The Best Sommelier of Vietnam competition is being held for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City with the final round set to take place on August 14, heard a press conference for the contest held in the southern metropolis on Thursday. 

The competition is jointly organized by the Vietnam Sommelier Association and the Saigon Sommelier Association.

The competition, which will be held every three years, features three rounds: quarterfinal, semifinal, and final.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, president of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, announced that this inaugural event aims to select a winner to represent Vietnam in international competitions.

This year's winner will have a chance to compete at the 2025 Best Sommelier in Asia-Pacific competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

If they win this competition, the Vietnamese representative will represent the Asia-Pacific region to compete at a higher-level international contest.

Khanh stated that developing the wine sector is vital amid the boom in Vietnam’s cuisine.

The 2024 Best Sommelier of Vietnam competition aims to enhance knowledge about wines and skills in serving wines, food, and other beverages such as tea, coffee, cocktails, liquor, and sake (Japanese rice wine).

Contestants must study dishes which can pair well with wines, Khanh required.

They would have an opportunity to learn about wines through tasting and smelling skills, connect with and inspire others, and develop the local cuisine and wine business.

Contestants can meet with leading wine experts who are members of the jury board, including Saiko Tamura-Soga, vice-president for Asia-Pacific of the International Sommelier Association, and Giuseppe Vaccarini, the winner of the 1978 Best Sommelier of the World competition and president of the Italian Sommelier Association.

Joining the competition, contestants can also join training courses in wine tasting and smelling, grape farming areas, and wine production.

Khanh Vi, vice-chairman of the Vietnam Sommelier Association, said it is more difficult to obtain sommelier certificates in Vietnam than in other countries and territories, such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Universities in Vietnam have yet to offer sommelier training courses, Vi noted.

He expected Vietnam would be considered a potential market for sommelier training and certification.

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