the new intro Koko!

[@12Trappor]

02:27 "Andreas Larsson [...] won the competition a few years ago" - in 2007, in fact.

[@ryanboutr7756]

I wish they would put some red bag wine in a glass and have them identify it lmao

[@edwardwayne5824]

Watch this Championship is like watch a circus show, if this is the final top 3 I believe there will be much more people qualified to be on that stage.

[@WithmeVerissimusWhostoned]

I've never heard of it, but having fun is good. \o/

[@victorlarie8359]

for me it's funny that there is no finalist from a well known wine producing country (new world or old world)

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

There was a time when it was mostly French winners. Now that you have to know many different regions and styles it sometimes helps to be in a place that isn’t producing wine.

[@matt-lang]

The questions about the cocktails at the start were flat-out stupid. I understand why they did that in terms of "adding difficulty", but any actual bartender would never ask for those clarifications unless it was their first week on the job. Honestly, that whole part of the challenge brought down my impression of how valid the overall competition actually is.

[@matt-lang]

Just watched the rest of the video and I feel like the whole competition was sort of a joke. It's clearly one of the worst-possible setups for a competition of this type. Feels like it rewards people for over-embellishing and speed rather than their actual skill at tasting and pairing wines...

[@OnEdEcKhk]

This has really made me appreciate the sommelier more than ever. For me the best has been when they make a suggestion and explain it. They make the wine taste better

[@gustavomgomes]

Agree with you. This exam is outdated and although is really a beautiful job , seems to me that the exam value appearance over content, generating a tacky look. Cheers!

[@Ruirspirul]

I welcome the opening title change, just a logo animation instead of 2006 style montage, collage 😅

[@peteklein630]

Great new intro!

[@mattfilos2873]

Great video, enjoyed it.

[@kenkiriyama1958]

Im relatively new to the wine world have never watched a Sommelier contest or championship. But it feels slightly redundant yes, and feels like a little freshness and a contemporary injection could help. However there might be reasons (cultural etc) that its kept traditional.

[@rickwezenaar]

very interesting. I think the pace is too fast for the contestants to actually enjoy and identify the wines. These things should take more time. Why put the contestants on so much pressure when in the real world they would never have that pressure to begin with ?

[@bgsouto2]

Great video as always! Can you provide the links or names to the studies you quoted about the number of tastes compounds you can taste in one glass?

[@irokoliakoudakis8948]

You are so right for all of these! I wish they would focus on how we offer to guests authentic wine hospitality and not becoming heartless winepedias Showing off our egos… Loved your comments!

[@nicolasbisetti2072]

Excellent konstantin thank you

[@AiMHeNNe]

jouuuuu!!!! warst du nicht damals auf der paul kerchensteinschule in bad überkingen?? habe dort dein "Poster" gesehn...glaub ich zumindestestens... kann das sein? :D

[@leomarkaable1]

My worst true experience was when the Sommelier drank the wine table side and it went down the wrong tube and he began to choke and he coughed his brains out for a minute or so. We were next to him. I felt really bad for the young guy.

[@lauracanna2201]

A Next video suggestion: a competition between you and Sommelier André Hueston Mack from Bon Appétit. He is very funny but also very knowledgeable and I'm sure you two would be an interesting, funny combination 😄

[@adamdarrar121]

A little excessive?!?? Dude said he smelled mushrooms from a glass of wine 😂😂😂😂 dude trying to hard

[@macsaeki]

question, does winning the world champion make you a master somm? is winning it mean you're higher or lower than a master somm, or same?

[@lc1565]

Perhaps a better way to do the blind taste test would be to provide a list of wines ahead of time and then randomly select from that list a few to (semi-) blindly test. This would be a more relevant test of understanding a wine list in a restaurant.

[@steelwarrior105]

If I am not mistaken that is how the ics exams are done

[@kendrakrause8512]

I'm a bartender and these are standard questions I ask along with a preference in liquor. He may know his wine, but unfortunately doesn't have social background skills or industry direct experience. Likely with a huge family pressure to be perfect. I agree with the blind tasting. More time of course, would be ideal to efficiently describe each wine. I wanted the guy who jumped 2 feet in the air when his name was called to win anyways. Perfect.

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

The whole thing was silly from start to finish. The contest hardly seems to highlight what makes a sommelier good.

[@anthonybechara86]

I like the new intro clip, and "stay thirsty" line catch 😉 I agree that the competition is becoming disconnected little bit from the real world (not all wine geeks & professionals like to wear suits and drink wine in a palace)... I've been following the competition for a while, and there is always this competition on who's the "geekiest" sommelier in the tests, especially that not all of them do well on the final show!! Anw... Who am I to judge!! 😂

[@lancemurray6216]

I think that it's most important to find the best wine for the food ordered, and at the price limit of the customer.

[@TDW0304]

I host at a reasonably high end restaurant (85 odd euro a head excl drinks) and that whole cocktail section is ridiculous. Most guests will specify if they want something specific, and if not we just use house spirits/ most common preparation. A margarita is a salted glass unless told otherwise etc. And going back to a table twice to clarify would be would suck the soul out of me. I understand in this setting they want the contestants to remember to ask these questions, but if my bartender made me go back twice instead of asking both questions at the same time there would be hell to pay.

[@BChamp333]

Great video! Where did you get your shirt? Lol

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Uniqlo

[@jameslopez958]

Great Video! Thanks for sharing this Information with us! Peace ✌️ and Love 💕 from Tucson Arizona Desert 🏜️

[@atamo4323]

The Asian lady diner is Korean MW Jeannie Cho Lee.