Mikaël Grou fought for his place against five other young up-and-coming sommeliers, including South Africa’s Gaggenau International Sommelier title holder, Joakim Hansi Blackadder in the final, following a six-month global competition.
At the final, the sommeliers competed against one another in tasks that tested their knowledge, skill, ability and flair. In the evening, a celebratory gala dinner was held at the Red Brick Art Museum, hosted by the acclaimed Michelin-starred Taiwanese chef, André Chiang.
“We began the journey of the Gaggenau Sommelier Awards with a view to celebrating the art of viniculture and to provide a platform for rising stars to truly showcase their talent. Every year that we have hosted these awards Gaggenau has absorbed and shared so much knowledge and understanding of culinary culture, not only that of wine but also the sensorial journey one takes throughout the experience available to those who know its value. As this knowledge has evolved over time, so too have we, as a contributor to the future landscape of viniculture,” said Schnee.
The panel consisted of the president of the Austrian Sommelier Association, Annemarie Foidl; master of wine, Sarah Abbott; China’s first and only master sommelier and corporate director of wine for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Yang Lu, and head of global brand Gaggenau, Sven Schnee. All of them agreed that this year’s competition included the highest calibre of young sommeliers in the event’s history.
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